The WoodPussy is a 13½’ catboat designed by Philip Rhodes. The first boats were constructed in 1945 by Palmer Scott Boat Works. These boats were wood with wooden masts. The class switched to fiberglass hulls, dacron sails and aluminum masts in the early 1960s. It is estimated that 800-850 hulls were constructed by Palmer Scott, MarScott and O'Day. The Weeks Yacht Yard in New York is now building new fiberglass WoodPussys.
Today there are four fleets of WoodPussies: Monmouth Boat Club (MBC) and Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club (SSYC), both in New Jersey; Crystal Lake Yacht Club, Frankfort, MI; and NorthEast WoodPussy Association, Long Island, NY. The WoodPussy is used for both daysailing and racing. The class, which is recognized by US Sailing as a one-design for racing, holds two major regattas each year: the Solo Bowl, which is limited to single-handed sailing; and the National Championship, which may be sailed either single-handed or with a crew.
For information about the boats, boats for sale, etc., contact the commodores at SSYC and MBC via the links to their home pages shown below and request referral to their WoodPussy fleet captains.
Class National Championships Winners
Year
Sailor - Home Club
2002
Dan Vought - MBC
2003
Dave & Julia Watts - MBC
2004
Dave & Julia Watts - MBC
2005
Tony Keator - MBC
2006
John Garth - SSYC
2007
John Quinn - SSYC
2008
John Garth - SSYC
2009
Dan Vought - MBC
2010
Dan Vought - MBC
2011
John Garth - SSYC
2012
Talbott Ingram - SSYC
2013
Jeff Jacobi - SSYC
2014
Jeff Jacobi - SSYC
2015
Dan Vought - MBC
2016
Cole Barney - MBC
2017
Dan Vought - MBC
2018
Cole Barney - MBC
2019
Cole Barney - MBC
2020
John Garth - SSYC
2021
John Garth - SSYC
Specifications Under Current Rules
Number of crew 1-2
LOA 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Beam 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Hull weight 430 lb (200 kg)
Mast Height 23.5 ft (7.2 m)
Sail Area 130 sq ft (12 m2)
Further reading
Henderson, Richard (1981). Philip L. Rhodes and His Yacht Designs. Camden, ME: International Marine Pub. Co. ISBN0-87742-128-5. OL3793032M.
