The Gull sailing dinghy was designed by Ian Proctor in 1956, originally as a frameless double-chine plywood boat.

The original prototype Gull (the "Jolly Roger") was built by Ian Proctor to teach his own children the skills of dinghy sailing.

This was a radical redesign featuring a round bilge hull, greater beam and side decks.

The Gull Spirit, introduced in the late 1990s by Anglo Marine Services, was a major redesign in GRP: principally a return to a double-chine hull similar to those used on the original wooden boats.

[3] The Spirit's interior was in many respects cloned from the larger Wanderer sailing dinghy (another Ian Proctor design).