Design and Construction
RS builds the Toura with a three-layer laminate — an inner skin, a foam core, and an outer layer applied in stages — to produce a durable shell without the fragility of a thin composite three-layer laminate shell. The real structural integrity, though, comes from skeletal-like spines that bisect the cockpit and give the boat its rigidity, rather than from the sandwich alone. A low centerboard trunk and protective strakes on the hull round out a construction approach meant for institutional abuse, and aluminum grab handles are built into strakes that run along the bottom of the hull so the boat can be handled on land or in the water without scrambling for purchase.
Capacity and Layout
Where the Toura separates itself from ordinary dinghies is volume put to human use. Inboard bench seating runs the entire length of the boat, and that continuous thwartship-and-fore-and-aft bench layout is precisely how it absorbs so many bodies. The builder claims the Toura can comfortably fit as many as six to eight adults and double that number of children, a capacity that places it closer to a small launch than a racing dinghy fits six to eight adults. The kick-up rudder is a one-button operation to get on and off, which matters enormously when a boat this size is being rigged and derigged by groups rather than solo sailors.
Rig and Handling
The Toura's rig is built for safe, repeatable setup in a teaching or charter context. A temporary forestay lets the mast be raised without drama, and an adjustable jib-stay purchase at the mast fine-tunes headstay tension once upright. Sail control runs through a 4-to-1 mainsheet and a vang set above the boom, while a single-line mainsail reefing system simplifies depowering. The boat can be configured for both symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers via a continuous spinnaker halyard, giving programs a path from basic instruction to spinnaker work on one platform. Buoyancy engineered into the bench seating, paired with the square-top main, keeps the Toura from turtling quickly in a capsize — a real consideration when the cockpit is full of novices resists quick turtling.
The Verdict
The RS Toura is a purpose-built rotomolded dinghy that trades racing edge for bulletproof volume and forgiving behavior. Its construction and layout answer directly to the demands of sailing schools and family groups, and its rigging details show a designer thinking about the unglamorous moments — raising the mast, dropping the rudder, reefing in a breeze — that decide whether a boat gets used or avoided.
Pros
- Three-layer laminate with skeletal cockpit spines for durable, rigid structure
- Full-length inboard bench seating for exceptional passenger capacity
- One-button kick-up rudder and temporary forestay for safe, fast setup
- Configurable for symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers from one rig
- Bench buoyancy and square-top main resist rapid turtling
Cons
- Built as a trainer/platform boat rather than a performance racer
- Rotomolded construction and volume prioritize durability over lightness
