If Carl Alberg was designing boats today

[Paul D.]

Wintertime in MN is a long, sail less period. It is a good time to ponder stuff. So a recent post got me thinking.

If Carl Alberg were alive and designing sailboats today, what would they look like? What sort of gear would he incorporate to meet his design goals assuming they never changed. What modern designs do you think come closest to fulfilling his design goals of safe and seaworthy yachts, where you don't need a crew to sit on the rail to keep her upright, with enough sail area to move?

[Jim Walsh]

My candidate.....make mine a cutter rig and don’t forget wheel steering Carl. What’s that! Oh yes Carl, I will certainly remember to leave my prop in the fixed position when sailing.

[gonesail]

My candidate.....make mine a cutter rig and don’t forget wheel steering Carl. What’s that! Oh yes Carl, I will certainly remember to leave my prop in the fixed position when sailing.

Very nice. Is that a Perry design?

[Jim Walsh]

My candidate.....make mine a cutter rig and don’t forget wheel steering Carl. What’s that! Oh yes Carl, I will certainly remember to leave my prop in the fixed position when sailing.

Very nice. Is that a Perry design?

Yes. He has done some fabulous cruising designs.

[Steve Laume]

That is an interesting design. It would create some challenges when rigging any sort of self steering.

I don't think Carl would have strayed that far, Steve.

[Bill Goldsmith]

Alberg was obviously an adamant proponent of the cutaway forefoot full keel and I don't think he would have strayed far from that. Every CD model he designed, the Ensign, the Triton, the Sea Sprite 23 and other Alberg designs all followed this approach. I think he would have continued designing models like that but probably would have encouraged builders to update to more modern resins, systems and layouts, all within his preferred hull design. It would have been a tough sell to the marketplace, though, because his biggest competition would have been all the well found older models still out there being sailed and loved.