The first mention of dinghies in the History is in 1921 when the Club gave recognition and facilities to the East Wight Dinghy Class at the request of Gordon Fowler, who joined the Club in 1910 and devoted much of his sailing to dinghies. He won an Olympic Silver Medal in the 14ft class in the 1928 Olympics and a bronze in 1932.

The East Wight Dinghy Class came to an end in 1929 and at the AGM in 1930 the Club agreed to encourage the formation of the Sea View Design Dinghy Class with Gordon Fowler and Norman Ohlenschlager (?Old O? ? though sadly he did not survive into old age) as Vice Captain and Secretary. The class was independent of the Club and several owners, as will appear, one Captain of the Class were not members of the Club.

The first SVOD race was held on 1 August 1931. Gordon Fowler managed to muster twenty owners initially against the intended maximum of 40. So successful was the new class that the limit lasted only until 1937. In the early days the Class included several boats that had been built before the one design was adopted; some of these still exist but have been sold out of the class. The original One Design boats were designed and built by Feltham of Portsmouth and it was not until after the Second World War that any were built in Seaview. So began the constant additions to the class built by Bunny Warren and after his death, by his son Michael. Boat numbers, more than 70 years after the class was formed, now exceed 190. No 100 suitably named Bunny was launched in time for the class?s Golden Jubilee sail-past in 1981, for which 96 of the class were assembled. There was one capsize in the rather hair raising process of forming up on a blustery day, but the other 95 sailed past in good order.

The steadily increasing fleet is a measure of the success of the SVOD class which still remains independent of the Club, although now its members must also be members of the Club. Nowhere else in the country is there a class of clinker-built wooden dinghies, that is expanding by new building. By comparison with fibreglass dinghies they are expensive and slow. It is even said that the designer could have made them more seaworthy. But their owners love them; they are good boats to learn in and have produced many distinguished helmsmen. Their continuing success is a continuing tribute to those who have run the class over the years.