With a beam of 2.2 meters, a minimum draft of just 0.2 meters, and a maximum draft of 1.4 meters with the centerboard down, the Falcon is intended to launch from a ramp and dry out on a tidal flat as readily as she sails.
Design and Heritage
Dennis drew the Falcon as a centerboard dinghy with a fractional sloop rig. The class records a single original manufacturing year of 1953, when the boats were built of cold molded plywood. In 1977, the class adopted fiberglass construction while preserving the Dennis lines.
The Falcon measures 5.9 meters overall and 4.9 meters at the waterline. Published displacement is 249 kilograms. The rig carries a modest 15.51 square meters of sail, backed by a 14-square-meter spinnaker for offwind sailing.
Construction and Materials
The original Falcons had cold molded plywood hulls, a construction method that produces a fair, stiff skin in a small boat. The move to fiberglass in 1977 changed the material but not the basic hull design. The listed hull material is Wood/FG, reflecting that split production history.
The Falcon uses a centerboard rather than a fixed fin. It retracts to give a draft of 0.2 meters, or 0.66 feet, and lowers to a maximum draft of 1.4 meters. That range suits ramp launching, trailering, beaching, and shallow tidal sailing.
Performance and Handling
The Falcon’s numbers describe a light, responsive dayboat rather than a cruiser. A Sail Area to Displacement ratio of 39.90 and an S# of 8.84 place her firmly in the lively, easily driven category. The Displacement to Length ratio of 58.99 confirms that the hull is very light for its length.
A Comfort Ratio of 3.57 and a Capsize Screening result of 3.53 are consistent with a small, open-ish coastal dinghy. Maximum hull speed is a modest 5.37 knots, while pounds-per-inch immersion is 414.61. In practical terms, she sits lightly and responds readily to crew weight and trim.
The fractional sloop rig is simple, with a manageable center of effort for a small crew. Light displacement and a low sinkage rate should help the Falcon accelerate quickly and maneuver easily in the confined waters where the class is most often sailed.
Where the Class Sails
The class is centered on the River Mersey at West Kirby SC in Wales, where about 25 boats are kept, with another 10 to 15 at Fidlers Ferry SC. That concentration points to a close-knit one-design community rather than a widely dispersed cruising fleet, and these clubs remain the heart of the class.
Verdict
The Liverpool Bay Falcon is a specialized, light-displacement centerboard dinghy with a clear identity. It’s a trailerable, beachable Harry Dennis design that began in plywood and continued in fiberglass within the class.
Her performance ratios describe a quick dayboat with low sinkage, while the centerboard’s draft range makes her particularly versatile in shallow tidal waters. She isn’t a cruiser by any measure of her comfort or capsize numbers. As a club racer and estuary dayboat, however, she is coherent and purpose-built.
Pros
- Centerboard draft ranges from 0.2 m to 1.4 m, suiting beaching and trailering
- Light 249 kg displacement and an SA/D of 39.90 promise lively handling
- Active class nucleus at West Kirby and Fidlers Ferry
Cons
- Comfort Ratio of 3.57 limits offshore or cruising ambitions
- Plywood-origin hulls require close inspection for aging
- Small size and one-design focus limit versatility beyond club sailing
