The Fun of Sailing by AMF Alcort

09 Feb 20:

We collect old advertising materials from Alcort and AMF Alcort, there is some great reference information to be found on those pages that help us date their boats. One of our favorites comes from 1978, The Fun of Sailing. AMF Alcort was at the height of its sailboat manufacturing, churning out hundreds of different types of boats each year in addition to the mighty Sunfish.

Sunfish

They also wrote a nice bit entitled Sailing is Many Things.

Super Sunfish had a Bermuda rig with outhaul, downhaul and vang controls.

The most popular Sunfish. One stick, one string.

1972 brought the Minifish, the Sunfish's little 12 foot sister with a 65 square foot lateen sail.

Puffer.

Sunbird.

Force 5.

Apollo.

The days of AMF Alcort are gone by, but their boats are still out there. And the Sunfish remains the world's most popular boat, she is still being manufactured by Laser Performance and sold globally.

AMF Alcort Inc Sailboats 1980 Lineup

15 Jan 19:

AMF bought Alcort Sailboats in 1969 and revamped the lineup through the 70s, keeping the popular selling Sunfish and phasing out the Sailfish and Catfish. The The Minifish was added about 1971-2, a little Sister to the Sunfish at just under 12 feet. She used the same blades but a sail rig similar to the Sailfish, 65 sf on a 9 foot mast. Around the 1976 Bicentennial the "Olympic" red, white and blue deck stripes and sail came out on the Sunfish and we think 10 million of those were sold, they are everywhere! Many other boats were in the lineup by 1980, here is a nice advertisement we came across, you could send off for a poster. Maybe I'll send in my dollar...