Whip 17 Sailboats for Sale

Hull Type

Monohull · centerboard

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

17' · 5.18 m

Disp.

717 lbs · 325 kg

First year

1974

Introduced in 1974 by the Molded Fiber Glass Boat Company—often branded under its dedicated sailing division, SailMFG—the Whip 17 represents a fascinating slice of mid1970s performance sailing history. Designed by the legendary naval architect J. Rodney MacalpineDownie, famous for his cuttingedge, speedrecord catamarans like the Crossbow, the Whip 17 was envisioned as an ultralightweight, highperformance racing dinghy. In an era when production boat builders were transitioning from traditional shapes to daring, highpower designs made possible by industrial fiberglass, the Whip 17 emerged as a highly responsive, highspeed day sailer. Only about 120 to 123 hulls were ever produced during its brief production run spanning 1974 to 1975, making it a rare and coveted artifact of the early performance fiberglass era. The boat features no cabin or cozy interior joinery; instead, its design focuses entirely on the thrill of opencockpit racing, complete with a wide beam, flatbottom hull, and an expansive sail plan.