Albin 79
Description
Overview of the Albin 79 Sailboat The Albin 79 is a classic Swedish cruiser-racer sailboat designed by naval architect Rolf Magnusson as an International Offshore Rule (IOR) Quarter Ton class racer. Introduced in 1974, it was built by Albin Marine AB in Sweden (primarily at their Visby factory) until 1977, with approximately 250 units produced. The "79" designation refers to its length overall in decimetres (7.9 meters, or about 25 feet 11 inches). This fractional sloop (though some sources note masthead configurations) was created for competitive racing in quarter-ton events while offering practical cruising features for coastal waters, particularly the choppy Baltic and North Seas. It's known for its agile performance, solid fiberglass construction, and surprisingly spacious interior for a compact boat, making it suitable for club racing, day sails, or short overnights. Owners praise its balance of speed and stability, but it's not a full blue water design—better for inshore and coastal use. Magnusson, a prolific Swedish designer, drew from IOR rules to create a fin-keel boat with a skeg-hung rudder for responsive handling. It's an evolution of Albin's earlier models like the Vega, with a focus on light-air performance and ease of single-handing. As an "orphan" brand (Albin Marine ceased sailboat production in the 1980s), parts are available through aftermarket sources, and it has a niche following in Europe and the US East Coast.
Construction Details
| Designer | Rolf Magnusson |
|---|---|
| Length | 26.000 ft |
| LOA | 25.590 ft |
| LWL | 21.820 ft |
| Beam | 9.060 ft |
| Displacement | 5181 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.890 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 31 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.30 ft |
| p | 26.57 ft |
| e | 7.87 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 ft | 10.30 ft | 26.57 ft | 7.87 ft | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 26.57 ft - (8099 mm) |
| Foot | * 7.87 ft - (2399 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.21 ft - (8294 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.03 ° |
| Diagonal | * 27.45 ft - (8367 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area | * 106.75 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 22.7 ft - (6919 mm) |
| Foot | 11.2 ft - (3414 mm) |
| Leech | 21.7 ft - (6614 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 102.52 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.56 ft - (3219 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 1.13 ° |
| Area | * 119.82 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31.17 ft - (9501 mm) |
| Foot | 16.25 ft - (4953 mm) |
| Leech | 30.18 ft - (9199 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.42 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.39 ft - (4691 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 0.32 ° |
| Area | * 239.89 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 31.03 ft - (9458 mm) |
| Foot | * 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | * 28.55 ft - (8702 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 396 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 31.03 ft - (9458 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 18.54 ft - (5651 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.54 ft - (5651 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 489 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 17.97 ft - (5477 mm) |
| Foot | * 7.78 ft - (2371 mm) |
| Leech | * 14.61 ft - (4453 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.18 ft - (1884 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.06 ° |
| Area | * 55.5 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite.