History of the Cornish Shrimper

The first Shrimper was designed and built in wood by Roger Dongray in 1979. He wanted a boat that was:

• sturdy enough for British weather and could reach competitive speeds,
• easy enough to sail single handed,
• had reasonable overnight accommodation for 2 (or 4 at a pinch),
• easily trailable
• and had traditional good looks with a gaff rig and tan sails.

Roger Dongray very soon realised that “Katy”, Shrimper No 1, fulfilled all of these requirements and much more. The design was redrawn and adapted for glass fibre production and the Cornish Shrimper went into production in 1980. Since then they have been built by Cornish Crabbers at Rock in Cornwall at a rate of almost one per week and Shrimper No. 1000 was launched in 2007. Further details can be found on their website at: www.cornishcrabbers.co.uk.

The design has altered very little over the years. A version with an inboard diesel engine was introduced in 1986 for those who want a bit more power and more inboard electrics. In 1995 the boat was given a slightly higher cabin roof to give more headroom inside, a hatchway for’ard and a self draining cockpit and redesigned interior giving the option of a 4 berth layout.

This highly successful boat is still in great demand both new and second hand. The robust construction and good quality materials used mean that the vast majority of Shrimpers are still going strong. There are active racing communities at Poole, Falmouth and Rock using one-design racing rules as well as regular events along the South and East coasts and Shrimper communities in Wales, Northern Ireland, Holland and France. In fact Shrimpers can be found all over the world and some extensive blue water voyages have been made in these yachts.

The Shrimper Owners Association (SOA) has an excellent website with details of races, events, cruise logs and technical tips at www.shrimperowners.org.