Tempest (keelboat)

Sailboat class

The Tempest is a trailerable, one design racing sailboat that was designed by British naval architect Ian Proctor and first built in 1965.

In the past the design was built by O'Day Corp. and Plastrend/Composite Technologies in the United States and by Lanaverre in France. A total of 1199 boats had been reported as built by 2023. Today it is built by Mader Bootswerft of Germany and remains in production.

The Tempest is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars. The hull has a spooned raked stem, a plumb transom, an internally mounted spade type rudder controlled by a tiller and a lifting, weighted, bulb keel. It displaces and carries of lead keel ballast. Construction includes three transverse bulkheads to aid flotation. The boat has a rear deck above the rudder.

The boat was selected as an Olympic class and raced at the 1972 and the 1976 Summer Olympics. In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "the International Class Tempest was an Olympic boat in 1972 and 1976. She is fast. Tempest is a one design, and class rules are strict The mast’s design and material are optional, but the mast may not rotate. Older boats have thicker, stiffer masts and, in addition to the diamond shrouds and spreaders found today, additional swept back spreaders. Good racing boats are light at the ends and rigid, although this is not necessary in the deck Only one person may use the trapeze, and safety equipment is required."