BoatsAlcort Sailfish

Alcort Sailfish

Lateen · Daggerboard · 1945–1962

The original 1945 plywood kit boat that launched Alcort and sparked a recreational sailing boom

Designed by Alexander Bryan & Cortland Heyniger.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Daggerboard

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 0.80 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 37 kg of hull, so roughly 650 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 37 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.10 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater

At 2.42 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.42
EasygoingPowered-up

55.1 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 55.1

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Lighter than ~95% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~100% of boats her size on file

Compared with 278 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Lateen
Ratios
SA / displacement
55.1
Capsize screening
2.42
Hull
Hull type
Daggerboard
Construction
Plywood
Production
Years built
1945–1962
Designer
Alexander Bryan, Cortland Heyniger
Builder
Alcort

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Topper International Topper3.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ian Proctor-designed polypropylene dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and three versatile sail-area configurations
Isle of Dogs Sea Cadets race at London Regatta May 25 in blustery conditions,from City Sailing
Butler Boats Streaker3.88 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 3.88-metre cat-rigged dinghy featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a fiberglass option introduced in 1998
Behind the scenes at the Wayfarer factory – a tour of Hartley Boatsfrom practicalboatowner
Ilca 7 (Laser-International)4.23 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA Bruce Kirby-designed Olympic class dinghy featuring a simple unstayed cat rig and a lightweight, high-performance hull
Theodor Middelthon: An "ILCA Viking" on a steady course for the world summit18:40from SEILmagasinet
Alcort Sunfish4.24 mSame hull family0.7 m longerWith a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 47.02, this nimble 4.24-meter dinghy remains a benchmark for simple
From Living in Nigeria to Living on a Yacht, My Storyfrom The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing
Our Boat Got Stolen 😡… So We Built a New One (in just ONE Week)from WhiteSpotPirates
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
HOW TO CHECK SAILING WEATHER - Ep 337 - Lady K Sailing1:35from Lady K Sailing

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Super Sailfish MKIIA fiberglass evolution of the original plywood kit boat, featuring a 44.5-kilogram hull and a simple lateen rigAlcort SunfishWith a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 47.02, this nimble 4.24-meter dinghy remains a benchmark for simpleIsca (Sunfish)The most popular recreational sailboat in history, this simple lateen-rigged daysailer has been in production since 1952Super SunfishAn unstayed cat-rigged evolution of the classic Sunfish, designed for a more performance-oriented sailing experienceAMF Alcort MinifishA scaled-down version of the Sunfish, this lightweight lateen-rigged dinghy offers a nimble ride for solo sailors

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Alcort Sailfish

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