by Bob Hunkins » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:51 pm
The Day Sailer I was the first boat built by O'Day. It has a centerboard controlled by a brass handle, and most have an open cuddy. Later versions made by Sunfish/Laser inc. in the mid 90's had a closed off cuddy, as do the current version made by Cape Cod Shipbuilding.
The Day Sailer II was built by O'Day starting in the 1970's. The DaySailer Association accepted the DS II as a legal Day Sailer only on condition that O'Day continue to build the original Day Sailer.
The Day Sailer II had a false bottom that raised the center of gravity and a control line system to raise the centerboard.
A few years later, O'Day started building the DS III. The class association refused to accept that boat as a Day Sailer because O'Day had changed the hull shape as well as the rudder and other important characteristics.
When O'Day went out of business, the Class association bought the rights to the Day Sailer. The Day Sailer I has been built by several companies since then, including Rebel, Spindrift, McLaughlin, Sunfish/Laser and finally Cape Cod Shipbuilding.
Bob Hunkins
#11750, "Surprise"
San Leon, Texas