Chapter 22

Nippers

Nipper Class Photos

Scene during 1951 National Nipper Championships at Perrysburg, Ohio. Thirty vessels competed.
 
LENGTH OVER ALL: 12 FEET. WEIGHT: 275 POUNDS. BEAM: 5 FEET. SAIL AREA: 100 SQUARE FEET.
 
Since Ray Greene designed and built the first Nipper sailboat in 1937, more than 1,500 of these 12-foot cat-rigged craft have taken to the fresh-water lakes and streams of the Midwestern United States. Not only that, but they have been shipped to both coasts and there are some sailing in the West Indies and in South America.

National championships have been held for this class for 12 years. Ronnie Anderson of the Jolly Roger Sailing Club, of Toledo, is present title holder, having taken the championship in both 1950 and 1951. He is regarded as one of the best young sailors in the Midwest.
 
While youngsters not yet in their teens have sailed Nippers in such regattas as that of the famous Inter-Lake Yachting Association at Put-In-Bay, the boat has also been raced in competition by skippers with more than two-score years of experience.

It has proven popular in competitions staged by the Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association and is used exclusively by the University of Toledo and Bowling Green University sailing teams.

Fleets of these boats are to be found at Toledo; Detroit; Glen Lake, Mich.; Clarks Lake, Mich.; Devils Lake, Mich.; Buckeye Lake, Ohio; and numerous other locations. The class is usually one of the largest at the ILYA regattas. As many as 35 of these boats race across the starting line at a time.

Inexpensive, the boat is ideal for beginners classes at schools, camps, and yacht clubs. At a number of summer resorts, Nippers are available on an hourly or a daily rental basis.

Nipper's builder is Ray Greene & Co., Toledo 9, Ohio. The boat comes in two models—a fresh-water job, which costs $399, and a salt-water version, which costs $429. She is planked and decked with ¼-in. waterproof plywood and is framed with carefully selected hardwoods. Her spars are made of Sitka spruce, the standing rigging is 1/8-in. galvanized aircraft cable with stainless-steel swaged fittings and airplane turnbuckles, and the running rigging is ¼-in. line. The hull weighs 190 lbs., the complete boat weighs 275 lbs., and the shipping weight is 440 lbs.

Two Nippers in a brisk race. The boat will plane under certain conditions.

Nippers edging across the starting line and crowding the judges' boat a bit.

Both youngsters and mature skippers enjoy sailing these stable little catboats.

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