ISCA®/SUNFISH® FAQs

 

These FAQs are about the class transition to new class-legal ISCA boats built by Zim Sailing. In addition to these FAQs, there are two press releases that may be of interest at the bottom of this document.  There is also a link to Zim’s FAQs at the bottom.

 

What is ISCA?

The International Sunfish Class Association™ (ISCA) is the organization that governs the one-design class of sailboats that includes most Sunfish and all Zim-built ISCA boats. The International Sunfish Class Association serves to maintain the one-design standards for the class and ensure that an ISCA you buy now is just as relevant as your vintage boat that has been lovingly cared for!

 

 

Will my current Sunfish be class-legal for racing?

Good news - all Sunfish made after 1/1/90 and before 12/31/2024 that has a World Sailing plaque (sticker) will be legal forever, as will all Sunfish made before 1990.  Depending on when your Sunfish was produced, the plaque/sticker may read ISAF or IYRU instead of World Sailing.  See ISCA (International Sunfish Class Association) class rule 2.5 for full details:  Class Rules 

 

 

What is the ISCA boat?

The ISCA boat is the new class-legal boat, since newly built Sunfish (2025 and later) don’t meet the building specifications to be class legal. 

 

 

Why is there a new boat called the ISCA?

For the past decade, many Sunfish sailors, both racing and recreational, have been frustrated by the lack of new boats and poor availability of parts, and the situation seemed to get worse instead of better.  ISCA (International Sunfish Class Association) leadership spent an entire decade trying to improve the situation with the builder, Laser Performance, with little progress made that would benefit the sailors. As a result, ISCA took proactive steps to secure a reliable builder that could provide top-quality boats and a consistent supply of parts. Since the name Sunfish was legally unavailable (more on this below), the class chose to call the boat the ISCA.

 

Note that prior to ISCA deciding to search for a builder, at least one highly respected small sailboat builder attempted to negotiate a licensing agreement with Laser Performance to build the Sunfish and use the Sunfish name, but the discussion stalled (the manufacturer of the Sunfish has always owned the Sunfish trademark – it’s not available for general use.)  Given that, and even though it meant we would not be able to continue calling our beloved boat the Sunfish, ISCA leadership felt the best way to ensure a vibrant future for the class was to move away from LP.  It was only after we announced Zim as our new builder that Laser Performance finally decided to license the Sunfish brand.

 

 

What is Zim Sailing?

Zim Sailing is North America’s largest manufacturer and distributor of small sailboats, and a part of the Starting Line Sailing family of brands (which also includes West Coast Sailing and Dwyer Mast & Rigging). Zim is known for its durability and dependability in youth and institutional boats, selling hundreds of Club 420s, 420Es, and FJs to racing programs all over North America. Zim Sailing also distributes RS sailing products, the Fighter Optimist, and a number of other product lines. You can find the Zim team at hundreds of event days per year, supporting sailors and keeping boats on the water! ISCA are produced at Zim Sailing’s 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Bristol, Rhode Island, where they produce 420Es, FJs, and ILCAs (formerly known as the Laser.) ZIM SAILING website. 

 

 

Will the ISCA be faster or better than previous Sunfish?

The boat has been designed to perform the same as prior boats, but a few changes have been made to improve durability.  The hull, deck and cockpit should be virtually indistinguishable from all prior “rolled-edge” boats.  There has been stiffening added to the seating area on the deck and more strength to the mast step.  All deck hardware and the gudgeon attach to aluminum backing plates.  Also, the boat is being built using the same methods that LP and prior builders used before the close of US manufacturing in 2015.  However, the foam blocks in the hull are now made of closed-cell, waterproof foam, so if a boat develops a leak, the blocks won’t absorb water.  As you may know, the blocks provide flotation in case of a hull puncture, and also provide structural support so that the hull remains stiff.  All boats, racing or recreational, come with North sails, Harken boom blocks (those blocks will be phased in on recreational boats), and racing boats now come with roller boom clam cleats. Racing boats also come with a double Harken block on the bridle to enable the use of the 2:1 mainsheet. The end result is that the boat should perform the same as previous boats, but be more durable.

 

 

What makes a boat Class Legal? 

Class legal boats meet all of the class rules. That includes having a legal hull, which means Sunfish made after 1/1/90 and before 12/31/2024 that have a World Sailing plaque/sticker (or an ISAF or IYRU plaque, depending on age), all Sunfish built before 1990, and all Zim built ISCA boats.  See ISCA class rule 2.5 for full details.  ISCA Rules Link

 

While the Sunfish brand is now being made by a new builder under license from Laser Performance or an affiliated company, ISCA does not intend to approve any builder other than Zim Sailing as an ISCA class-legal supplier of boats or parts.

 

 

Why does my boat need a World Sailing Plaque? 

The ISCA is recognized by World Sailing as an International Class which permits ISCA to hold World Championships, Continental Championships and be a part of the Pan American Games. A World Sailing plaque in your boat indicates that the builder met the building specifications for the boat, helping to ensure a level playing field for all boats.

 

 

What construction method is being used? 

As background, Zim, Laser Performance(LP) and Sero, each use a different method: Zim is open molding the hulls (fiberglass sheets into the mold, then add and roll the resin.)  Then the foam blocks are glued in, providing both structure and emergency flotation.  This is the same method Vanguard and the previous builder used until the end of US production in 2015. 

 

LP in Portugal open-molded but attempted to make a foam 'core'.  Fiberglass sheets into mold, layer of thin foam on that, then a layer of fiberglass, then add resin and roll or squeegee it in.

 

Sero uses a 'vacuum' approach - Fiberglass sheets into the mold, thin layer of foam on that, another layer of fiberglass, then cover with a rubber sheet, and then attach some suction hoses and some resin hoses.  The suction hoses pull the resin in, and the resin spreads under the rubber sheet and soaks the fiberglass. 

 

We believe the traditional method that Zim Sailing uses, similar to what Vanguard used - is longer lasting, more durable, less expensive, and much less wasteful compared to the other method of boat building. That's why they are using it for our ISCA! 

 

 

Why is Zim building the boats the way they are? 

The primary reason is that it is the proven way to make stiff boats.  The Laser Performance approach resulted in some boats that were stiff and some that were not or became soft after use.  During the builder evaluation process, ISCA also sailed a boat built with a method like Sero’s, and it had a lot of vibration.  Zim and ISCA leadership decided that the traditional, proven method similar to what Vanguard used is best.  It is longer lasting, more durable and less wasteful compared to the other methods of boat building, and Zim upgraded to a closed-cell, waterproof foam block that will not absorb water. 

 

 

Why did the class select just one builder? 

After careful consideration, we decided to have a single class-legal builder for several key reasons:

  • Lower boat prices – Our boat is not a high-volume boat - currently a few hundred are made annually.  Contrary to what you might expect, spreading production across multiple builders would increase the boat price since each builder would sell fewer boats to help distribute their fixed expenses (this has already happened with the ILCA - formerly Laser - class). 
  • Stronger class support – We want a builder strongly committed to promoting and growing the class.  If multiple builders were competing, builder A could spend money to promote the class but sailors might end up buying boats from builder B. With the possibility that a builder’s promotional investment might end up benefiting a competitor, there will be little incentive to support or advertise the class.
  • Builder management – ISCA is a volunteer-led organization. Overseeing multiple builders to ensure quality and building to ISCA and one-design standards would require significant resources (ILCA has a paid staff for this purpose.)  We want to remain a volunteer organization to keep the class and boat affordable.

  • Ultimately, our goal is to ensure the long-term vigor and growth of the class by providing Zim with a stable, profitable foundation to invest in the class.

 

 

Is the ISCA boat the racing boat and the Sero Sunfish® the recreational boat? 

No!  The ISCA has always been meant to be THE racing and recreational boat for people who like small, easy to rig and sail small boats.  Further, Zim pays a certification fee to ISCA for every ISCA boat sold (recreation or racing), so the more boats Zim sells, the more money ISCA and Zim have to promote our class.  

 


ISCA Certification stickers - what are they and why do we need them? 

An ISCA Class Certified Sticker indicates the part meets Class Approved specifications and is required for the part to be class legal. It also indicates that a certification fee has been paid to ISCA.  Older parts may have different stickers indicating the parts are approved – those are usually yellow with purple type, metallic blue, or white with black type.  Each new ISCA hull also has a certification sticker.  Zim pays ISCA a fee for each sticker, resulting in the certification fees mentioned above.

 

 

What will be done with the certification fees ISCA is collecting from Zim? 

ISCA will be working with the National ISCA Class Association such as USSCA (the US Sunfish Class Association) to develop plans to allocate money to fleet building programs, regatta support and other uses to grow and strengthen the class. Once ISCA and Zim have a good idea of how much revenue the certification fees will yield, ISCA will develop an approach to distribute funds. ISCA does plan to wait through 2025 before distributing funds in case there are any unexpected expenses that come up as the boat is introduced.

 

 

Parts Availability 

Zim has a large inventory of parts available to all dealers.  This is a welcome change from the past ten or so years when parts were in very, very short supply.  Please CLICK HERE to see the list of parts that must be purchased from Zim. And note that Zim stocks and supplies other parts as well.

 

 

Dealer network 

Zim Sailing has dealers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, offering a wide range of Zim sailboats, parts, and accessories. Use the dealer finder below to find your nearest approved Zim dealer. Please click here Zim Sailing Dealers for a complete listing.

 

 

Colored sails vs white racing sails - what is really the difference?

Recreation sails have 6 sail panels and Race sails have 5. North Sails cuts the sails so the shape is intended to be the same between the colored and white sails.  However, the differences in the panel count, and the fact that the colored sailcloth is slightly lighter than the racing cloth may result in some shape difference.  Note that the World Championship sails are racing sails made only with white cloth but the top and bottom panels are dyed after production. 

 

Both recreation and race sails are class legal to race with.  All sails will be made by North Sails, North is the sole provider of ISCA class legal race sails; these are only available through Zim and their dealers.

 

 

What is the difference between the Race boat vs. the Recreational boat? 

The Race boat has several upgrades that are desired by racers including roller clamcleats on the boom for the outhaul and Cunningham, quick adjust gooseneck, Harken dual traveler block, line package upgrades including a 2:1 sheet, and the North ISCA racing sail.  Recreational boats are available with either fiberglass or wood blades, where race boats are fiberglass only.  Also, all race boats come with Harken Carbo boom blocks, while those blocks will be phased in on recreational boats.

 

 

What was the process ISCA used to select Zim? 

For the past decade, many of us have been frustrated by the lack of new boats and poor availability of parts, and the situation seemed to get worse instead of better. As a result, ISCA took proactive steps to secure a reliable builder that could provide top-quality boats and a consistent supply of parts.

 

The competitive review process to select a builder consisted of:

  • Soliciting builders interested in competing to be the ISCA builder
  • Receiving initial proposals (two of the many US and European builders ISCA contacted chose to submit proposals)
  • Two rounds of follow up questions and answers
  • Review of the builder’s financial strength
  • Site visits
  • Final presentations to the ISCA board
  • Recommendation to the World Council and a vote to approve

After this process between Zim and another US-based builder, ISCA selected Zim as the sole builder of the ISCA class certified boat due to their:

  • Strong reputation in building high-quality, durable, small sailboats
  • Engineering expertise to develop a top-quality build
  • Robust plans to support the class, including marketing, promotion and utilizing and growing their already strong dealer network
  • Agreement to pay the class certification fees for boats and parts, which will help support the class (more detail further below.)
  • Experience working with World Sailing on the Optimist and ILCA
  • Years of experience in event support, charters, etc.
  • Relationship with marine vendors in the US and abroad
  • Global reach

It is important to note that as an International Class governed by World Sailing (WS), ISCA had to receive permission from WS to search for and select a new builder.  This was an exhaustive process that took in excess of one year to complete.

 

 

Can a dealer distribute both ISCA and Sunfish? 

Yes, it is up to the dealers which boat(s) they offer, however we hope that by having a strong Class behind the ISCA and a long standing, well-regarded builder of small sailboats like Zim Sailboats that the clear choice will be ISCA.

 

 

Are Sunfish still being manufactured in Portugal? 

As far as we can tell the Portugal plant is permanently closed.

 

 

Will Zim’s ISCA parts fit my Sunfish? 

Yes, Zim’s ISCA parts are fully compatible with existing Sunfish. The only exception is the ISCA rudder will only fit boats made in 1972 or later. ISCA spars, blades, rudder cheeks, sail and hull will carry an ISCA Class Certified Sticker that indicates it is made to meet the Class Approved specifications and the sticker is required for the part to be legal.

 

 

Is there a Construction Manual for the ISCA? 

Zim has developed a Construction Manual (CM) for the boat.  This manual, while owned by ISCA, is held as confidential so no other builders can use what are essentially trade secrets.  The CM is a requirement of World Sailing and must be on file as part of our Class documents. The boat must be built according to the CM, and changes must be approved by ISCA and World Sailing. 

 

This is very different from our prior arrangement, where Laser Performance would not provide a construction manual. They also decided how to build the boats based on their sole judgement.  That resulted in several changes in sailmakers (apparently to get cheaper sails), providing boom end caps that quickly broke, providing rudder blades that cavitated, changing hardware backing plates that resulted in the hardware pulling off the deck, and eliminating foam blocks, which resulted in numerous hulls being very flexible instead of stiff.

 

 

What about sail numbers? 

Existing sail numbers stay the same, and for those in the US, you must remain current on your USSCA (United States Sunfish Class Association) dues.  Sail numbers will continue to be given out sequentially and won’t be starting over at 1 for ISCA boats.  If you forgot your number, contact the class office {CONTACT US}. 

 

 

These additional links have information you may find useful. 

 

If you have additional questions, please email them to sunfishoff@gmail.com.

 

Sunfish® is a registered trademark of VELUM LTD. VELUM is a sister company to Laser Performance.

 

CLICK HERE to see the Class Legal Parts for ISCA Sailboat, which shows which parts must come from the authorized builder, which is now Zim Sailing.