Design and Construction
The Mouette 19 is an ultralight centerboard dinghy built with a solid fiberglass hull and deck. She displaces 640 pounds, carries no ballast, and measures 17 feet on the waterline with a 6.92-foot beam.
McVay’s design sits at the extreme light end of the spectrum. A displacement-to-length ratio of 58.15 and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 0 percent place her firmly among unballasted planing dinghies rather than keelboats.
With the centerboard raised, draft is just half a foot, making the boat easy to trail and useful for exploring shallow water. Lowering the board increases draft to 4 feet for windward work. Her capsize screening ratio of 3.21 and comfort ratio of 4.23 confirm a stiff, somewhat tender platform intended for athletic sailing rather than comfortable offshore motion.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 154 square feet of working sail. That gives the 640-pound hull a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 33.18. The recorded hull speed is 5.52 knots, which is reachable in the right breeze.
The specification record describes the Mouette 19 as a very high performer, stable and stiff on her lines, while also noting that she is best suited to racing. Her ultralight displacement and lack of ballast help explain that assessment: she accelerates and heels quickly, rewards active crew weight, and isn’t designed for passive motion comfort. The centerboard allows her to pivot in skinny water while providing bite to windward when lowered.
Cockpit and Accommodations
This is a dayboat, not a camper. The recorded layout lists zero cabins, zero berths, zero heads, zero headroom, and zero water capacity. There is no enclosed interior space to speak of and no provision for storing fresh water. The Mouette 19 is built around the cockpit and the sail.
The record also lists a single engine with zero horsepower and zero fuel capacity, suggesting that auxiliary propulsion is absent in practice or auxiliary at best. Buyers looking for overnight accommodations or cruising facilities won’t find them here.
Capsize and Recovery
The one documented safety caveat is low righting capability after a capsize. As an ultralight centerboard boat, the Mouette 19 won’t self-right like a weighted keelboat. If she turtles, prompt crew action and a buoyant masthead or similar recovery aid are called for.
That limitation is inherent in the unballasted racing-dinghy concept rather than a construction defect, but it defines where and how the boat should be sailed.
Maintenance and Ownership
Ownership centers on the rig, centerboard, and trailer rather than onboard systems. With no tankage, head, or berths, routine work focuses on the fractional standing rigging, the centerboard trunk and pivot, and the fiberglass hull’s gelcoat and joints.
The simple specification sheet means fewer failure points than on a cruiser. Her light weight also keeps mast stepping and storage manageable for a single owner.
The Verdict
The Mouette 19 is a pure ultralight racing dinghy: fast, stiff, and easy to trail, but with no accommodations and no self-righting reserve. She suits a racing-minded owner who values pace over creature comforts.
Pros
- Very high performance for her length, with a stiff, responsive hull
- Ultralight 640-pound displacement and half-foot board-up draft for easy trailing
- Simple, unballasted fiberglass construction with few systems to maintain
Cons
- Low righting capability after a capsize, with no ballast to aid recovery
- No cabins, berths, head, or water capacity for cruising
- Zero-horsepower engine record and no fuel capacity, limiting any auxiliary propulsion
