The Boat

The Albacore is a 4.57 m (15 ft) two-person planing dinghy, for lake and near-inshore day sailing. Hulls are made of either wood or fiberglass. The basic shape was developed in 1954 from an Uffa Fox design.

Recent boats retain the same classic dimensions, and use modern materials and modern control systems. A deep airfoil section centerboard and rudder make the Albacore highly maneuverable. The Albacore’s rig uses swept spreaders supporting a tapered mast, a powerful vang, and adjustable jib halyard and other sail controls to depower in high winds. This adjustability enables light crews and heavy crews to race head-to-head in all but the most extreme conditions.

It does not have a trapeze or spinnaker, and hence avoids the difficult handling of sport boats. The powerful rig and easily driven hull give excellent performance over a wide range of wind and wave conditions.

The detailed official specification is defined in the Class Rules. The nominal specifications are show below.

1965 line drawing of an albacore
 
Overall Length 4.57 meters 15 feet 0 inches
Beam 1.55 meters 5 feet 1 inch
Minimum Hull Weight 109 kg 240 lbs
Full Rigged Weight (without people) 136 kg 299 lbs
Sail Area – Mainsail 8.4 m2 90 sq ft
Sail Area – Jib 3.3 m2 35 sq ft
Draft with Centerboard and Rudder Up 0.2 m 8 inches
Draft with Centerboard Down 1.3 m 4 feet 2 inches
 

Rigging and Tuning

Use these links to rig your albacore

Control Systems

Foils

Hiking Straps

Tuning Guides and 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.