You’ll find Opti-mists and 420s on many yacht-club docks, but hasn’t the time come for a more modern small-boat design? Designer Garry Hoyt thinks so. His new H-10 is designed to be a stable, fast, and fun dinghy that will fill the gap between the Opti and bigger boats like the Laser and 420. To keep the boat light and easy for a kid to handle alone, the 10-foot-long hull is built of carbon fiber and weighs just 72 pounds. It’s light weight is conducive to easy planing, and stability is bolstered by a maximum beam of 5 feet. In addition to being light and stiff, the H-10 has a lateen rig that makes it super-easy to rig, sail, and keep upright. The H-10’s sail hoists quickly on a short mast, which allows it to be lowered quickly if necessary. The lateen rig keeps the center of gravity low and keeps mainsheet loads relatively low as well. The H-10 should be small and fast enough to be fun for kids and big and light enough for parents to take it for a spin as well. Newport R&D, 410-683-9450
