BoatsAMF Sunbird 16

AMF Sunbird 16

Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1975

A 1975-era centerboard dinghy featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively fractional-rigged performance

Designed by Fred Scott & Jack Evans.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 1.75 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 261 kg of hull, so roughly 850 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 261 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 0.28 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater

At 2.77 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.77
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 31.1

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

  • Heavier than ~90% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~86% of boats her size on file

Compared with 353 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
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
31.1
Capsize screening
2.77
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1975
Designer
Fred Scott, Jack Evans
Builder
AMF

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.

O'Day Daysailer5.11 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1956 centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio that remains in production today
Boat Shop Windows4:54from kentblairl
RS Venture4.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 4.98-meter fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for agile, modern dinghy sailing
Elliot Finnestrand - World Champion in sailing after motocross accident0:07from SEILmagasinet
Klepper Cadet5.40 mSame hull family0.6 m longer
We're off to Greece to see our NEW BOAT! 😍 Road trip, catamaran & sailing dinghy22:21from Eternal Sailing
Melges 195.79 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA Reichel-Pugh designed fractional dinghy with an exceptionally high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for rapid planing
Why sailing is dying: The industry's hidden crisis12:39from All About Sailing
Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe4.72 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes
Rio to Polynesia on a 25-Foot Boat, the Journey that Changed Sailing in Brazil Forever | #SAL #368:16from Hashtag Sal
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ian Proctor-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fiberglass
The Easiest Sailboat You’ll Ever Own – The Wayfarer0:47from Practical Sailor

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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