[1][2][3][4][5] Rhodes drew the original design in 1933 for a competition to define a new boat for the frostbite racing fleets sailed in Manhasset Bay and at Larchmont, New York.

Yachting magazine covered a race series and advertised where plans could be obtained and that led to an expansion in interest in the boat design and it quickly grew to a national class.

[1][2] The boat has a draft of 3.83 ft (1.17 m) with the centerboard extended and 4 in (10 cm) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water, beaching or ground transportation on a trailer or car roof.

'It humbles a lot of folks,' says [Jonathan Bartlett, a Maryland sailmaker], referring to the oversized centerboard and hard chines that the boat can trip over in gusty conditions.

The best part about the Penguin is that whether you are hiked out with a friend inches away from a competitor or sitting on the floorboards on a lazy summer afternoon, you are surrounded by a little bit of sailing history and a lot of class.