albacore 15 sailboat review

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• Sailboat Guide

Albacore is a 14 ′ 11 ″ / 4.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Greg Gregory and Uffa Fox and built by Russell Marine Ltd., Grampian Marine, Fairey Marine Ltd, Koma Boats Ltd., Gmach & Co. Ltd. (J. L. Gmach & Co.), Ovington Boats Ltd., Ontario Yachts, Lockley Newport Boats, Skene Boats Ltd., and O'Day Corp. starting in 1954.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

A development of the original Fairey Marine SWORDFISH. The ALBACORE has remained one of the most active classes in the world well into the 21st century.

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Class Contact Information

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Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Dinghy

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Adult

Approximately how many class members do you have? 50

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About Albacore

With over 8,000 boats worldwide the Albacore is clearly one of the most popular dinghies available today. Loaded with features, the Albacore boasts quality workmanship and strong class association support. Few centerboard sailboats available today are as versatile as the Albacore. Yacht clubs, sailing schools and community sailing clubs have long chosen the Albacore for their junior and adult training programs. In fact, many of the top sailors in North America learned to sail in an Albacore. The United States Albacore Association supports Albacore Fleets and activities throughout the country. The largest fleets are found on the east coast. Sanctioned events run from March until October. The class association provides a lot of benefits including a regularly published newsletter, seminars, regattas (including regional, national, North American, and international championships), and support of local fleets. Another benefit of a strong class associations is a strong market for used boats. The United States Albacore Association is dedicated to keeping the Albacore sailing fun and affordable.

Boats Produced:

Class boat builder(s):

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America?

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Mid-Atlantic

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  2

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  350

Boat Designed in  1954

Length (feet/inches): 15’0″

Beam: 5’1″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 240

Draft: 4″2″

Mast Height:

Back to One-Design Central

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Potomac River Sailing Association

Albacore fleet.

Class Website

The Albacore is a 15-foot sloop-rigged one-design dinghy typically raced by two people, but it can also be sailed for fun by one person alone, or three to four people depending on weight. The Albacore is used extensively for racing and recreation in the US, Canada, and the UK.

It’s a great first boat for those who are just learning to sail, and a very competitive racer for more advanced sailors. While the Albacore is a fast and lively boat, it is relatively easy to get up to speed and the racing is very tactical. A very versatile boat, it is often sailed by husband/wife and parent/child combinations. Some of the all women teams are the most competitive in the class. Albacore sailors comprise an eclectic group from all ages and walks of life, including students, professionals, senior executives, and retirees ranging in age from 15 to 85.

A used ready-to-race boat usually costs from $1,000 to $4,000 ( contact the Fleet Captain for more information ).  New boats sell for about $16,000.

Key contacts:

Eva Hogan (fleet captain) – [email protected]

Barney Harris (active sailor, boat builder, can help you find a boat) – [email protected]

Janice Rathjen (can help get crew connected) – [email protected]

Fleet email list (to subscribe request to join the PRSAAlbacores Google Group or email the fleet captain to request to be added)

United States Albacore Association

The Fleet also gives out several PRAF perpetual awards each year at their AGM.

Booster Award Freshman Booster Award Most Improved B Skipper Jib Tender Award Deep Six Award Most Abused Crew

One Design Racing In The Nation's Capital Since 1935

Review of Albacore

Basic specs..

The Albacore is equipped with a centerboard keel. A centerboard keel is a pivoting lifting keel, allowing to sail both coastal and inland waters.

The boat can sail close to the beach as the draft is just 0.23 - 0.33 meter (0.75 - 1.05 ft) dependent of the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Albacore is about 49 kg/cm, alternatively 279 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 49 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 279 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

Maintenance

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Albacore it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

I bought this boat for $100 and decided to part it out rather than restore it. Here are photos of the boat right after I bought it.

The first Albacores were built 1955 in England of wood. The sail number shows that this boat was built in 1969 or 1970.

Although i could find no reference to albacore spinnakers, this boat had been fitted with one. i sold the mainsail, spinnaker and traveler for $200..

Mainsail Luff 17' (204") Mainsail Leech 19' 9" (237") Mainsail Foot 8' 11" (107") Jib Luff 12' 11" (155") Jib Leech 11' 6" (138") Jib Foot 5' 10" (69") Spinnacker (not original) 14' x 14' x 11' 3"

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• Albacore Articles
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• Albacore Registry
• Class Rules

Sail Tuning Techniques

Training techniques, regatta preparation, boat tuning techniques.

Switching to High Aspect Albacore Sails Albacore sailors use one of two distinct types of sails on their boats commonly called either "low aspect" or "high aspect" according to the cut of the jib. While very different in shape and how you set each of these types of sails, both have produced top results in the class for over 20 years.

Albacore Sail Tuning Guide for North sails General instructions on how to tune your North Sails

Albacore Sail Tuning Guide for MacNamara sails General instructions on how to tune your MacNamara Sails

Albacore Sail Tuning Guide for Sobstad sails General instructions on how to tune your Sobstad Sails

The Complete Guide to Albacore Sailing Tuning and Strategy by International & National Champ Barney Harris.

How to Get a 10 Ten Finish (most of the time) Tactics for short course, One-design racing, and, a taste of the "zen" of sailboat racing. By John Holmberg

Sail Faster: Tips For Moving Up In The Fleet Lessons learned over a lifetime of Albacore sailing on how to move up in the fleet.

Putting Together an Albacore Racing Program Summary article on how to maximize your sailing performance for the time and money you have to invest.

Tool List Describes three levels of tools and spares to bring to dinghy racing regattas and how to organize a sailing tool kit.

2005 Winter Training, part #1 On January 28-29-30, 2005 fifteen Albacore sailors from US and Canada met in Sarasota for the first winter training session. It was a great time with ideal conditions (lots of wind and temps in the 70’s). We logged about 12-15 hours of on the water speed tuning and supplemented that with 2 hours of video review and countless hours of boat work and discussions ashore.

Upwind Pacing How to organize on the water practice sessions for maximum benefit.

Upwind sailing technique: High Wind General instructions on how to set up and sail an Albacore upwind in exceptionally high wind conditions.

Winter Sailing Overview of winter practice sessions conducted in Sarasota, FL.

Recent Classifieds

• Donate your old Albacore to our College Sailing program 4 years 44 weeks ago 1 reply
• Albacore Sail number Hull 2838 10 years 20 weeks ago
• Albacore # 8122 Hapco Marine 10 years 33 weeks ago
• Albacore USA 7312 11 years 24 weeks ago

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15' Feet Late 60s - early 70s Whitby Albacore Sailboat

No reserve (usd), boat id: 39287, contact us directly - 800-675-4089, learn how the process works (faq).

The Albacore is a great first boat for those who are just learning to sail and a very competitive racer for more advanced sailors., it is often sailed by husband/wife and parent child combinations. It is a two-person planing dinghy, for competitive racing and lake and near-inshore day sailing. This hull is fiberglass but earlier ones were wood.The Albacore is currently raced in seven countries, and a World or International Championships is held every two years. This boat comes with steel and wooden centerboards, a new wooden tiller, rigging and sails.

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US Albacore Association

Tuning and practice, sail tuning techniques.

Switching to High Aspect Albacore Sails Albacore sailors use one of two distinct types of sails on their boats commonly called either “low aspect” or “high aspect” according to the cut of the jib. While very different in shape and how you set each of these types of sails, both have produced top results in the class for over 20 years.

Albacore Sail Tuning Guide for North sails General instructions on how to tune your North Sails

Albacore Sail Tuning Guide for MacNamara sails General instructions on how to tune your MacNamara Sails

Albacore Sail Tuning Guide for Sobstad sails General instructions on how to tune your Sobstad Sails

Training Techniques

The Complete Guide to Albacore Sailing Tuning and Strategy by International & National Champ Barney Harris.

How to Get a 10 Ten Finish (most of the time) Tactics for short course, One-design racing, and, a taste of the “zen” of sailboat racing. By John Holmberg

Regatta Preparation

Sail Faster: Tips For Moving Up In The Fleet Lessons learned over a lifetime of Albacore sailing on how to move up in the fleet.

Putting Together an Albacore Racing Program Summary article on how to maximize your sailing performance for the time and money you have to invest.

Tool List Describes three levels of tools and spares to bring to dinghy racing regattas and how to organize a sailing tool kit.

Boat Tuning Techniques

2005 Winter Training, part #1 On January 28-29-30, 2005 fifteen Albacore sailors from US and Canada met in Sarasota for the first winter training session. It was a great time with ideal conditions (lots of wind and temps in the 70’s). We logged about 12-15 hours of on the water speed tuning and supplemented that with 2 hours of video review and countless hours of boat work and discussions ashore.

Upwind Pacing How to organize on the water practice sessions for maximum benefit.

Upwind sailing technique: High Wind General instructions on how to set up and sail an Albacore upwind in exceptionally high wind conditions.

Winter Sailing Overview of winter practice sessions conducted in Sarasota, FL.

Albacore Sailing Dinghy. Racing, cruising, or learning to sail it's the boat for you!

Canadian Albacore Association

The albacore is more than a boat. it's a community.

Whether you've just joined a community club to take your first sailing lessons, or you've been racing your own classic woody 'round the cans since before you could walk, we're all family. There's no sport like it. We sail hard and we socialize harder!

The Albacore fleet is going strong! Make new friends. Learn skills that can carry you around the world.

The Albacore is a community! Live it and love it!

Latest posts

2023 ontario albacore championship, 2023 albacore canadian championship, 2023 albacore midwinters in sarasota, 2022 us national championship, 2022 albacore ontario championships, 2022 canadians aug 13-15 in kingston, 2022 tisc regatta, 2022 canadian albacore championship, 2021 canadian albacore championship, notice of 2019 annual general meeting, 2019 albacore ontario championship regatta registration is now open, 2019 canadian albacore championship.

The boat Designed in 1954 by Uffa Fox, the Albacore is a classic high-performance sailing dinghy. Responsive and nimble in all conditions, the boat planes at wind speed over 10 knots, offering exhilarating rides. Comfortable for two adult day sailors, the boat is perfect for learning. The crew trims the jib sail, while the helm handles the main sail and tiller steering.  For the veteran sailor, the Albacore challenges tactics and tuning for life. Modern rigging provides exceptional control. For the racers among us, fleets gather for competitive events and regattas running all season, regionally, nationally, and internationally! Over 8200 Albacores have been sold worldwide. There are active fleets across Canada, the US, and the UK. Sailing Albacores offers something for everyone. Join a club in your region! 

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Learn to sail.

Learning to sail can be life-changing. The Albacore is ideal boat to learn in! Whether you plan to sail at the cottage or sail around the globe, dinghy sailing in Albacores builds skill and confidence.

Albacore Clubs in Canada

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Been a long time since I have posted here but I'm getting back in after being boat-less for 2 years. Looking around yachtworld.com for a Niagara 35 or CS36, I came across this lady. 1984 Allmand 35' Tri-cabin Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com Decently appointed from an electronics point of view, I know she'll need a rework in the galley as they've ripped out the stove. Seems to offer lots of storage for a single guy or a couple living aboard. Decent draft for a 35' boat (only 5') with a keel halfway between a a fin and a full keel. Should be stable in a seaway. I like the offset companionway as it makes the quarterberth larger. Any thoughts? Any experience with this builder before I send a surveyor down there from Toronto  

It would help to know what your intentions are for the boat. My impression is that the Allmand is a step down in overall quality from both the Niagara and the CS, but the price of course is quite good.  

The initial goal is to refit as required in Toronto and then take a little trip up to my cottage on Georgian Bay by way of the Welland Canal and then back to Toronto, as a shakedown cruise. The real trip will be heading south for a while by way of the St. Lawrence Seaway, Newfoundland. The almostfull length keel makes me think she'll track straighter than the CS, assuming the rig is balanced.  

Assuming you balance the rig on the CS or Niagara, they should track just fine too. I had a Niagara 35 and quite liked the long fin keel setup. If you are going no further than Newfoundland and back and watch your weather the Allmand should be fine, but I don't think it is as well-built as the other boats. A longish keel makes fine manoeuvring in marinas and the like 'interesting'. Ask me how I know, our boat has a draft of 12' with the board down. The result is that the keel, where the board goes, is quite long. I can turn to the right really well, turning left - well some 90° turns have turned out to be 270° to the right. I would not send a surveyor from Toronto to look at the boat. Would find a local one (not someone recommended only by the selling broker). It would be cheaper.  

killarney_sailor said: Assuming you balance the rig on the CS or Niagara, they should track just fine too. I had a Niagara 35 and quite liked the long fin keel setup. If you are going no further than Newfoundland and back and watch your weather the Allmand should be fine, but I don't think it is as well-built as the other boats. Click to expand...

A longish keel makes fine manoeuvring in marinas and the like 'interesting'. Ask me how I know, our boat has a draft of 12' with the board down. The result is that the keel, where the board goes, is quite long. I can turn to the right really well, turning left - well some 90° turns have turned out to be 270° to the right. Click to expand...

I would not send a surveyor from Toronto to look at the boat. Would find a local one (not someone recommended only by the selling broker). It would be cheaper. Click to expand...

I'm almost positive that's not an Allmand 35, that's the 31. The 35's had a different galley lay-out. I have the 31, as does David_E. Regarding the build quality, they are decent boats, but I would agree that they aren't up to snuff with CS or Niagra. Several of the Allmand owners have ventured pretty far with theirs (see, e.g., ISSUU - Southwindsmarch2010 by SOUTHWINDS Magazine and A medical crisis leads Marti to buy a sailboat and learn to cruise « The Women and Cruising Blog ).  

jimgo said: I'm almost positive that's not an Allmand 35, that's the 31. The 35's had a different galley lay-out. I have the 31, as does David_E. Click to expand...

That is a self-reported list. Check out sailboatdata.com and they pics on Yachtworld and Sailboatlistings  

I am not saying your surveyor is not entirely capable, just that it adds significantly to the boat cost. If I wanted to get to BC I would be looking at the CS, Niagara, or something else of that ilk. If you don't mind, what sort of budget are you considering? I had a Max-Prop on my Niagara - a thing of beauty and a joy forever. I could do tight figure-8s in reverse with total control.  

There's the boat you want and then there's the boat you end up with. That being said, budget is in the range of US$30-40K. I'd rather spend a little extra to get a boat that has updated electronics and is properly equipped for cruising (heating and a decent stove). But if I saw a decent boat at a decent price, I don't mind doing the work myself. By training I am a theatrical lighting and sound tech and thanks to my schooling, electricity doesn't scare me. I can operate anything from a monster table saw to a sewing machine. I also designed and manufactured electronics, so I have that side taken care of.  

Hi Patrick, This is most definitely a 35 footer... destroyer bow and sloped transom. The interior is very similar to the 31 (but sorry to say not any bigger at all) and yes, very liveable aboard for 1 person... easy. I would think hard about open water adventure with an Allmand. That keel is NOT some hybrid between a full keel and fin keel. It's a shoal keel and has it's pros and cons. One con of which I am familiar with, is it's rolling moment. The shoal keel doesn't do much to help stop rolling motions once it gets started. It was made to be a coastal cruiser where by it can duck into a shallow water anchorage. But yes, on a nice day an 18' day sailer can handle open water. The engine is a Universal M30. It is still wired with the ammeter and I'll guess all the poor factory "trailer plug style" engine harnesses, which are a fire hazard, (the ammeter needs to be removed and the wiring harness plugs taken out). There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the Universal, so long as it has been maintained, (I have the 5424, basically the same engine). From the pics, it doesn't look bad. The Allmand is a solid boat (overbuilt a tad by todays standards), might not be the fastest in the crowd. Let me know if you have any questions. Dave  

I like the layout below decks. Having the head and galley centrally located makes a lot of sense to me. I'm pretty immune to boat motion. I got seasick once (back in like 1975) on a powerboat but since then nothing. I like having a shoal draft keel. My last boat at 30' had a draft of 5'3" and was a nightmare getting in and out of Toronto Island Marina. Nothing says adventure like touching bottom 3 inches (not feet) from the dock when I was delivering her to her new owner. She must be a tough boat if you sail one in the WA area. Not exactly know for calm conditions.  

SVTatia His name is Wallace Gouk and he's actually on here as Boatpoker. Here's all the contact info. Port Credit Marine Surveys, Toronto, Ontario, Canada www.pcmarinesurveys.com/ [email protected] or 416-526-3845  

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