Sunfish: Great Design, Affordable Fun

The only thing "mini" is the boat.

If you've spent any time at all near the water, you've seen these little boats zipping around – and chances are, you've sailed one yourself. But the Sunfish is not just a simple and affordable sailing option – although it is that – it's also an international one-design racing class.

But did you know that this great little craft was inspired by the same idea that led to the windsurfer? That's right, Sunfish inventors Alexander Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger wanted to solve the problem of how to mount a sail on a surfboard – just like the inventors of the windsurfer. Early designs were based on a large waterfront rescue board that had been considered but rejected by the American Red Cross.

In 1951, "Al" and "Cort" finalized the design that was sold successfully by Alcort Inc., with a widening of the beam beyond surfboard dimensions, and the addition of a cockpit. The result? The lateen-rigged, user-friendly boat that pared sailing down to its essentials and opened up the sport to all ages.

Like its design cousin the windsurfer, the Sunfish is lightweight, can be easily transported on a car's roof, can be assembled into working order within a few minutes of arrival at the water, and won't break the bank. Unlike the windsurfer, though, the Sunfish maintains the basics of a boat shape and function: cockpit, tiller and rudder for control, and a boomed sail controlled by lines.

As a result, the Sunfish can be used to introduce the youngest of sailors to the sport, and the lessons learned about sail-handling and helming can be easily transferred to larger craft once the student is ready.

The Sunfish was originally built of plywood. But in 1959, when they were approached by Joe Schmidt of Naugatuck Chemical, Al and Cort eagerly embraced the use of fiberglass in their boats. Since then, the Sunfish has proven to be the most popular of fiberglass boats worldwide, with sales of over a quarter of a million units.

And one-design racing? Sunfish racing started almost as soon as 2 or 3 boats had been sold. In 1963, the first North American Championship was held. In 1969, Alcort was purchased by AMF, and AMF/Alcort Division began to build up the Sunfish as a one-design racing class in earnest. Now, the International Sunfish Class Association (ISCA) oversees Sunfish racing, with national organizations in nearly 30 countries worldwide.

The 2009 Sunfish World Championships were held recently in Nassau, the Bahamas. On October 23, 2009, David Loring of the United States won his third world championship. Loring beat out a field of 72 entrants, and sailed with consistent strength, placing with the top 5 finishers on each of the 10 races making up the championship.

So the next time you see a grandfather launching a Sunfish with his little grandchild, just remember: You could be looking at a future world champion.