What is optimum skipper weight to race a Sunfish?
I’ve heard that the Sunfish is more forgiving of weight variations than any other centerboard single handed boats. At Laser and Finn championships, the skippers fall within a much narrower weight and height range then the people you see at a Sunfish championship. A championship sailor is made by his experience, tactical mind, and his physical condition, not his height and weight; but it’s still interesting to look at the trends over the years. It seems that the optimum Sunfish weight has gone up over time, probably due to the introduction of the larger sail daggerboard. It still varies depending on whether you’ll be doing ocean sailing (in which case you’d like to be 6’2″ and maybe 190 lbs) or lake sailing (in which case you’re in luck if you weigh 120). Examples (I’m guessing at heights, weights, and years here, so take no offense if I get yours wrong): Paul Fendler won a worlds around 1980 at 5’7″ and 130 lbs. He also placed at the ’93 NA’s in Illinois, in very light air conditions.
