The 12ft Skiff is a development dinghy class dating back to the early 20th century. It is sailed in Australia and New Zealand. It is 12 ft (3.7 m) in length, hence the name, and is a two man boat. Both the crew and the helm are able to use the trapeze at the same time. It has an asymmetrical spinnaker and a jib, in addition to the mainsail.

Campaigning a 12 requires a range of skills, including boat handling, tuning, boat maintenance, organisation and training. However, with recent equipment developments, and the introduction of carbon masts, 12’s are very manageable boats and any sailor with relative experience, such as cherubs or moths, would quite easily adapt.

The skiff is similar to the larger and better known 18ft Skiff. Of all skiffs the 12 footer is known for being the hardest to sail, primarily due to its small footprint relative to its sail area, being able to reach up to 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph).