Naples Sabot
| Designer | Roy McCullough and R.A. Violette |
|---|---|
| Location | Naples, Long Beach, California |
| Year | 1946 (official plan released) |
| Design | Plywood; Fiberglass |
| Crew | 1 (Can fit 2 small children) |
| Type | Monohull, Pram dinghy |
| Construction | One-Design |
| Hull weight | 95 pounds (43 kg) |
| LOA | 8 feet (2.4 m) |
| Beam | 4 feet (1.2 m) |
| Keel/Board Type | Leeboard |
| Rig Type | Bermuda (Cat rig) |
| Mainsail area | 38 square feet (3.5 m2) |
The Naples Sabot is an 8-foot (2.4 m) sailing dinghy. The Naples Sabot was designed by Roy McCullough and R.A. Violette and the first two were built in Violette's garage during WW II, although official designs were not made available until 1946. The Naples Sabot is based on the Balboa Dinghy and on Charles MacGregor's Sabot as published in Rudder magazine, April 1939. It takes its name from Naples in Long Beach, California, where it was developed.
The Naples Sabot differs from the MacGregor in its use of a leeboard instead of a daggerboard. The leeboard gives the boat additional versatility, making it easy to use as a rowboat and thus permitting it to be used as a tender or for fishing. Along with the leeboard the boat gained a small fixed keel, which assists when rowing or towing the dinghy.
Traditionally the hull of the Naples Sabot was built from plywood, but modern boats are produced in fiberglass. The boat uses a cat rigged mainsail which must be made from dacron or nylon, and the mast can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, aluminum and carbon fiber.
The sabot is the traditional first boat for juniors from Long Beach, CA to San Diego, CA, with the Optimist being more popular in the rest of the country. It has been long-debated which boat is a better choice. Sabots can be more expensive and difficult to sail, but the sail plan of a Sabot is more similar to the modern sloop design, having a standard mast and boom, which is used with most larger boats.
The Naples Sabot is used mainly in Southern California, where it is used primarily to train young sailors. Adult women and men also race these boats. Regattas are held by International Naples Sabot Association (INSA) and the Southern California Women's Sailing Association (SCWSA) in various locations in harbors throughout Southern California.
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