ALBACORE

At 15 feet in length and 240 pounds hull weight, the Albacore is a great first boat for those who are just learning to sail and a very competitive racer for more advanced sailors. The Albacore is fast and lively while being relatively easy to learn to sail and race.

A pivoting centerboard and kick up rudder allow for easy use in shallow or weed-laden waters. Built forsafety, the Albacore has built in floatation allowing it to be self-rescued and sailed dry in a few minutesfollowing a capsize. Most boats are built of durable fiberglass, but they still make them out of wood inthe UK.

While the Albacore is simple to get into at first (it's used throughoutCanada in clubs and camps as a training boat), it provides a level of performance on par with Olympic class dinghys like the 470 and the Laser. It’s often sailed by husband/wife and parent child combinations.Some of the all women teams are the most competitive in the class. / Sloop rigged with main and 3/4 height jib, the Albacore is typically raced with a crew of two, but the cockpit has room for day sailing with up to 4 adults. The high gunwales, integral bench seats and deep cockpit floor allow you to sail ergonomically, without the crawling, kneeling, and scooching found in other similarly sized dinghys.

The Albacore has a plumb bow forward and flat section aft to promote hull planing in winds of 10 knots or more. A deep, airfoil section centerboard and rudder make the Albacore exceptionally maneuverable. The Albacore's rig uses swept spreaders supporting a tapered mast, a powerful vang, an adjustable jib halyard and other sail controls to depower in high winds enabling lightweight sailors to stay upright in all but the most extreme conditions. The powerful rig and easily driven hull give excellent performance over a wide rangeofconditions.

The Albacore is a boat that is both simple to get into at first, and one which will challenge your tuning and tactical skills for the rest of your life.

ALBACORE

Albacore Specifications

English / Metric
Length / 15' 0" / 4.57 m
Beam
Sail Area (Main)
Sail Area (Jib) / 5' 0"
89.34 sq ft
35.63 sq ft / 1.52 m
8.3 sq m
3.31 sq m
Sail Area Total / 125 sq ft / 10.2 sq m
Draft (centerboard up) / 6" / .15 m
Draft (centerboard down) / 4' 2" / 1.27 m
Min Hull Weight / 240 lbs / 109 kg
Min Full up Weight / 300 lbs / 137 kg
Typical Crew Weight / 270-400 lbs / 125-180 kg

Hulls may be constructed of fiberglass (GRP), fiberglass with foam core, or wood.

The Albacore is a “restricted” class with tight specifications on hull shape, sail plan, and centerboard shape while leaving the options for rigging & sail controls open to the individual sailor. Since over 8000 Albacores have been built by over forty different manufacturers, there are a great many variations in rigging systems and sail controls from simply rigged cottage boats to world class racing machines.

Current builders include Ontario Yachts (Toronto), Hapco Marine in (Virginia), Speed Sails (UK), and Boon Boats (UK)

For more information See