Town Class

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

s are lap strake one-design dories, constructed in either wood or fiberglass. The Town Class was designed as an affordable boat for the townspeople, hence its name.

History

The first Town Class sailboat was designed and built (in wood only) in 1932 by Marcus C. Lowell in

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Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Marcus' son, Percival M. "Pert" Lowell, later took over the business and relocated to Newbury, Massachusetts. In 1936, the Town Class sailboat was adopted as a one-design class boat, and quickly became a popular racing boat from

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

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. In the late 1960s, fiberglass models became available. Currently, more than two thousand wood and fiberglass "Townies" have been built to date. The Pert Lowell Company, which is now operated by "Pert" Lowell's son-in-law, Ralph Johnson, continues to construct these boats today.

Town Class Regatta

The National Town Class Association was formed in 1962, also marking the first year of the Town Class National Regatta (an annual two-day racing event) which took place in

Nahant Nahant () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,334 at the 2020 census, which makes it the smallest municipality by population in Essex County. With just of land area, it is also the smallest municipali ...

, Massachusetts. The Town Class Nationals have been held in Marblehead,

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

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, and

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, Massachusetts; as well as Touisset Point,

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and Spofford Lake

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

.NDC Sailing Town Class
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908082115/http://doryclub.org/sailing_town_class.htm , date=2008-09-08 The Nationals now alternate between Marblehead, Nahant, Touisset, and Spofford.

References

External links

Town Class National Regatta Official Blog

Touisset Point Town Class Association Official Website

Marblehead Town Class Association Official Website

The Nahant Dory Club Official Website
Dinghies