The Europe is a small singlehanded dinghy designed by Alois Roland in Belgium in 1960. Derived out of the developmental Moth class, the Europe became a strict one-design class of its own, suitable for light-to-midweight sailors (120-165 lbs.) who might wish to advance past the Optimist but are too light for ideal use of the Laser. Those two boats' popularity in North America is comparable to the Europe Dinghy's high popularity on the other side of the Atlantic, but smaller North American concentrations of the Europe Dinghy can be found in the Bay Area, New England, and the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver. With an 11-foot length overall, the Europe has a planing fiberglass hull and a carbon fiber mast whose stiffness is calibrated for the weight of its future sailor. The Europe was an Olympic class for women from 1992 until 2004, when it was replaced for 2008 by the Laser Radial. The Europe is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Centreboard Class Association. For more information, read the Europe Wikipedia article.
