Photo Credit: Susan Burden
About El Toro International Yacht Racing Association
The El Toro class racing dinghy originated in 1939 at the Richmond Yacht Club in California when this new “working man’s yacht club” was looking for a yacht tender and junior training boat. Club members held a series of “Bull Sessions” and set about modifying plans for the MacGregor Sabot published in Rudder Magazine. A prototype was built in a local high school wood shop, and the rest is history. Since then the El Toro has spread across the US and into Canada. Olympians like John Kostecki, Paul Cayard and David Liebenberg began in the El Toro. Active fleets are located in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, New York and elsewhere. Annual “Bullship” races, iconic events in local racing communities, are held in Hawaii, Sausalito, CA and Amityville, NY.
Design
Boats Produced: 12,025
Class boat builder(s):
El Toros can be built by anyone, as long as they meet the class measurement rules. Homebuilt Toros are made the traditional way, or “stitch and glue,” or using thin “doorskin” plywood.
Lim Brothers in Hawaii
Gresham Marine in California sells El Toro parts, covers and hardware.
Moore Sailboats have retired. A Lake Washington Sailing Club group owns the Moore molds and is planning to build new hulls.
Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 8,000 to 10,000
Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:
Northern California, Hawaii, Pacific Northwest, Michigan, Potomac River, Amityville, NY
Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No
Ideal combined weight of range of crew: 75 to 185
Boat Designed in 1940
Beam: 3’10”
Weight of rigged boat without sails: 80lb. fully rigged
Draft: 22″
Mast Height: 14’0″