Sailfish (sailboat)

The Sailfish sailboat is a small, hollow body, board-boat style sailing dinghy. The design is a shallow draft, sit-upon hull carrying a lateen sail mounted to an un-stayed mast. This style sailboat is sometimes referred to as a "wet boat" because, with its minimal freeboard, the sailor often gets splashed by spray as the boat moves across the water. This flat top was known in some coves as the "ironing board of the ocean."

The distinctive low-aspect ratio lateen sail gives the Sailfish a unique squat appearance compared with today's more familiar high-aspect ratio Bermuda rig sailboats. First impression of this low profile rig might be that it sails awkwardly, however, the lateen sail plan shifts the advantage toward better performance in light air and also contributes to it having good down-wind characteristics. The lateen sail along with its simple two line rigging made the Sailfish one of the easiest boats ever to learn fundamentals of sailing on.

Sailfish as the trade name for a board-boat first appeared in 1945. It was designed and built by Waterbury, Connecticut company Alcort, Inc., which took its name from founders Alex Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger. They started out constructing iceboats and branched into small sailboats after being presented with a request to quote on a paddle board for the Red Cross. The project didn't pan out with the Red Cross, but Alex and Cortlandt felt an improved version might make a viable personal sailboat.

In 1949 LIFE Magazine published an article showcasing the Sailfish, calling it "the sportiest little sailing craft afloat". The write-up praised Alcort, Inc. and its Sailfish sailboat for adding a new and economical dimension to waterfront recreation. As a result of the national notoriety, Sailfish, and Alcort's later design, the Sunfish, became so well known their brand names became synonymous for nearly any board-style boat sporting the characteristic lateen sail.

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