Its lineage reaches back to Philip Rhodes’s wooden centerboarder, the Hurricane. After World War II, that design spawned the keel-equipped SMYRA class. Under George O’Day’s stewardship, it became the Rhodes 19 in 1958.
Design and Lineage
The Rhodes 19 began soon after World War II as a wooden centerboarder designed by Philip Rhodes and called the Hurricane. It had only one fleet, at Greenwich Cove, Connecticut, and that fleet soon faded anchor.
In 1947, the Southern Massachusetts Yacht Racing Association commissioned the Palmer Scott Yard to finish bare Hurricane hulls with keels. These boats, renamed the SMYRA class, were also fitted with aluminum masts. Marscot Plastics later took a class-sanctioned mold from a SMYRA boat.
In 1958, George O’Day obtained Rhodes’s approval to rename the design the “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 material costs and a poor economy. Stuart Marine—founded by Rhodes 19 sailor Stuart Sharaga—built its first boat in 1984 using production methods and tooling developed by naval architect Jim Taylor. Boats from the two builder lineages remain competitive with each other today.
Construction and Hull Form
The Rhodes 19 is a wholesome daysailer with a form-stable hull. In the keel configuration, it has an iron-ballasted fin keel and a fixed mahogany rudder. The centerboard model instead has a fiberglass board, a swinging rudder that lifts clear 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 weighs about 1,325 pounds. The centerboard version weighs 1,030 pounds.
A varnished mahogany coaming and spacious foredeck complete a straightforward, durable structure. The original specification sheet describes the hull as fast and forgiving, as well as an accomplished heavy-weather performer.
Rig and Handling
The Rhodes 19 carries a fractional rig with 175 square feet of sail area, a mast height of 27 feet 10 inches, and a 10-foot 4-inch boom. The keel version’s mast measures 28 feet 4 inches, compared with 25 feet 6 inches for the centerboarder.
The hull’s relative stability makes it comparatively easy to end-for-end the spinnaker pole during a jibe. 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. Together, these additions provide fine control over sail shape and trim.
Writing in Small Boats, Jim Taylor noted that the boat is especially well suited to intergenerational sailing, a quality consistent with its forgiving nature.
Cockpit and Cuddy
The stock layout has two long molded-fiberglass seats that also serve as flotation chambers. The cockpit provides comfortable bench seating for six adults, while the well-proportioned, low-profile cuddy offers good protection from spray anchor.
The Mariner, a cruising derivative, replaces the cuddy with a small cabin. On the Rhodes 19 itself, a proper boom tent over the cockpit would materially extend the boat’s overnight range without changing its essential character as an open daysailer.
Refits and Ownership
Older O’Day-built hulls can be restored to peak competitiveness, so a buyer doesn’t have to pursue only recent Stuart Marine boats to race successfully anchor.
The class has continued across builders, and a large fleet survives. Parts and class knowledge are reasonably accessible for owners willing to maintain a design that originated in 1959.
The Verdict
The Rhodes 19 endures because it bridges gentle family sailing and one-design racing without compromising 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. Keel and centerboard versions broaden its usefulness, from shallow coves to coastal heavy weather.
Pros
- Proven over more than 50 years and 3,500 hulls as both a daysailer and a one-design racer
- Form-stable, forgiving hull with strong heavy-weather capability
- Keel and centerboard versions suit different waters
- Older boats can be restored to class competitiveness
Cons
- The centerboard model is less popular and has less of the stability character provided by the keel
- The open cuddy limits overnight use without adding a boom tent
