This boat was built from plans shown in Wooden Rudder magazine designed by Alvin Youngquist, a young naval architect from Toledo, Ohio. Six more Y-Flyers were built shortly thereafter at the Longueuil Club. In , sailing in a regatta at the Pointe Claire Yacht Club in Montreal, Quebec in very strong winds the Y-Flyer distinguished itself by staying upright when many of the better known classes were going over.
Within a short time the boat became very popular in Canada, thanks to individuals like Chuck Williams and Claude Hill. Fleets blossomed in Montreal, Saguenay and Hudson, Quebec. The Y-Flyer is truly 18 feet of pure fun and excitement. Please contact us whether you race, cruise or just wish to keep in touch. Enter with Confidence. Most sailboats of similar size must be awkwardly entered directly into the cockpit.
Then you must huddle amidship until the boat is underway. An incorrect entry could have serious consequences such as a capsize or a foot through a thin deck. The Y Flyer sailor steps nonchalantly onto the strong deck and takes a seat anywhere in the cockpit.
If sailors of other classes are watching, the Y sailor may add a confident swagger as part of the entry procedure. Y Stability is Good. Y Flyers are wide and flat for a centerboard class. This provides for a friendly forgiving nature. And if the wind dies you have a ready-made swimming platform, easily accessible over the low side deck. Sail on a Heel! Sailors of other boats struggle to hold their boat flat.
But the Y Flyer is sailed on a tilt. The Y Flyer is a one-design class, but there is room in the class rules to do some fun tinkering of mast position, rig tension and fittings to improve performance. Y Flyer sailors readily share boat setup advice. And the Canucks are there, fer shore, with un petit peu de Quebecois. How Long is Your Pole?
