- Miracle (dinghy)
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Current Specifications Crew 1–4 LOA 3.89 m (12.8 ft) LWL 3.69 m (12.1 ft) The Miracle is a small dinghy sailboat popularized in the United Kingdom, and designed by Jack Holt — one of the last for the well-known designer. Holt brought sailing to the masses in the 1960s with his famous Mirror dinghy, and continued to produce designs such as the Enterprise, GP14, Cadet, Hornet, Pacer, Solo, and Streaker — many of which went on to become hugely successful dinghy classes.
The Miracle design represented the culmination of lessons learned from his many previous designs. Working in conjunction with Barry Read, Jack Holt developed the slot and glue method of constructing Miracles, which enabled some boats to be built from kits even by inexperienced amateurs. The first Miracle dinghies were built and launched in 1975. Since then, the Miracle's success grew strongly, and sail numbers today exceed 4,041.
The Miracle is a forgiving and versatile sailing dinghy, ideal for beginners or experts, children and adults alike. There is a class association based in the U.K., with several active fleets around the country.
The Miracle was supplied initially as a plywood kit and designed for home building, based on the slot and glue method of construction. As a result, many Miracles were built by enthusiasts. Subsequently, professionally-assembled Miracles were built by Bell Woodworking, who were the sole source of kits, and a few by other professional builders. Build quality of the commercially built craft was reportedly very good, and is supported by the fact that many older examples have survived. Most Miracles are made of wood.
In the early 1990s, a composite version of the Miracle was developed, made from a combination of a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) hull and wooden deck. Shortly after that, a boat made entirely of GRP was then produced, only a few of these remain, and they still attract good prices. In 1997, plans became available so that the dinghy could be produced as a home build again.
External links
- Classic Boat guide to the Miracle Dinghy Class
- Official Miracle Dinghy Class Association Website
- Dinghy Cruising Association: Miracle specs
- GoSail.co.uk: Introduction to the Miracle
- Draycote Water Sailing Club: Miracle fleet
ISAF sailing dinghy classes 29er • 420 • 470 • 49er • 505 • B14 • Byte • Cadet • Contender • Enterprise • Europe • Finn • Fireball • Flying Dutchman • Flying Junior • GP14 • International 14 • Laser Standard • Laser II • Laser 4.7 • Laser Radial • Laser Vago • Lightning • Mirror • Moth • Musto Performance Skiff • OK Dinghy • O'pen BIC • Optimist • RS500 • RS Feva • RS Tera • Snipe • Splash • Sunfish • Tasar • Topper • Vaurien • Zoom 8Sailing dinghy, Sharpie and Skiff classes Dinghies under 10 ft Frog • Cape Cod Frosty • El Toro • Fatty Knees • Fly • Holdfast Trainer • Manly Junior • Minto • Naples Sabot • O'pen BIC • Optimist • P Class • Pelican • Puddle Duck Racer • Sabot • Starling • Tadpole • Topper Topaz Taz • Turnabout • Zoom 8Dinghies under 15 ft 10ft Skiff • 12 foot dinghy • 125 ("One-twenty-five") • 12ft Skiff • 13ft skiff • 29er • 29erXX skiff • 3000 • 405 ("Four-oh-five") • 420 • Access Liberty • Adventuress • ASC • Astus 14.1 • Australian Sharpie • B14 • Banshee • Beetle Cat • Bermuda Fitted Dinghy • Blaze • Blue Jay • Bosun • British Moth • Butterfly • Buzz • Byte • Cadet • Cherokee • Cherub • C-Lark • Comet • Coypu • Dabchick • Daring • Dart • Enterprise • Escape • Europe • Envy • Extra • Finn • Firefly • Flying Ant • Flying Eleven • Flying Junior • Force 5 • GP14 • Graduate • Gull • Heron • Idle-along • IDRA14 • International Twelve • International 14 • Javelin (NZ) • Javelin (US) • Jet 14 • Jollyboat (NZ) • Lark • Laser Standard • Laser 2 • Laser 2000 • Laser 3000 • Laser 4.7 • Laser 5000 • Laser Funboat • Laser Pico • Laser Radial • Laser Vago • Laser Vortex • Lido 14 • Marlin • Merlin Rocket • MG14 • Miracle • Mirror • Moth • Musto Performance Skiff • National 12 • NS14 • OK Dinghy • O'pen BIC • Otter • Pacer • Pegasus • Penguin • Phantom • RS Feva • RS Tera • RS Q'Ba • RS Feva • RS Vareo • RS100 • RS200 • RS300 • RS400 • RS500 • RS600 • RS700 • RS800 • Sabre • Scorpion • Snark • Snowbird (sailboat) • Solo • Spiral • Splash • Streaker • Sunburst • Sunfish • Tinker Star Traveller • Tinker Traveller • Tasar • Topper • Topper Topaz • Topper Topaz Magno • Topper Topaz Vibe • Topper Topaz Xenon • Twinkles 10 & 12 • Vagabond • Vaurien • Wanderer • Woodpussy • Zeddie • ZephyrDinghies under 20 ft 16ft Skiff • 18 foot dinghy • 18ft Skiff • 470 • 49er • 505 • Albacore • Beaufort • Invitation • Buccaneer 18 • Comet • Contender • Corsair • Day Sailer • Fireball • Flying Dutchman • Flying Scot • French National Monotype 1924 • Hornet • Interlake • International Canoe • Jacksnipe • Javelin (UK, NL & DE) • Jersey Skiff • Jollyboat (UK) • Jolly Boat • JY15 • Laser 4000 • Laser Bahia • Laser Stratos • Lelievlet • Lightning • Mirror 16 • Mutineer 15 • O-Jolle • Osprey • Payne-Mortlock sailing canoe • Pirate • Precision 15 • RS K6 • RS Vision • RS700 • RS800 • Salcombe Yawl • Sea Bright • Sea Scout Standard Boat (BP18) • Snipe • Texas Tornado • 12m2 Sharpie • Thistle • Topper Topaz Omega • Vanguard 15 • Wayfarer • Windmill • Windy • Winkle Brig • X boat • Y flyerDinghies 20 ft or over Categories: Dinghies | Boats designed by Jack Holt
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