The Coronado 15 is a one-design class of sailing dinghy. These boats first came onto the scene in the late sixties and have gained the attention of racing and recreational skippers nationwide. The earlier boats are still raced and competitive. There are numerous one-class races throughout the country. The one-design focus of the fleet is in developing skill rather than "deep pockets" and innovation. They can be single-handed, but in racing one crew member is specified, and there is room for a third person when day sailing. When racing, the crew is on a trapeze, and the skipper hiked out with straps. These factors, combined with a planing hull can make for some exciting racing. The C-15 is known as being a comfortable and stable day sailor, or a confidence building racer. It is unsinkable, self-bailing, and easy to right when capsized. It features a friendly boom in that it is relatively high. The rigging can be made simple or developed and optimized as the skipper's skills develop. Another feature is that with a centerboard and kick-up rudder the boat trailers easily and can be beached.
Design and use
The C-15's handicap rating is close to the high performance, spinnaker rigged International 470, so its simple rigging, comfortable seating, and stability do not sacrifice much speed. This is a boat designed for thrills without being highly demanding of the skipper and crew, allowing them to get their head out of the boat and onto the water.
History
The original design was by Frank Butler. In the 1990s the design of the C-15 hull underwent some improvements that came about by some of the nations top racing skippers, mainly an all-new deck. Although stronger and higher performing, some find the rounded deck of the earlier models more comfortable. Today's C-15 comes in either a standard day-sailor package, or a "Performance Package". The rig, hull, and deck are the same, so if money is tight or you later get the desire to add the performance features, you can start out with the standard package and easily upgrade later.
