Apollo 16
Description
Overview of the Apollo 16 Sailboat The AMF Apollo 16 is an American fiberglass sailing dinghy designed by renowned Canadian naval architect Bruce Kirby (also known for the Laser) as a one-design racer and recreational daysailer. Built by the Alcort division of American Machine and Foundry (AMF) starting in 1977, this 16-foot monohull is trailerable and beach-launchable, ideal for beginners, families, or club racers on lakes, bays, or calm coastal waters. It features a fractional sloop rig, a retractable kick-up centerboard for shallow draft, and a spacious cockpit for 2–4 people, emphasizing simplicity, stability, and ease of handling. The boat's lightweight construction allows for responsive performance and planning in moderate winds, but it's not suited for heavy weather or offshore use due to its open design and limited flotation (though it has some positive buoyancy). With 1,100 units produced, it's relatively common in the used market, and an active racing class keeps it alive today. This model was AMF's entry into the growing daysailer market, leveraging Alcort's expertise from the Sunfish, and it's often praised as a "true one-design" with minor racing modifications allowed.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bruce Kirby |
|---|---|
| Builder | Alcort (AMF Alcort) |
| LOA | 15.750 ft |
| Beam | 5.920 ft |
| Displacement | 300 lb |
| Max Draft | 2.600 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 15.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 5.50 ft |
| p | 18.75 ft |
| e | 8.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.50 ft | 5.50 ft | 18.75 ft | 8.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 18.75 ft - (5715 mm) |
| Foot | * 8.5 ft - (2591 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.16 ft - (6145 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 20.31 ft - (6190 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 83.099 ft² |
| Comments | top batten full length-lowers standard |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 14.67 ft - (4471 mm) |
| Foot | 5.75 ft - (1753 mm) |
| Leech | 13.08 ft - (3987 mm) |
| Percentage LP | 93 % |
| Length Perpendicular | 5.11 ft - (1558 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 37.5 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. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.