Bruce Kirby

1929 - 2021

A Canadian newspaperman and former editor of Yacht Racing (predecessor to Sailing World), Bruce Kirby is best known for designing the Laser. Kirby started as a reporter in Montreal before editing Yacht Racing and, in his spare time, taking up yacht design and drawing the Laser.

In 1970 Kirby became editor of Yacht Racing & Cruising (later Yacht Racing) where he stayed until 1975. Despite his duties with the magazine, Kirby was still designing boats which began with the International 14 class. Kirby's design won the world championships in 1958 and 1961. It was in 1969 that Kirby drew the Laser, one of the most successful sailboats ever. More than 200,000 have been built and it is currently an Olympic class.

Kirby represented Canada at the Olympics games in 1956, 1964, and 1968.

Amoung the other of his 63 designs are two America's Cup 12-Meters, Canada I and II, the Apollo, Sonar, Kirby 25, and 30, and Ideal 18 and San Juan 24. The latter with over a thousand built since its debut. Kirby also served as both designer and skipper on Runaway, Canada's entry in the 1981 Admirals Cup.

He is a member of the US National Sailing Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame, the International Yacht Racing Hall of Fame, the Canadian International Fourteen Foot Dinghy Hall of Fame, and the City of Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.

Sailboats Designed By Bruce Kirby

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35 Sailboats / Per Page: 50 / Page: 1

MODEL LOA FIRST BUILT FAVORITE COMPARE
APOLLO 16 15.75 ft / 4.80 m 1977
BLAZER 23 (KIRBY) 23.00 ft / 7.01 m 1988
DS-22 21.67 ft / 6.61 m 1983
FOX 18 (KIRBY) 18.50 ft / 5.64 m 1981
IDEAL 18 17.85 ft / 5.44 m 1989
IOTA 12.25 ft / 3.73 m 1986
KIRBY 1/4 T 25.92 ft / 7.90 m 1975
KIRBY 23 23.00 ft / 7.01 m 1985
KIRBY 25 25.17 ft / 7.67 m 1978
KIRBY 30 29.67 ft / 9.04 m 1981
KIRBY 36 35.90 ft / 10.94 m 1983
KIRBY 8M 26.33 ft / 8.03 m 1978
KIRBY TORCH 13.92 ft / 4.24 m 2014
LASER (INTERNATIONAL) 13.88 ft / 4.23 m 1970
LASER 13 13.29 ft / 4.05 m 1988
LASER 4.7 13.88 ft / 4.23 m 2000
LASER RADIAL 13.88 ft / 4.23 m 1982
MIRAGE 30 SX 30.00 ft / 9.14 m 1985
MYSTIC MINI-TON 21.50 ft / 6.55 m 1977
NIGHTWIND 35 34.67 ft / 10.57 m 1980
NORTH CASTLE 30 30.00 ft / 9.14 m 1986
NORWALK ISLAND SHARPIE 18 18 ft / 5.49 m 1988
NORWALK ISLAND SHARPIE 23 22.75 ft / 6.93 m 1987
NORWALK ISLAND SHARPIE 26 26.25 ft / 8.00 m 1986
PIXEL 13.75 ft / 4.19 m 2003
SAN JUAN 23 23.00 ft / 7.01 m 1975
SAN JUAN 23-2 23.00 ft / 7.01 m 1977
SAN JUAN 24 24.00 ft / 7.32 m 1973
SAN JUAN 30 29.86 ft / 9.10 m 1975
SEIDELMANN 24 24.18 ft / 7.37 m 1981
SONAR 23.00 ft / 7.01 m 1980
TICON 34 33.67 ft / 10.26 m 1983
TRAPPER 300 26.25 ft / 8.00 m 1976
TRINKA 12 12.00 ft / 3.66 m 1990
VISION 660 21.67 ft / 6.61 m 1976