Design and Lineage
The Rhodes 19 began life soon after the end of World War II as a wooden centerboarder designed by Philip Rhodes and called the Hurricane, with only one fleet at Greenwich Cove, Connecticut, that soon faded anchor. In 1947 the Southern Massachusetts Yacht Racing Association commissioned the Palmer Scott Yard to finish bare Hurricane hulls with keels, renaming them the SMYRA class and fitting aluminum masts. Marscot Plastics later took a class-sanctioned mold from a SMYRA boat, and in 1958 George O'Day obtained Rhodes's approval to rename the design "Rhodes 19." The first national championship followed in 1963, and the national class association met at Larchmont Yacht Club in 1965. O'Day discontinued production by 1980 amid rising materials costs and a poor economy, but Stuart Marine — founded by Rhodes 19 sailor Stuart Sharaga — turned out its first boat in 1984 using production methods and tooling developed by naval architect Jim Taylor, and the two builder lineages remain competitive with each other to this day.
Construction and Hull Form
The Rhodes 19 is a wholesome daysailer with a form-stable hull and, in its keel configuration, an iron-ballasted fin keel with a fixed rudder of mahogany; the centerboard model instead carries a fiberglass board, a swinging rudder that lifts free of the water, and 150 pounds of internal lead ballast anchor. The keel model's iron keel weighs approximately 440 pounds and the complete boat about 1325 pounds, against 1030 for the centerboard variant. A varnished mahogany coaming and spacious foredeck round out a straightforward, durable structure built upon what the original spec sheet calls a fast and forgiving hull that is also an accomplished heavy-weather performer anchor.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a fractional rig with a 175-square-foot sail plan, a 27-foot 10-inch mast height, and a 10-foot 4-inch boom; the keel version's mast measures 28 feet 4 inches against 25 feet 6 inches for the centerboarder. The hull's relative stability makes end-for-ending the spinnaker pole while jibing a relative breeze, and spinnakers were typically launched and retrieved from the cockpit anchor. Owners often add a Harken mainsheet traveler with twings, barber haulers, a cunningham, and a jib-luff tensioner feeding adjustable jib leads for fine control. Writing in Small Boats, Jim Taylor noted the boat is really well suited to intergenerational sailing, a character consistent with its forgiving nature.
Accommodations and Layout
The stock layout uses two long molded fiberglass seats that double as flotation chambers, with comfortable bench seating for six adults and a well-proportioned low-profile cuddy that gives good protection from spray anchor. A cruising derivative, the Mariner, substitutes a small cabin for that cuddy. A proper boom tent over the cockpit would materially extend the boat's range for overnights without altering the essential open daysailer character.
Refits and Ownership
The older O'Day-built hulls can be restored to peak competitiveness, meaning a buyer need not chase only recent Stuart Marine boats to race successfully anchor. The class's continuity across builders and its large surviving fleet make parts and class knowledge reasonably accessible for the owner willing to maintain a 1959-origin design.
The Verdict
The Rhodes 19 endures because it bridges gentle family sailing and one-design racing without compromise in either role. Its stable hull, simple rig, and protected cuddy suit newcomers and children, while the class's competitive structure and tunable rig reward seasoned racers. The keel and centerboard versions broaden its utility from shallow coves to coastal heavy weather.
Pros
- Proven over fifty years and 3500+ hulls as both daysailer and one-design racer
- Form-stable, forgiving hull with strong heavy-weather capability
- Keel and centerboard variants suit different waters; older boats restorable to class competitiveness
Cons
- Centerboard model less popular and carries less keel-derived stability character
- Open cuddy limits overnight use without added boom-tent infrastructure
