SANDHOPPER CLASS BRITISH ASSOCIATION

Welcome to the web site of the Sandhopper Class.

Please tour our site and find out about our boat. The Sandhopper, designed some 30 years ago by Oliver Lee, still offers excellent sailing and is currently the largest keelboat fleet on the Thames Estuary providing:

• Racing with crew of two or three.
• Leisure sailing with the family.
• Bilge keel hull design for drying moorings.
• All at a very affordable cost and low maintenance.

The Class Association was reformed in 1997 as the Sandhopper Class British Association following a resurgence of interest in the Class and a strong desire of the owners of the original 40 boats to protect the One Design status.

Since then the Class has gone from strength to strength with two very active fleets at Maylandsea Bay on the Blackwater and Thorpe Bay on the Thames Estuary and with Parkers starting to build new boats in 2002 the fleets are being steadily added too.

A new boat in full racing rig costs around £14,000 with second-hand boats from about £3,500, although rarely remaining on the market long.