The boat that built a company....from a 1981 advert by Bangor Punta Marine...
1981: "Olympic Gold Medal sailor George O'Day had a vision. a swift, easily sailed boat that could be built efficiently and at modest cost of low-maintenance materials. He went up to Uffa Fox, a versatile small boat designer with his parameters and the Day Sailer was born.
That was 25 years ago, and the Day Sailer II still has the same hull and sailplan as the original, but a superb boat has been made even better. The mast is now stepped on a tabernacle for easier rigging off the trailer. Cockpit and deck are designed for high buoyancy for self-rescuing in the event of a capsize. The cockpit has a built in ice box, provision for an outboard engine fuel tank, and a self bailer.
Both deck and cockpit colors are a soft, non-glare cream. And the hull and sail stripe are color-coordinated.
But what made the O'Day Day Sailer an instant success over 25 years is the soundness of her now classic design. This is the boat that quite rightly claims to have started American families daysailing.
Her handling is responsive without being skittish. Her powerful rig offers wonderful opportunity for speed, yet the novice will feel comfortable with her as sailing skills develop.
There's the safety of built-in permanent foam flotation, and a non-skid surface molded into seats, deck and cockpit sole. And she's remarkably stable, even in a stiff breeze.
You see Day Sailers everywhere, there are over 12,000 of them and they can be taken anywhere. And launched in less than a foot of water.
If you'd like to get together with other Day Sailer owners, you won't have any trouble finding them. At last count, there were 89 organized Day Sailer fleets across the country."
Standard Features:
Pleasure Group -
All hardware non-corrosive or stainless steel
Boom crutch
Built in icebox
Cockpit drain plug
Kick up rudder
Main and jib
Mooring and trailing bow eye
Storage locker
Transom designed for outboard
One year warranty
Accent Group -
Multi color coordinated sail and stripes
Anodized mast and boom
Safety Group -
Mast is filled with flotation
Non-skid deck and seats
Positive foam flotation
Roller reefing gooseneck (*needs reefing claw)
Self bailing cockpit
Self rescuing
Stainless steel rigging with swaged terminals
Thru bolted mooring cleats
Cockpit inspection/bailing ports
Performance Group -
Adjustable jib sheet leads
Best dacron running rigging
Quick relese cam cleat for mainsheet and jibsheets
Stainless steel turnbuckles
Options -
Block action outhaul
Boom vang
Cowl vent
Tabernacle
Tiller extension - adjustable length
Wood cuddy enclosure - lockable
Editor's Note: Bangor Punta Marine was one of 8 builders of the Day Sailer through the years. The first builder was O'Day Manufacturing, other builders include Can-AM Sailcraft, Rebel, Spindrift, Precision, McLaughlin, Sunfish/Laser Inc. The current builder is Cape Cod Shipbuilding Company, give Wendy a call and order your new Day Sailer!
1971 O'Day Day Sailer II CYANE
Log of CYANE.
Image and Text Credits: Bangor Punta Marine
