Columbia 50 reviews, history and a lot more

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Columbia 50 reviews, history and a lot more

Published by Michael James at October 18, 2016

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The best source of information on the Columbia 50 from history, construction, design etc is the Columbia 50 Fleet Record & Owners’ Network or click http://columbia50.weebly.com/

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Columbia Sailing YachtsWhittaker Corporation

The Bill Tripp designed Columbia 50 debuted in 1965 and was the largest production fiberglass sailboat at that time. It was in production until at least 1982. The original design was sloop rigged, but it was also available as a schooner.

There has been some discussion on the mailing list about Sailcrafter 50s. According to a Columbia history found in some owners manuals, Columbia offerred yacht “kits” under the name Sailcrafter during the years 1971-1974. The C-50 apparently was one of models offerred. The Sailcrafter has an additional skeg between the keel and the rudder. I wonder if this was done to improve the design or if it was to strengthen the hull for shipping – or both?

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Cruising Boat Spotlight: The Columbia 50

October 10, 2016 by Pat Reynolds

In our new series of great cruising boats we begin with a crowd favorite – the Columbia 50. With its bubble top, long graceful lines and inherent speed, the Columbia 50 is a beloved classic.

Designed by Bill Tripp, the Columbia 50 was sexy, fast and fun when it came off the line in 1965. Fiberglass boat building was still relatively new, but Tripp was ahead of the curve as he had been designing fiberglass boats since the late 50s. In 1966 the lean racer/cruiser won the legendary Newport to Ensenada race in California, which, at that time, was over 500 boats. The boat was built predominantly by Columbia Yachts in California and was the largest fiberglass production boat of its day.

Read Article: https://asa.com/news/2016/10/10/cruising-boat-spotlight-columbia-50/

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