Super Sunfish rig

23hallt

New Member
I'm looking to make the sail, mast, and boom for a super sunfish, My plan is to use the super rig in high wind, but use the regular rig in light winds. I have access to a large wood shop and was going to make everything myself. Does anyone have the plans for the rig, or suggestions?
 
Not able to have any input but if you can make it happen, I will be very interested in seeing what you come up with.
 
I think you would be better off using the Super in lighter wind and the normal rig when it blows. The Super rig will generate more power in a blow than the regular rig so my guess is the Super will get overpowered and stay overpowered. But once you get it built you can sail them both and see what happens!


You will be better off at least buying a Super sail if you can find one unless you have experience designing and sewing sails. If you do not, it’ll be hard to make a good one. A wood mast won’t have the right bending characteristics to match the sail, but at least the sail will have been sewn to the right shape.

All that said, this sounds like a fun project!
 
Did the super come either with or without the cockpit traveler?...kinda like as if there was an option?
 
I'm going to see if a used super sail appears and I can make one, in theory the design rigs will be inter changeable, the main sheet rig it self will be the same as the lateen rig so that they can be swapped quickly and easily.
 
The Super Sunfish came with a traveler. However I have rigged a standard Sunfish to be able to convert to the Super Sunfish rig by using a Laser style mainsheet system. If you live in New England area, I might have some parts available (spars). I'll look through my collection and let you know. I do not have a sail.
 
I have a boom only. I have the lower two pieces of a Force 5 mast and a Force 5 boom but those will not fit the Sunfish mast hole.
 
Fitting oversized masts is discussed here:


I used a (free) steel insert from a Meineke muffler shop. An adapter might cost a few bucks. Stainless will get a premium, but either will buy you some time to uncover what you actually need. :)
 
I'm looking to make the sail, mast, and boom for a super sunfish, My plan is to use the super rig in high wind, but use the regular rig in light winds. I have access to a large wood shop and was going to make everything myself. Does anyone have the plans for the rig, or suggestions?
I bought a '76 Super Sunfish this summer to complement my '71 and '77 'regular' fishes. I would be happy to take photos and measurements of the rigging. Rather than attach random photos to this thread, I'm thinking it would make more sense to put them all in a document and put it in the resources section of the forum. @signal charlie , what is the process to do this? Recommendations?
 
I hate to put a dent on your idea but...
I have Super Sunfish rig and I don't find it that great.
I also rigged Europe dinghy rig on Sunfish and found it to be too much PITA to deal with and very little gain.
Good thing I didn't drill even one hole in the deck and that was not easy.
 

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I bought a '76 Super Sunfish this summer to complement my '71 and '77 'regular' fishes. I would be happy to take photos and measurements of the rigging. Rather than attach random photos to this thread, I'm thinking it would make more sense to put them all in a document and put it in the resources section of the forum. @signal charlie , what is the process to do this? Recommendations?
That would be great! thanks!
 
I hate to put a dent on your idea but...
I have Super Sunfish rig and I don't find it that great.
I also rigged Europe dinghy rig on Sunfish and found it to be too much PITA to deal with and very little gain.
Good thing I didn't drill even one hole in the deck and that was not easy.
that rig looks complicated!
the idea i had was to simplify it a little, and take the best of the lateen rig and bermuda rig, use the sail from a bermuda rig, simplicity of the main sheet on the lateen rig, and combine them. I also was thinking to use the same mast, making a sleeve in the sail , and putting a goose neck at the end of the boom.
 
my current Idea is take the simple main sheet on the lateen rig, make a super sunfish boom and add a gooseneck on the very end, and not attached to the right, and make a sleeve in the sail. normal for the super rig, and this way I can quickly swap between rigs.
Then once it's all together, wait for a moderate wind day, and go sailing, using a crew member for initial sea trials, then move onto high wind, and light wind sea trials.
 
so my dad made a suggestion: his boat, and my boat's sister uses a gunter rig, he suggested I use a gunter rig, it is similar to the bar mud rig, but it has a key difference: it has a spar that raises to the top of mast, meaning you can have a shorter mast, Ideal for if you have to go under a bridge, or can't use a tall mast, admittedly i need a new mast, but actually most gunter rig masts are wooden. and I have access to a big workshop.
 
that rig looks complicated!
the idea i had was to simplify it a little, and take the best of the lateen rig and bermuda rig, use the sail from a bermuda rig, simplicity of the main sheet on the lateen rig, and combine them. I also was thinking to use the same mast, making a sleeve in the sail , and putting a goose neck at the end of the boom.
It is complicated, but I wanted all controls and all double ended. I could change it all to single and mount it on boom. Dropping traveler and inhaul could be a way to go. It's all for fun and experience.
Here are photos of Super Sunfish rig.
 

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A couple of comments: I have owned two Sunfish with factory issued Super Sunfish rigs. They did point better than the latten rig but I always thought the Super Sunfish sail was a little too small. I am guessing that a modern Sunfish with a North race sail and plastic blades is faster than the Super rig. Also you don't really need the cockpit traveler. You can crank in the vang and sheet from the centerline block just fine. Lots of hot dinghy classes use this "vang sheeting" rig.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
This is a good guess.
Sunfish with racing sail (75 square feet) is rated at D-PN 99.6
Super Sunfish (65 square feet) is rated at D-PN 100.7
Not so super I guess :)
 

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