The Careel 18 and 22 are based on designs by John Duncanson (C18) and Joe Adams (C22) and are built in Sydney by David Rose Yachts with some also having been built in Brisbane and New Zealand under licence.

​

From its inception, the Careel 18 (and later the Careel 22) quickly became the premier trailer yacht of its day. Along with the boats, the Careel Cruising Yacht Association (CCYA) was formed in 1970 by the Roses and a small group of dedicated owners to act as both a Class Association under Yachting Australia and also to form a social network to organise cruises, races and other social events.

The CCYA was originally based in Sydney and over the years grew to a membership of over 300 families (the Association sees the boat and her immediate family as members). More than 400 C18s and over 100 C22s were built over the years and most of these boats are still being sailed today.