page_title: Sunfish (sailboat)
section_title: Beginnings of Alcort, Inc.
hierarchical_section_title: Sunfish (sailboat) / History / Beginnings of Alcort, Inc.
caption_attribution_description: English: 1953 wooden Sunfish sailboat
context_page_description: The Sunfish is a personal-size, beach-launched sailing dinghy. It features a very flat, boardlike hull carrying a lateen sail mounted to an un-stayed mast.
  Sunfish was developed by Alcort, Inc. and first appeared around 1952 as the "next generation" improvement on their original boat, the Sailfish. In contrast, the Sunfish has a wider beam for more stability, increased freeboard and the addition of a foot-well for a more comfortable sailing position. Sunfish began as a wood hull design and progressed to fiberglass construction just a few years after its introduction.
  Having a lateen sail with its simple two line rigging makes a Sunfish simple to learn sailing on and to set up. Upgrades can be added to enhance sail control for competitive sailing, 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 The American Sailboat Hall of Fame for being "the most popular fiberglass boat ever designed, with a quarter million sold worldwide".
  Early in 2016, manufacturer Laser Performance moved production from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US to China and boats were supplied to the 2016 World Championships.
context_section_description: In 1945, Alex Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger created the Alcort company to produce their first boat design, the Sailfish. Originally framing carpenters by trade, these two entrepreneurs began their sailcraft endeavors building iceboats as a sideline. A proposal to build a lifesaving paddleboard for the Red Cross came their way. They determined the concept unfeasible as it stood. An improved design sporting a sailing canoe sail rig did however strike a spark as a possible profit making venture. From that humble beginning the Sailfish was born and seven years later an improved design, the Sunfish.
caption: 1953 wooden Sunfish
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