Dolphin 17

Dolphin 17

Development
Designer	Glenn Corcorran and Murray Corcorran
Location	United States
Year	1970
No. built	740
Builder(s)	Universal Plastic Products Silverline Boats
Name	Dolphin 17
Boat
Displacement	725 lb (329 kg)
Draft	4.25 ft (1.30 m) with centerboard down
Hull
Type	Monohull
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	16.75 ft (5.11 m)
LWL	15.00 ft (4.57 m)
Beam	6.00 ft (1.83 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	centerboard
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	21.67 ft (6.61 m)
J foretriangle base	5.50 ft (1.68 m)
P mainsail luff	19.16 ft (5.84 m)
E mainsail foot	7.00 ft (2.13 m)
Sails
Sailplan	Masthead sloop
Mainsail area	67.06 sq ft (6.230 m2)
Jib/genoa area	59.59 sq ft (5.536 m2)
Total sail area	126.65 sq ft (11.766 m2)
Racing
D-PN	97.8

The Dolphin 17 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Glenn Corcorran and Murray Corcorran and first built in 1970. ^{[1] [2]}

Production

The design was initially built by Universal Plastic Products, first in Houston, Texas, United States and later in Coffeyville, Kansas when the company relocated there. It was then built by Silverline Boats in Moorhead, Minnesota, although that company closed in 1980 and the design is now out of production. A total of 740 examples of the type were completed. ^{[3] [2] [4]}

Design

The Dolphin 17 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, including a backstay, aluminum spars, a spooned raked stem, a vertical transom, a transom-hung, kick-up fiberglass rudder controlled by a tiller with an extension and a retractable fiberglass centerboard. Unusually, the jib is not mounted to the forestay. ^{[3] [2]}

The boat has a draft of 4.25 ft (1.30 m) with the centerboard extended and 1.08 ft (0.33 m) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer or car roof rack. ^[3]

For sailing the design is equipped with a self-bailing cockpit, a mainsheet traveler and a boom vang. There are three stowage lockers fitted, two on either side and one in the stern of the boat. ^[2]

The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 97.8 and is normally raced with a crew of two sailors. ^[2]

Variants

Dolphin 17

This open boat with a foredeck model displaces 725 lb (329 kg) and carries 200 lb (91 kg) of ballast. ^{[3] [2]}

Dolphin 17C

This model is equipped with a cuddy cabin with a single window per side and displaces 800 lb (363 kg) and carries 200 lb (91 kg) of ballast. ^{[3] [2]}

Operational history

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "in addition to the open design, there is a cabin model available. As might be expected, it is slightly heavier and has a reduced sail area. Capacity in either model is six adults; the cabin model sleeps two. The Dolphin 17 has covered storage on both sides of the mast, as well as aft storage." ^[2]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

Similar sailboats

• Siren 17

References

1. "Murray Dale Corcorran". Madisonville Meteor. 19 October 2022.
2. Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 80-81. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN   0-395-65239-1
3. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Dolphin 17 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
4. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Silverline Boats (USA) 1967 - 1980". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.