and with their flat bottoms, would probably pound a bit in a short, choppy 

 sea. The Zephyr One-Design Association was soon organized. James L. 

 Allen is now Secretary (1274 Monterey Ave., Berkeley 7, Calif.). The 

 official builder is Basin Boatcraft Company (601 Embarcadero, Oakland, 

 Cahf.). Boats are of plywood and cost $1500 new; used boats cost about 

 $900, as do kits. 



VITAL statistics: L.O.A. 20', waterline i8'6''; beam 4'; draft 

 (keel) 2'6"'; sail area 115 sq. ft.; weight 750 lbs.; trailable with special 

 trailer; raced single-handed or with crew. 



ZIP 



In one way at least, if the claims of one of its promoters are correct, the 

 Zip class is most unusual. Zips have been "bought and raced by such people 

 as . . . D wight D. Eisenhower . . . Franklin Delano Roosevelt" and other 

 not-quite-so-noted celebrities. This is not a surprising claim so far as 

 F.D.R. is concerned, for he was an enthusiastic sailor. I didn't realize, 

 however, that the General had done any sailing. 



The original 17-foot Zip sloops, made of wood, and in both keel and 

 centerboard types, were designed and built by Harold Brainard of Clinton, 

 Connecticut. This was from 1935 to 1943. In 1944 John Ek took over, to be 

 succeeded by Zip Sloops, Inc., Ek's own company (1580 N.E. 125th St., 

 North Miami, Fla. ), which now exclusively builds the boats— in fiber glass 

 only. John Ek and Richard M. Besola designed the fiber-glass modification, 

 with a long, shallow keel. The modern version was shown in 1961 at the 

 Miami Boat Show, and, it is claimed, will neither capsize nor sink, and in 

 a calm can be sculled with the tiller (a not unusual accomplishment, we 

 might add ) . The boat is a decked boat with a hard-chine bilge, and though 

 heavy for her length, looks as though she would sail fairly well, though not 

 a planing type. 



John Ek reports that there are 925 now in the United States, with sailing 

 activities largely on Long Island Sound (many of them are in the Madison 

 and Clinton, Conn., area) and on Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida. He says 

 there are about sixty outside of the United States. Elsa Ek is Secretary of 

 the Zip Sloop One Design Racing Association (at the same address as Zip 

 Sloops, Inc.). Price of the last new wooden boats (1959) is $1500; used 

 wooden boats cost $350 to $850; standard fiber-glass boats are $1795. 



VITAL STATISTICS (fibcr-glass boats): L.O.A. 17'; waterline 16'; 

 beam 6'; draft (keel) 2'; sail area 130 sq. ft. (no spinnaker); weight 1000 

 lbs.; trailable— presumably with a special trailer. 



216 THE SAILBOAT CLASSES OF NORTH AMERICA 



