Bug – Overview
Description
Bug – Overview
The Bug was designed by Jo Richards.
The Bug is a small, robust & versatile dinghy that can be sailed, rowed, motored, used as a tender & as wheel barrow!
It is of rotomolded construction making it tough & durable whilst requiring minimal maintenance.
It was principally intended to be a sail training boat to enable parents to introduce their children to sailing. However it evolved to be multi-functional:
Sailed – The original idea was for a small, cute, robust sailing dinghy that would appeal to children. One they could realistically handle & one in which they could take “ownership”. Whilst at the same time recognising that it needed to be big enough (& without sharp corners) to initially take a supervisory adult. One that would also be capable of taking some knocks meaning that parents would not need to be too “precious” about the boat in the early stages of their children learning to sail.
Rowed – A pair of rowlock sockets are mounted in the gunwales as standard features & a pair of oars, each of which is made up of two parts, are available as accessories.
Motored – A small outboard motor can be attached to a stern mounted bracket available as an accessory. Whilst it was designed with a small petrol engine in mind a small electric outboard is ideal.
Tender – In addition to being robust & capable of being sailed, rowed, motored & used as a wheel barrow it is stable, double skinned with transom flaps making it able to be left on a mooring.
Wheel barrow – A bow wheel & two extending handles are available as accessories. This enables the Bug to be loaded & wheeled to the water.
The Bug was marketed for a number of years by LaserPerformance & then under the the Ocean Play brand.
Despite what one may have heard the Bug brand together with all its tooling was purchased by Performance Sailcraft in 2025 & has been returned to production.
It is our opinion that whilst the Bug may not be the newest design of dinghy few, if any others, can match its versatility.
It is the intention of Performance Sailcraft that the Bug & all its component parts will continue be readily available into the foreseeable future.
If you are an owner or operator then boats & parts will be available to order on line from Sail and Sport Ltd.
If you are a distributor or large operator either based in the UK or abroad then boats & parts will be available from Performance Sailcraft but initial contact can be made through Sail and Sport Ltd & the most suitable supply route for your operation will be determined.
Other boats in the Sail & Sports range includes the: Pico, Bahia, Vago, Funboat & Laser.
Sail & Sport also try’s to assist owners with parts for past LaserPerformance boats such as the Stratos & Dart16.
