Ray Greene crafted the Rebel to be a sailboat the average person could enjoy. In 1948 he introduced the very first fiber-glass reinforced plastic sailboat and called it the Rebel. The boat was developed with the help of Alvin Youngquist, a local drawing instructor, using fiberglass samples from Owens-Corning Fiberglass. Greene sold 25 of these 700 pound Rebels the first year. Although there were jokes about the plastic boat from the "woodies," its user-friendly status soon made the Rebel popular around the country. As more and more boats sold, people like Lud Fromme, who sold boats for Ray Greene, helped to establish an Association of Rebel Sailors.
In 1950, Lud delivered Rebel #52 to John Schaidt of Deep Creek Yacht Club in Maryland. It was sailed for 10 years at which point it was traded to Lud Fromme for a new Rebel. The Rebel had become so popular in a few years that repeat sales to owners were beginning!

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This history of the National Rebel Class Association will be reprinted. We have tried to be accurate, yet records are scarce. If you can provide additional historical information that would improve the accuracy of the history, or if there is significant information that should be included in the next printing, please contact: