Dart 16 Race Buyer's Guide
The Dart 16 Race is a 4.80-meter one-design beach catamaran first built in 1997 and sailed by a crew of two. On the used market it appeals to sailors wanting a light, fast, and seaworthy twin-hull day racer without the tuning overhead of a heavily rigged cat. Its simplicity is the selling point: what you see is largely what you maintain.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Dart 16 Race shares the same one-design hull form: a 15.75-foot catamaran with a 7.55-foot beam, Tecrothene thermoplastic hulls, and skegs in the lower hulls instead of daggerboards. There is no cabin, no berth, and no enclosed volume — the boat is an open beach cat with trapeze for the crew and kick-up rudders like the Hobie 16. Buyers should expect uniform geometry across the class rather than variant layouts.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Factory equipment centers on a rotating aluminum mast on forestay and two shrouds, a boomless fully battened mainsail on a 6:1 ball-bearing mainsheet with ratchet and jam cleat, and a trapeze. The one meaningful upgrade path is the optional gennaker for downwind speed; otherwise the boat's minimalism leaves little to add. A shopper should verify the trapeze wire and the mainsheet block condition, as those carry the sailing load.
What to Inspect
The hull material is the main ownership caveat: Tecrothene stands up well to knocks and scrapes but is somewhat heavier and less straightforward to mend than fiberglass anchor. Inspect for cracks or heat distortion, since plastic repair is less straightforward than a fiberglass patch. Confirm the kick-up rudder pivots move freely and the rotating mast shows no fatigue at the shroud attachments, as the rig lacks spreaders and complicated mechanisms that might mask wear.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Regional availability is not specified in the market record. For a buyer, the takeaway is a short checklist: confirm hull integrity given the repair difficulty of Tecrothene; test the 6:1 mainsheet and ratchet cleat; check trapeze and rudder kick-up function; and decide whether the gennaker option is fitted for your downwind plans. The Dart 16 Race rewards the sailor who wants class-rule simplicity over upgrade clutter.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Dart 16 Race. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $5,459 | — |
Where they're listed
Dart 16 Race listings appear across 1 country. Germany has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | $5,459 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobie Cat 16 | 16.58' | $ 2,359 | 26 | 8 |
| Dart 16 RaceYou are here | — | $ 5,459 | 1 | 0 |