Hello, I am looking into purchase a Super Porpoise. I understand it is a close relative of the Sunfish, but I cannot seem to gather definitive information about the differences. Does anybody know? Also, has anybody sailed on one and can attest to how it handles in light wind/heavy wind? Thank you!
Yes and no. I have owned and sailed both. The Sunfish is the more popular design and will hold its value better. However, the SP is a very well built Sunfish "clone" and sails well. It is a little bigger than the Sunfish and weighs more, but it is stable,
has a nice large cockpit and the cockpit is self-bailing as the floor of the cockpit is above water level. The SP rudder design is clunky and relies on a large hunk of lead inlaid into the wood rudder blade to keep the rudder in the "down" position when sailing - a rather crude design by today's standards. The Phantom is probably the best Sunfish clone, but I think the Super Porpoise is a close second.
I still have a Super Porpoise, but haven't sailed it in probably 10 years. I ended up getting a Sunfish instead (and then a 2nd Sunfish, and now a Minifish... I have a problem), as spare parts are often hard to find for the SP, whereas Sunfish parts are usually pretty easy to find (new or used). If the SP is in good operating condition, you might give it a try - but if anything serious needs work, I'd probably pass on it.
One thing to note - the sail area is 85 square feet, so a bit larger than a standard Sunfish sail of 75 square feet. But the hull weight is also a bit more. That extra sail area is great until you need a new sail - and putting a cheaper knock-off Sunfish sail on it might make it a bit under-powered.