III. One-Design And Development-Class Sailboats

Chapter 21

Rebels

Rebel Class Photos Start of a race at the 1951 National Rebel Class Regatta, Maumee, Ohio. Seventeen boats competed.
 
The 16-foot Rebel Class plastic sailboat is the answer to the small-boat yachtsman who wants a maximum of sailing pleasure with a minimum of boat care and upkeep.

Built by Ray Greene and Co., of Toledo, Ohio, the Rebel first came into being in 1948. It is made of Fiberglas, asbestos, resin, and several other chemicals. Fashioned over a wooden mold, the Fiberglas-and-resin hulls are baked in an oven at about 300° temperature under applied pressure. They stay in the oven about two hours. The hulls require no painting as a preservative and are so strong and hard that a rock which would pierce an ordinary wooden or plywood hull will barely leave a scratch on a Rebel.

The plastic hull weighs about two-thirds as much as a conventional wooden hull. The mast, of extruded aluminum, weighs but 25 pounds and is rigged or disassembled by one man without much trouble.

Nearly 200 of these plastic sailboats are already in the water and the first National Rebel Class Regatta was held in September, 1951, on the Maumee River at Maumee, Ohio. Seventeen boats from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Illinois competed. Norman Nadel, a Columbus, Ohio, newspaperman, won the first championship.

The Rebel Class has been sailing in numerous regattas since it was first built. These include club regattas, races of the Associated Yacht Clubs of Toledo (at Devils Lake, Michigan), and the annual Put-In-Bay regattas of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association.

Fleets of these boats have been established at Toledo; Louisville, Kentucky; Saratoga, New York; Monticello, Indiana; Clarks Lake, Devils Lake, Harbor Springs, Crooked Lake, Klinger Lake, Whitmore Lake, Cory Lake, and Cass Lake, Michigan; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; and Catawaba Cliffs and Perrysburg, Ohio. Others are expected to be established within the next year.

The designers of the boat are Ray Greene, Toledo boat builder, and Alvin Youngquist, a drawing instructor at Waite High School, Toledo.

Greene began boatbuilding as a hobby and has also designed and built the Nipper and Ranger Class sailboats. He is a former Ohio State University swimming champion, holding seven state records at one time, and during World War II was a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy with the Bureau of Ships on the Pacific Coast.

He planned the Rebel to give a good turn of speed with emphasis on dryness and stability in heavy weather. The Rebel skipper can entertain his family or a group of his friends in light or heavy weather and be sure of a pleasant sail. Roller-reefing gear permits reefing while still under sail and the boat handles fairly well under mainsail alone. For week-end trips, the boat can be easily trailered.

She is, however, more than just a comfortable family boat for week-end or evening sails. She is fast, comparing with boats that are much larger and cost much more. Under certain weather conditions, she will plane over the water, giving the skipper and his crew a delightful sensation of speed.

Her length over all is 16 ft., her beam is 61/2 ft., and her sail area is 166 sq. ft. Without sails, she costs $948. A suit of domestic sails costs $90, imported English sails are $150, and nylon sails are $180. If desired, a tip-up aluminum-and-plastic rudder may be ordered in place of the standard rudder. This costs an extra $16. A cockpit cover may be had for $30. Turnbuckles suitable for use in salt water and stainless-steel stays may be ordered in place of the standard rigging for an extra $30.

One seat in the boat comes equipped with a flotation chamber underneath it. Extra flotation seats cost $10 apiece. An outboard motor may be used for auxiliary power. A bracket for it is priced at $12. Pumps, paddles, and cushions are available at various costs. If the boat must be crated for shipment from Toledo to your home waters, there's a crating charge of $30. When the boat is unpacked, the crating may be returned for credit. All of these prices are subject to change without notice.

Teen-age girls and women find the Rebel is easy to maneuver and are among its most ardent boosters.

Whether used by whole families or by one person, she is excellent for either racing or relaxing.

The Rebel is a delightful boat for recreational sailing. It's roomy and requires little upkeep.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...