| Crew: | 2 (max) |
| Loa: | 3.429m (11.25feet) |
| Beam: | 1.372m (04.501feet) |
| Hull: | 63.7kg (140.4lb) |
| Mainsail: | 4.78m2 |
| Jib: | Jib: 1.72m2 Genoa: 2.83m2 |
| Spinnaker: | 6.36m2 |
| D-Pn: | 120.0 |
| Rya-Pn: | 1346 |
The Heron Dinghy is a dinghy designed by Jack Holt of the United Kingdom as the Yachting World Cartopper (YW Cartopper). The Heron dinghy was designed to be built by a home handyman out of marine ply over a timber frame, but can now also be constructed from marine ply using a stitch and glue technique or from fibreglass. Modern dinghies will usually have built in buoyancy tanks; older craft will have bags or retrofitted tanks.
Since about 1980 boats have been increasingly made of fibreglass, although the Australian association has approved stitch and glue construction .
The Heron is sailed in the UK and Australia and New Zealand, with a few others spread around the world. UK class rules vary slightly from the Australian Rules. In the UK a spinnaker is permitted and a larger genoa can be used. The UK also permits the use of different rudder shapes and a Bermudan Mast. Other more minor differences exist between the rules.[1] The Heron cartop dinghy was popular in Ireland from the late 1950s until the arrival of the Mirror which was lighter, easier to build, and had built in buoyancy.[2]
They are mainly used as adult/child racing dinghies. For state and national titles the Olympic triangle course is often used.
The Heron has a Portsmouth Yardstick of 1346 when sailed single handed.[3] In the US Sailing scheme it has a D-PN of 120.0.[4]
Over 10,500 Heron sail numbers have been issued since the design first appeared in the late 1950s.[5]
The first Heron, No 1 Flook, still exists and is now owned by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.[6]
UK heron Dinghy Class Association:
National Heron Sailing Association of Australia:
National Maritime Museum Cornwall