Boats

We are rather proud of Friendship of Plymouth. She is a purpose-built workboat for the carriage of disabled or able people in safety, comfort and style. She has twin diesel engines, full electronic navigation with GPS chart plotter, liferafts, radios, distress flares, wheelchair clamps and an easy access ramp for the wheelchairs. Guard-rails, first-aid and survival equipment and a ship’s dog called Molly. She was named Friendship of Plymouth following a competition by local children.

She can thrill and excite, cruise or potter, plane on the waves or creep inshore to seek out coves and beeches. She is our Flagship and she’s unique!

Hawk 20 is a fast, modern day boat that sails like a dream. Single-handed or with a crew she tacks well, gybes with no fuss, and carries a spinnaker without a tremor. She will sail fully-rigged in Force 6 and feels safer than many a cruiser. And she also eases along smoothly in near calm conditions. Her speed is comparable with most 25 footers. Going to windward in a blow the Hawk 20 does not slam into the waves, nor bury her nose. The water curls away as she rides the swell.

A near 50% ballast ratio ensures that Hawk 20 is fully self-righting. If knocked over a full 90 degrees she will spring back upright unaided provided she is left free to do so without the crew holding on to any part of the boat or rigging. The Hawk 20 has the stability of a fin-keeled yacht with all the convenience of a centre-board dinghy.

The laser Pico is a beginners-to-improvers boat with a high boom and self draining cockpit. It was designed in 1995 by Olympic medallist Jo Richards. Its a single person dinghy but can take a crew and foresail if required.

The Pico is made in Tecrothene 109 thermo plastic construction that provides high structural uniformity and consistency, immense stiffness and exceptional impact strength. You won't be able to break it easily. Buoyancy is built in. The mast is 2 piece aluminium and has a click on kicker. The rudder and centre board are easy to lift, and the centreboard has a shock absorber. Sail area can be reduced by reefing.

The Pico is our primary single and double - handed boat.

The Pico is a popular boat for beginners and competent sailors alike. Many sailing schools use Pico's for training besides Horizons, whilst the boat is exciting enough for more experienced sailors.

Ultimate versatile daysailer
for leisure or racing.

The Bahia was designed with stability, safety and performance in mind. It was created for leisure and ease of use, but not at the expense of performance.

Stability and sturdy hull design make it easy to motor or row. The Bahia comes with a single line reefable mainsail for added sailing comfort and safety in a breeze.

As can be seen from this shot, the boat can easily carry three or more people and has an asymmetrical spinnaker and trapeze.

With this boat Horizons can train people up to the higher levels of dinghy racing.

The Vago has a unique modern design for single-handed trapezing up and down wind.

The Vago’s sail plan is interchangeable, allowing sailors to sail single or double-handed and upgrade as their skill level increases. With the option of standard or racing sails, the Vago is designed for both leisure and performance sailing. Single line launch and retrieval gennaker (the big blue sail at the front) makes gennaker use a breeze for sailors of all levels.

Vago Race

A larger mainsail and gennaker make downwind sailing more exhilarating and a single trapeze allows for single-handed or double-handed sailing.

RIBs, or Rigid Inflatable Boats as they are called, are used at Horizons for several essential purposes.

First and foremost they are rescue boats for the sailing activities.

They also serve as a command boat for instructors, for giving training and boat experience to children and for general ferry and support duties.

Without them Horizons could not operate as it does.

Below is a shot of the 5.3 attending the scene of a capsized dinghy. The young sailor has already climbed up on the centreboard in preparation to righting the boat on his own, as he has been trained to do. But the RIB always attends to provide safety cover just in case something does not go to plan.