Youth & Junior Sailing Dinghies
Youth and junior sailing dinghies cover everything from first-time training boats through to serious youth racing classes. Some are simple, durable and confidence-building, while others are proper performance boats designed to develop racing skills, teamwork, trapeze technique and spinnaker handling. A lower Portsmouth Yardstick number generally means a faster boat, although clubs may adjust numbers locally to suit their own fleets and sailing conditions.
Optimist
Optimist is one of the world’s best-known junior sailing dinghies and a natural first racing boat for many younger sailors. It is small, stable and confidence-building, with a huge global class scene and a clear pathway from beginner sailing into proper youth racing. The 2026 RYA Portsmouth Yardstick number for the Optimist is 1629.
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OptimistRacing Optimist
Racing Optimist for sale. My Son's 1st boat and has now moved on to an Rs Terra The boat is in good condition and comes with 2 sails,…
OptimistOptimist
Oppie comes with trolly ,sail, Daggerbound and rudder all in good condition.
Topper
Topper is one of the most popular UK junior and youth training dinghies. Its tough, lightweight hull and simple rig make it ideal for clubs, schools, families and junior racing fleets. The 2026 RYA PY number for the standard Topper is 1369, while the Topper 4.2 rig is listed at 1450.
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TopperTopper for sale
I have an 11' 'Topper' sailboat for sale, complete with sail, rigging, centerboard, rudder, and trailer, It comes with everything needed to put it in the water today…
TopperTopper ‘Blue Moon’ 45816 Airtight, Race Rigged
Great condition. Selden race equipped Triple Blocks 6:1 Downhaul, Selden Kicker 3:1 with spinlock quick release, Ronstan/Holt outhaul system, centre mainsheet rachet block. 3 sails, spare newer sail…
TopperTopper for sale with launching trolley. Located near Christchurch, Dorset
Topper for sale. Located near Christchurch, Dorset. Topper comes complete with a launching trolley
TopperTopper sailing dinghy
Hi selling my sons old topper as he’s lost interest in sailing , it’s around 1990 water tight comes with dagger board tilller,launching trolly and 2 useable sails…
TopperTopper
Location West Sussex. 2020 Topper (as new) Race Ready, Everything you need. Top Spec Boat. 5.3 Sail Aluminium launch Trolley Full Harken Race Spec Harken Race Downhaul Harken…
RS Feva
RS Feva is a major youth double-hander and a very popular step into two-person sailing. It gives young sailors experience with helm-and-crew teamwork, jib handling and asymmetric spinnaker sailing without being as demanding as a 29er or 420. The 2026 RYA PY number for the RS Feva XL is 1248, with the RYA noting that clubs should distinguish between S and XL variants.
ILCA 4
ILCA 4 is the modern class name for the former Laser 4.7 style rig. It is a popular youth progression boat for sailors moving up from Optimists, Toppers or smaller training dinghies, especially those who want strict one-design racing and a clear pathway into ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 sailing. The 2026 RYA PY number for the ILCA 4 / Laser 4.7 is 1218.
ILCA 6
ILCA 6, formerly known as the Laser Radial, is a major youth, women’s and lighter-sailor racing class. It offers more power and performance than the ILCA 4 while retaining the same simple, strict one-design format. The 2026 RYA PY number for the ILCA 6 / Laser Radial is 1156.
Laser Pico
Laser Pico is a tough, simple and forgiving youth training boat, widely used by families, sailing schools and clubs. It is ideal for early confidence-building and can be sailed single-handed or with a small crew. The Laser Pico is not listed as a named class in the supplied 2026 RYA PN PDF; as a generally accepted reference, clubs often use figures around 1330–1340, depending on rig and whether it is sailed single-handed or double-handed.
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Laser PicoLaser Pico
Laser Pico for sale, good condition with new race sail and cover. Launch trolley but no road trailer.
Laser PicoMuch loved pico
Grey laser Pico, owned for 6 years and successfully raced for many summers. Came 2nd two years running in St Mawes Junior Race week 2021, 2022. Old blue…
RS Tera
RS Tera is a modern youth single-hander, sitting between first-step training boats and more serious junior racing classes. It is light, durable and responsive, with Sport and Pro rig options to suit different ages and ability levels. The 2026 RYA PY numbers are 1452 for the RS Tera Sport and 1368 for the RS Tera Pro.
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RS TeraRS Tera with top cover and launching trolley – Sail No 4768 – £3,100
RS Sailing ex-demo boat, includes RS Tera Sport mainsail, launching trolley and top cover. All of our used boats are brought into the workshop for a quality check…
29er
29er is a high-performance youth skiff for ambitious sailors. With a lightweight hull, single trapeze and asymmetric spinnaker, it is much faster and more technical than most junior boats and is best suited to confident crews with good boat-handling skills. The 2026 RYA PY number for the 29er is 900.
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420
420 is one of the world’s leading youth double-handers and a classic pathway boat for crews learning trapeze, spinnaker work and advanced racing tactics. It is less extreme than the 29er but still technical enough to develop serious race skills. The 2026 RYA PY number for the 420 is 1110.
RS Zest
RS Zest is a modern youth and training dinghy designed to be simple, durable and easy to manage. It works well for junior sailors, families, clubs and sailing centres that want a practical step-on-and-sail boat with enough responsiveness to keep young sailors engaged. The RS Zest is not listed as a named class in the supplied 2026 RYA PN PDF; as a generally accepted reference, a PY number around 1260 is commonly used.
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RS ZestRS ZEST – UNUSED BRAND NEW
BRAND NEW - UNUSED WITH ROAD TRAILER AND LAUNCHING TRAILER. SELLING DUE TO NEEDING A BIGGER BOAT! Purchased by my wife as a 50th birthday present. Unused due…
Cadet
Cadet is a traditional two-person junior racing dinghy designed specifically for young helm-and-crew teams. It teaches teamwork, tactics and boat handling in a proper racing environment, while remaining manageable for smaller sailors. The Cadet appears in the experimental section of the supplied 2026 RYA PN PDF with a PY number of 1455.
Byte
Byte is a lightweight single-hander that suits youth sailors and lighter helms looking for something more responsive than a basic training boat. It is often seen as a useful progression class for sailors who want a technical but manageable one-person dinghy. The 2026 RYA PY number for the Byte CII is 1123; the older Byte CI appears in the experimental section at 1223.
Choosing a Youth or Junior Dinghy
For very young sailors and first steps into the sport, the Optimist, Topper, Laser Pico, RS Tera and RS Zest are natural starting points. For sailors moving into stronger youth racing, the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, Byte and Cadet offer more tactical and technical development. For ambitious double-handed crews, the RS Feva, 420 and 29er provide a clear pathway from accessible youth racing into serious performance sailing.
Before buying, check the sailor’s age, size, confidence level, local fleet activity and likely progression route. Also look carefully at sail condition, spars, foils, control lines, cover, trolley and road trailer. In youth and junior boats, a complete, well-maintained package is often a better buy than a cheaper boat needing lots of small replacements.
You can browse DinghyMart’s youth and junior class pages to compare current used examples, typical asking prices and complete packages across the main junior training, youth racing and progression dinghy classes.
DinghyMart Store
Don’t forget we have a small selection of sailing tools in our online chandlery store. Most popular are this Sailing Race Timer Watch with 5,4,1,0 countdown and the Windie Anemometer. Both items are held in stock in Norfolk and ready to ship daily.
Windie Sailing Kit
ShopPractical sailing tools for race starts, training and race management.
Windie ChandleryWindie 360° Anemometer (handheld)
The Windie 360 Handheld Anemometer is a compact sailing wind meter designed to give fast, reliable wind speed readings on the water. Ideal for dinghy sailors, yacht racers,…
Windie ChandleryWindie Sailing Race Timer Watch
The Windie Sailing Timer is a simple, purpose-built sailing race countdown watch for dinghy sailors, yacht racers and race officers. Designed around the standard 5-4-1-GO start sequence, it…
- reference : RYA PN PDF
