“A String of Sunfish”
Sunfish sailboats at the former George Williams College in Williams Bay, Wisconsin
August 26, 2024
When the weather was conducive, sailing was a popular activity for people at the former George Williams College in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and they headed out on Geneva Lake aboard these Sunfish sailboats.
I made this photograph on September 1, 2002, in front of the college, which was on the north shore of the lake. Besides the several boats grouped together, probably what drew me to the scene at the time were the many different lines, not only of the boats themselves but the boards and even the blocks used in the seawall in the lower right of the photo.
Water forever will attract me as a photographer because it can be used in an infinite number of ways in photographs, whether intentionally or unexpectedly. This photo has the latter because of how the water splashed up after hitting the seawall.
Although I never have gone sailing on Geneva Lake, many viewers of this post who have sailed, whether on Geneva or elsewhere, are familiar with a Sunfish. After all, it is the most popular sailboat in history.
The boat, which accommodates 1-2 people, is 13.9 feet long and 4.1 feet wide and has 60 square feet of sail. Beginners to experts sail the boat, and it is used in racing from the club level to the international level.
According to the website of Laser Performance of Norwalk, Connecticut, which specializes in small craft, “The Sunfish has its roots planted firmly in 1947 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Friends Alexander Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger pondered, ‘How to put a sail on a surfboard?’ The answer involved a rejected design for American Red Cross waterfront rescue surfboards, leading to the Sailfish – a lateen-rigged, flat-decked, plywood marvel.
“In 1951, Bryan’s pregnant wife found its [the Sailfish’s] flat deck somewhat uncomfortable. The addition of a cockpit and widening of the hull created the Sunfish. The logo was created by Heyniger, who traced a nickel and added fins, the tail, and an eye. Early wood Sailfish and Sunfish were available assembled or as kits.
“In 1959, the introduction of fiberglass and the low cost and ease of production led to the proliferation of Sunfish everywhere. Other improvements included aluminum spars replacing spruce, Dacron sails replacing cotton, and ash replacing mahogany for tillers, resulting in increased speed, performance, and reliability. Sunfish racing started almost as quickly as two or three boats came together – the first North American championship was 1963, the first midwinters was 1965.”