Would you like to fly over the water with spray in your face, a speedboat-like wake behind you and the joy of being attached to the boat only by your feet and a trapeze wire? If the answer is yes, then the Osprey is the boat for you.

Widely known as the Bentley of racing dinghies, the Osprey is a high performance, traditionally designed, 17ft 6 boat. The Mark IV boats are made of GRP (fibreglass). The Mark V is an epoxy construction, and made its first appearance in 2016. Hartley Boats have recently announced the arrival of the Mark VI Osprey. However, wooden Mark III boats can be inexpensive and competitive. Because of the one design concept, buying a new model does not buy you a win. The Osprey has a large genoa and an even larger spinnaker, both of which require the crew to balance the boat on a trapeze wire, as they plane in winds above force 3. The Osprey is both a really exciting boat to sail and a very seaworthy vessel, capable of handling light winds or force 6. It planes beautifully on flat water and is entirely comfortable in waves