Cape Cod Frostie

Description

The Frostie (more commonly known as the Cape Cod Frosty or simply Frosty) is the world's smallest one-design racing sailboat class, a tiny pram-style dinghy designed specifically for frostbite racing—short, intense winter series sailed in cold harbors after the regular season ends. Conceived in 1984 by Thomas Leach (then harbormaster in Harwich, Massachusetts), it prioritizes extreme lightness, simplicity, portability (fits through a doorway, car-toppable or backseat-transportable), and surprising performance for experienced sailors only—definitely not a beginner or junior boat, despite its diminutive size. Built primarily in stitch-and-glue plywood (some fiberglass or modern kit versions like the "Fearless Frosty" exist for educational/build-it-yourself programs), it features a cat rig (unstayed mast, single sail), daggerboard, open cockpit, and no frills. The class caught on quickly in the 1980s–90s with fleets on Cape Cod, in Ohio, New Hampshire (e.g., active Fleet No. 1 in New Castle), and elsewhere; it's recognized by US Sailing as a one-design class and remains a cult favorite for its fierce, fun racing in blustery conditions—often described as "big fun in a teacup" or debatably the most enjoyable small racing dinghy ever.