TheSunfishis a personal-size, beach-launchedsailing dinghy.It features a very flat, boardlikehullcarrying anOceanic lateensail mounted to an un-stayedmast.
 Class symbol | |
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Alcort, Inc. |
| Year | 1953 |
| Design | One-Design |
| Name | Sunfish |
| Boat | |
| Crew | 1–2 |
| Draft | 2 feet 11 inches (0.89 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| Hullweight | 120 pounds (54 kg) |
| LOA | 13 feet 9 inches (4.19 m)[1] |
| Beam | 4 feet 1 inch (1.24 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | Daggerboard |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Oceanic lateen (crab claw sail) |
| Sails | |
| Mainsailarea | 75 square feet (7.0 m2) |
| Total sail area | 75 square feet (7.0 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 99.6 |
Sunfish was developed byAlcort, Inc.and first appeared around 1952 as the "next generation" improvement on their original boat, theSailfish.In contrast, the Sunfish has a widerbeamfor more stability, increasedfreeboardand the addition of a foot-well for a more comfortable sailing position. Sunfish began as a wood hull design and progressed tofiberglassconstruction just a few years after its introduction.[2]
Having a Lateen sail with its simple two lineriggingmakes a Sunfish simple to learn sailing on and to set up. Upgrades can be added to enhance sail control for competitive sailing,[3]making the boat attractive to both novice and experienced sailors alike.
Due to the broad appeal of the Sunfish, in 1995 it was commended by TheAmerican Sailboat Hall of Famefor being "the most popular fiberglass boat ever designed, with a quarter million sold worldwide" (at that point in time).[4]
Early in 2016, manufacturer Laser Performance moved production from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US[5]to China[6]and boats were supplied to the 2016 World Championships.
In 2017,Laser Performance(LP) announced the creation of a newgoverning bodyto manage the Sunfish Class, theInternational Sunfish Class Organization(ISCO), after theInternational Sunfish Class Association(ISCA), governing body since 1969, refused to sign atrademarkagreement. In response the ISCA, still theWorld Sailingrecognised Class Association, have announced rule changes which permit alternative suppliers to Laser Performance for some components.[7]
Today, the Sunfishbrand-namehas become so widely known it is often misappliedgenericallyto refer to any brand of board-style boat sporting the characteristic crab claw sail.[8]The design is currently manufactured byLaser Performance.
Design
editThe distinctive low-aspect ratioLateen sail gives the Sunfish an anachronistic appearance compared with today's more familiar high-aspect ratioBermuda rigsailboats. However, thissail planis not as old-world as it might first appear. Using a lateen rig for this style boat shifts the advantage toward better performance in lighter air (less than 4 on theBeaufort scale) and contributes to it having gooddown-windcharacteristics.
The hull’s very mild "V" bottom andhard chinemake Sunfish a most stable boat for its size, along with enabling it to sail on aplane(hydroplane). Planing allows the boat to achieve a speed greater than theoreticalhull speedbased on length at waterline (LWL). Having a down-wind performance advantage helps the Sunfish to achieve a planing attitude at lower wind speeds than its high-aspect ratio sail plan counterparts.
Designed as a water-tight, hollow-bodypontoon,a hull like the Sunfish is sometimes referred to as "self-rescuing" because the boat can be capsized and its cockpit swamped without threat of the boat sinking.
History
edit
Beginnings of Alcort, Inc.
editIn 1945, Alex Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger created theAlcortcompany to produce their first boat design, theSailfish.Originallyframing carpentersby trade, these two entrepreneurs began their sailcraft endeavors buildingiceboatsas a sideline. A proposal to build a lifesavingpaddleboardfor the Red Cross came their way. They determined the concept unfeasible as it stood. An improved design sporting asailing canoesail rig did however strike a spark as a possible profit making venture. From that humble beginning theSailfishwas born. After Bryan's wife,Aileen Bryan,suggested a boat with a small cockpit where she could put her feet, the design was updated to the Sunfish.[9][10]
The kit boat niche
editThe first Sailfish were offered in the form of detailed drawings for the backyard builder or as a finished, ready-to-sail boat, built by the Alcort shop. In the course of growing their business, Cortlandt and Alex had the revelation to kit the boat by supplying pre-cut pieces, all the necessary fittings, and inclusion of the sail thereby making backyard construction more appealing to an even wider range of would-be boat builders. Sunfish first appeared as either aDIYkit or a finished boat. Of the two designs, only theSailfishwas originally ablueprintplan boat.
Waypoints
edit- For the 1960 model year, Sunfish became available in afiberglassversion for the first time. Alcort shop-built wood boats were phased out around the same period, however, the Sunfish kit boat remained available through the late 1960s.[11]
- 1971 found a storage compartment added to the rear of the cockpit.
- 1972 model saw a revision of therudderblade's shape, the rudder'sgudgeonandpintle,a new shapedaggerboard,and a switch to a Sunfish designed cockpitbailer.This was a turning point for those pieces of equipment, thereafter referred as "New Style" by owners of Sunfish from that era.[12]
- Every few years, hardware and sometimes cosmetics and/or sail colors evolve, adding a piece or two of something more contemporary to replace outdated technology or style.[13]
- In 1969, whenAMFtook over Sunfish production from Alcort, Inc., one of the expansion strategies was to form theSunfish (racing) Class Association[3]to help promote the boat through organizedsailing competition.[a]
- In 1989 the fused deck to hull joint was changed from a ½ "flat lip protected by an aluminum trim strip to the increased surface area of a roundedgunwale,now more securely bonded using amethacrylateadhesive specially suited for fiberglass.[15]
- Sail geometry has changed on a couple of occasions, most significantly in 1989 when the "Racing Sail", still 75 ft2"sail area",but with deeperdraft,was made available as an option.
- In 2010 the last of the Sunfish's wood attributes were superseded when first the rudder and now this year the tiller were changed from wood components tofiberglassandaluminumrespectively.
- The Sunfish was inducted into theAmerican Sailboat Hall of Famein 1995.[16]
- Since its introduction in 1952, Sunfish has come under the stewardship of seven successive builders (see Sunfish Builder Chronology below).
- ^One-Design Sunfish racing remains a "manufacturer'sClass"for mutual support and true to all one-on-one style racing, competing boats must conform toOne DesignandClass Rules[14]in order to qualify to race in sanctioned events. Recreational use boats may be modified as the owner chooses and need not conform to anything more than the local boating safety regulations in effect where the boat is sailed.
Sunfish Builder Chronology
edit| 1952–1969 | Alcort, Inc.(founded 1945) |
| 1969–1986 | AMF |
| 1986–1988 | Loveless & DeGarmo,dba,Alcort Sailboats Inc. |
| 1988–1991 | Pearson Yacht Co. |
| 1991–1997 | Sunfish/Laser, Inc. |
| 1997–2007 | Vanguard |
| 2007– | Laser Performance[17] |
Sunfish in racing
edit
For mostOne-Design Classeligible boats, the number of boats built and the number of boats registered in the racing class are closely related. This makes the boat and the racingClasspractically one and the same. The Sunfish is an anomaly to this more familiarsymbioticrelationship.
The Sunfish Class Association reported in 2001, Sunfish production had exceeded 300,000 boats.[18]The registrar for One Design sailing in the United States,US Sailing,reported in a 2004 survey, Sunfish Class membership numbered 1,573. This does not mean Sunfish isn’t a preferred race boat. On the contrary, at 1,573 Class members, Sunfish ranks in the upper percentile of boats involved with organized racing in the U.S.[19]It does, however, demonstrate the boat’s above average versatility to suit a broader range of sailing applications.
Fun racing
editRecreational, "friendly competition" played a key role in establishing the renowned popularity of the Alcort boat designs.[16][20]Events of past and present, such as theConnecticut Riverrace,[21]Seattle's Duck Dodge,[22]and the Hampton Roads Sunfish Challenge & Dinghy Distance Race, now in its 10th year,[23]serve as examples of the sort of fun Sunfish sailors have without getting too serious.
Open Class Racing
editSunfish sailors who are more serious about sailing competitions, but who do not have the advantage of a nearby Sunfish fleet, can race their boat against nearly any other make and model of sailboat in "Open Class"events using ahandicapsystem. Sunfish have a base-line Portsmouth handicap of 99.6.[24]
One-Design Racing (ISCA)
editOne Designracing uses nearly identical boats so the competition is based purely on sailing skill. One Design Classes are watched over by a governing body who assure conformity.[a]
- The International Sunfish Class Association – development[18]
- In 1969 AMF was instrumental in forming the Sunfish (racing) Class Association.
- In 1984 the Sunfish Class became recognized by theInternational Yacht Racing Union,
- today known as theInternational Sailing Federation(ISAF).
- A year later the Sunfish Class went independent as theInternational Sunfish Class Association(ISCA)[3]
- Sunfish gainedPan American Gamesstatus in 1999 and has maintained recognition in following years
- International Masters was held outside the United States, in the Netherlands, for the first time in 2005.
- There are three continental and nine national championships regularly.
- Sunfish fleets are active in 28 countries around the globe.
- ^ISCA Racing is in accordance with the Sunfish Class Rule Book[14]andISAFRacing Rules of Sailing(RRS).
Sunfish 60th Anniversary
editTo celebrate 60 years of Sunfish, current builderLaser Performancedesigned a 60th Anniversary edition of the Sunfish to celebrate the diverse history of the boat and the sailors that love it. LaserPerformance also hosted a Sunfish 60th Anniversary Celebration at Noyes Pond in Massachusetts, the home of Sunfish designer Al Bryan, that gathered over 100 people sailing old and new Sunfish.[25]
Super Sunfish
edit Launching a Super Sunfish on Shinnecock Bay | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | John Black Lee / AMF |
| Year | 1974 (production version) |
| Design | Development Class |
| Name | Super Sunfish |
| Boat | |
| Crew | 1–2 |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| Hullweight | 129 pounds (59 kg) |
| LOA | 13 feet 10 inches (4.22 m)[26] |
| Beam | 4 feet 1 inch (1.24 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | Daggerboard |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Mainsailarea | 65 square feet (6.0 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 100.7 |
In the 1960s, a member of the New Canaan, Conn. Sunfish Fleet, John Black Lee, independently experimented with a conventional sail rig for the Sunfish. He developed a high-aspect ratiosailthat worked on the Sunfish hull and christened his design the Formula S. The high aspect ratio sail plan has betterupwindperformance characteristics over the lateen sail, changing the boat's handling topointmore like otherBermuda rigsailboats in its size. With this configuration, complexity of sail control is elevated by the addition of dynamicouthaul,downhaul,andmainsheettravellerlines.
Lee's concept didn't interest Alcort, Inc. as a production model so he refit conversion boats independently and sparked organization of Formula S fleets. A few years after their 1969 purchase of Alcort, Inc.,AMFrevisited the idea of a high aspect ratio rig for the Sunfish. AMF did not choose to adopt Lee's Formula S design, they did however, develop their own variation calling it the Super Sunfish. The existing Formula S fleet eventually became assimilated into the ranks of AMF Super Sunfish fleets.
The Super Sunfish was available from 1974 to 1984. AMF marketed this more conventional sail plan as a performance version of the Sunfish in an attempt to compete with, among others, the newly emergingLaser.Portsmouth handicap numbers, however, place the Laser slightly faster. With itshard chinehull, the Super Sunfish is the more stable boat so it's a tradeoff between the two designs.
The Super Sunfish was offered as a complete package and as a kit to retrofit existing lateen rigged Sunfish. The literature points out the sail systems can be easily swapped on a single Sunfish hull to accommodate different sailors' preferences.[9]
| CENTERBOARD CLASS | USSA CODE | DPN | BN 0-1 | BN 2-3 | BN 4 | BN 5-9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunfish | SF | 99.6 | 102.9 | 100.3 | 97.7 | 95.6 |
| Super Sunfish | SSF | 100.7 | 102.4 | 102.3 | 99.3 | (95.8) |
Events
editReferences
edit- ^"Sunfish: Specs".LaserPerformance.RetrievedFebruary 19,2010.
- ^White, Will (1996). "Background on the Boat".The Sunfish Bible.Sarasota, Florida: Omega3Press.ISBN0-9654005-0-6.
- ^abc"International Sunfish Class Association".sunfishclass.org.
- ^"Sunfish".American Sailboat Hall of Fame.Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2007.RetrievedFebruary 19,2010.
- ^"LaserPerformance Open's its Doors to the Public for the First Time".SailingForums.October 28, 2008.RetrievedJune 9,2017.
- ^Patin, Paul-Jon."Update from Class President Paul-Jon Patin".International Sunfish Class Association.RetrievedJune 9,2017.
- ^"LaserPerformance versus Sunfish Class".Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc.November 7, 2017.RetrievedNovember 7,2017.
- ^Clonefish article– other brands of boats commonly misperceived of as Sunfish
- ^abThe Sunfish Bibleby Will White, Omega3Press, Sarasota, FL – "Background on the Boat"
- ^S.I. Staff (September 20, 1982)."HERE SHE IS, THE TRUE LOVE BOAT".Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.RetrievedNovember 7,2021.
- ^Sunfish Sales Brochure – 1968
- ^White, Will (1969).The Sunfish bible.Sarasota, Florida: Omega Cubed Press.ISBN9780965400503.
- ^"The Sunfish Forum".SailingForums.Full Brightness Studios.
- ^ab"ISCA Class Rule Book"(PDF).
- ^ITW Plexus-Marine Adhesive
- ^ab"American Sailboat Hall of Fame".Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2007.
- ^"U.S.Coast Guard Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) database".Archived fromthe originalon October 4, 2012.
- ^ab"Sunfish Class History".
- ^"US Sailing".
- ^LIFE Magazine– Volume 27, Number 7, August 15, 1949 – "World's Wettest, Sportiest Boat"
- ^The Sunfish Bible(New - Revised 1996) by Will White, Omega3Press, Sarasota, FL - "River Racing"
- ^Duck Dodge Fun Regatta
- ^"HOME | sunfish-challenge".Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2021.RetrievedJuly 1,2022.
- ^"Centerboard Portsmouth Numbers".Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2012.
- ^"Sunfish 60th Anniversary Celebration".Eventbrite.RetrievedMay 5,2021.
- ^Super Sunfish Specifications – AMF Catalog – Fun of Sailing- 1978
- ^Centerboard Portsmouth NumbersArchivedAugust 16, 2012, at theWayback Machineand Wind Dependent Handicaps - Centerboard Classes