The Shark

The first Shark was designed and built by George Hinterhoeller in Niagara-on-the -Lake, Ontario. A transplant from Austria, George wanted a more responsive boat than was available on Lake Ontario at the time.

Shark Line Drawing

The prototype was a 22 footer but within months it expanded to 24 feet, and the rest is history. Over 2500 were built and today there are active fleets in Canada, the United States, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.

This lovely 24-footer draws three-feet six inches (three feet two at the keel and three six at the rudder) and weighs in at 2300 lbs race-ready.  It has a cabin large enough for overnighting with a small family. The deck-stepped mast can be lowered without removing the shrouds, making this an easy boat to take out of the water and trail to your next destination.

There is an active racing circuit in the Toronto-Montreal corridor, with regatta almost every two weeks from the end of May to the end of September. These regattas seldom draw less than twenty boats and often as much as forty.

Since the Shark is a recognized ISAF class it is permitted to hold world championships and these take place every year on a rotating cycle between Europe and North America (two consecutive years in NA the third year in Europe).

You can keep track of the fleet at www.shark24.ca