Impulse

Development
Designer	Arthur Caldwell
Location	Australia
Year	1975
Builder(s)	Tim Wilson Yacht Design Formula Sailcraft
Name	Impulse
Boat
Displacement	104 lb (47 kg)
Draft	2.00 ft (0.61 m) with centreboard down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	wood or fibreglass
LOA	13.12 ft (4.00 m)
Beam	4.94 ft (1.51 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	centreboard
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	catboat rig
Sails
Sailplan	catboat
Mainsail area	83.00 sq ft (7.711 m2)
Total sail area	83.00 sq ft (7.711 m2)
[edit on Wikidata]

The Impulse is an Australian sailing dinghy that was designed by Arthur Caldwell as a one-design racer and first built in 1975.^[1]

Production

The design was originally intended as a wooden boat for amateur construction, but has more recently been manufactured of fibreglass. In the past it was built by Tim Wilson Yacht Design, but that company is out of business. Today it is built by Formula Sailcraft (now known as the Dinghy Shop) in Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. Production started in 1975 and the type remains in production.^[1][2][3][4]

Design

The Impulse is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of wood or fibreglass. It has a catboat rig, a raked stem, a vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable centreboard. It displaces 104 lb (47 kg).^[1]

The boat has a draft of 2.00 ft (0.61 m) with the centreboard extended and 3 in (7.6 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer or car roof rack.^[1]

Operational history

The boat is supported by a class club, the Australian Impulse Sailing Association, which organizes racing events.^[5]