Albacore (dinghy)
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| Year | 1954 |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Draft | 1,270 mm (4 ft 2 in) (foils down) 200 mm (8 in) (foils up) |
| Hull weight | 109 kg (240 lb) |
| LOA | 4,570 mm (15 ft 0 in) |
| Beam | 1,550 mm (5 ft 1 in) |
| Mainsail area | 8.36 m2 (90 sq ft) |
| Jib / Genoa area | 3.25 m2 (35 sq ft) |
| Upwind Sail Area | 11.61 m2 (125 sq ft) |
| D-PN | 90.3 |
| RYA PN | 1062 |
The Albacore is a 4.57 m (15 ft) two-person planing dinghy, for lake and near-inshore day sailing. Hulls are made of either wood or fibreglass. The basic shape was developed in 1954 from an Uffa Fox design. Recent boats retain the same classic dimensions, and use modern materials and modern control systems.
A deep airfoil section centerboard and rudder make the Albacore highly manoeuvrable. The Albacore's rig uses swept spreaders supporting a tapered mast, a powerful vang, and adjustable jib halyard and other sail controls to depower in high winds. This adjustability enables light crews and heavy crews to race head-to-head in all but the most extreme conditions. It does not have a trapeze or spinnaker, and hence avoids the difficult handling of sport boats. The powerful rig and easily driven hull give excellent performance over a wide range of wind and wave conditions.
The 2011 International Champion described the Albacore as a boat that is simple to get into at first, but one that will challenge the tuning and tactical skills of a sailor for the rest of their life.
The first Albacore (number 1) was built by Clive Dollery and Dave Lowe, who adapted Uffa Fox's design. They were both junior members of the Locks Sailing club in Portsmouth in the 1950s. They crewed in a variety of boats including Lowe's National 12, but they were also keen amateur boat builders.
Dollery wanted a boat to race. They wanted to start with a ready made hull. Lowe's father and Uffa Fox had discussed and agreed to build a non-standard Flying 25 with significant changes made. So they assumed that the same agreement could be applied to a Swordfish sailing dinghy also designed by Fox.
A Swordfish hull was obtained from Fairey Marine via a local boat builder. They modified the hull moving the position of the mast, cutting a slot and fitting a keel box. Several members of the Locks Sailing club were interested in this project and formed a committee with Fairey Marine, resulting in the 'committee modified Swordfish'. This was renamed the 'Albacore'. The committee agreed that this boat be allocated Albacore number 1.
The Locks Sailing club soon had a fleet of about 20 Albacores that raced regularly against one another. in 1958 the National Albacore championships were held under the burgee of the Locks Sailing Club, in Langstone Harbour with a fleet of 46 boats.
About 8,200 Albacores have been built. The class is actively raced in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Albacores are also used for adult and youth sail training, and for leisure sailing.
The Albacore was ranked 16th most popular one-design sailboat in North America in 2010 by Sailing Anarchy, and 38th most popular in the UK from 2001 to 2011 by Yachts and Yachting.
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Wikipedia