S2 5.5 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used S2 5.5 means chasing one of just 70 examples of the Grand Slam 5.5, the smallest and only dinghy model S2 Yachts ever built, produced for a single 1982–1983 run in Holland, Michigan. Don Wennersten’s 18-foot fractional-sloop racer-day sailer is a light fiberglass hull with wood trim, and because so few were made, any purchase is a niche acquisition rather than a common brokerage find.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 5.5 is offered only as a recreational sailboat configured for racing and day sailing, with a raked stem, plumb transom, transom-hung rudder on a tiller, and a retractable centerboard. There are no alternate deck or cabin layouts to compare; the boat is an open dinghy by definition, and its 7.67-foot beam and 600-pound displacement describe a trailerable hull rather than an accommodated cruiser. Buyers should expect the single known configuration and judge condition rather than layout choice.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
No equipment tiers are established for this model, so a buyer should treat all gear as variable by individual hull. The available records name only the as-designed inventory: a fractional sloop rig with 176 square feet of sail, a tiller, and a centerboard. Any trailer, launching gear, or sail inventory beyond the original spec should be evaluated on its own merits rather than assumed.
What to Inspect
The known facts about the 5.5 center on its fiberglass construction with wood trim and retractable centerboard mechanism. A buyer should confirm the centerboard pivots freely and the trunk is sound, since the boat’s defining feature is its ability to be beached or trailer-transported with the board retracted retracted the boat can operate in shallow water, be beached or ground transported on a trailer. Inspect the wood trim for weathering and the transom-hung rudder and tiller for structural integrity, as these are the primary controls on a racer-day sailer of this size.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats appear on the used market in the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward: verify centerboard and rudder condition, confirm the fractional sloop rig is complete, and accept that the 5.5 is a day-sail and race trainer rather than a cruiser.
- Confirm centerboard retracts and trunk is sealed
- Check wood trim and transom rudder for damage
- Expect United States availability only
- Budget for missing trailer or sail upgrades as needed
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the S2 5.5. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | 1 | $4,000 | — |
Where they're listed
S2 5.5 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $4,000 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |