Design and Construction
The Cruiser S has a solid-fiberglass hull, a beam of 6.56 feet, and a length-to-beam ratio of 2.56—a comparatively broad plan for a boat this size. That makes her comparatively broad for her size. The designer appears to have favored interior room over outright speed.
Her pivoting centerboard functions as a lifting keel. With 110 pounds of lead ballast and a displacement of 772 pounds, the boat is light. Her immersion rate is about 384 pounds per inch, so she settles gently under the weight of crew and gear.
Depending on load, draft ranges from just 0.66 to 0.96 feet. Together with the broad hull and lifting centerboard, that shallow draft allows her to sail close to the beach.
Rig and Handling
The Cruiser S carries a masthead sloop rig with 128.63 square feet of sail area. On a 16.8-foot hull, that puts her firmly in sailing-dinghy territory rather than the pocket-cruiser class.
Her 5.15-knot hull speed and displacement-to-length ratio of 107.4 describe a tender, easily driven hull that rewards light handling. The lifting centerboard is her defining seamanship feature. With the board raised, she draws barely two feet, while the outboard rudder provides straightforward steering in the shallows she was designed to explore.
Space on Board
For her class, the Cruiser S offers comparatively generous room. A period comparison with similar dinghies found her more spacious than 62% of all other designs, attributing that space to the slightly roomier hull form chosen by the designer.
There’s no enclosed accommodation in the yachting sense; this is still a sailing dinghy. Even so, the broad hull gives two or three people room to move without the cramped, thigh-to-thigh seating found in narrower rivals.
The Verdict
The Flying Cruiser S is a purpose-built small dinghy defined by her lifting centerboard and deliberately beamy hull. Streuer and BWC traded absolute minimalism for usable space and beachable draft. The figures support that intent: a 2.56 length-to-beam ratio and an immersion rate of 384 pounds per inch point to a stable, forgiving little sailer rather than a racer.
Pros
- Pivoting lifting centerboard provides 0.66–0.96 feet of draft for beach and shallow-water access
- Beamier than most similar dinghies, with more interior room than 62% of comparable designs
- Light 772-pound displacement and a simple outboard rudder support easy handling and trailering
Cons
- Minimal ballast of 110 pounds and dinghy-scale dimensions limit offshore or heavy-weather ambitions
- No enclosed accommodation; strictly a daysailer and beachable dinghy
