Alpa A9
Description
The Alpa A9 (also known as Alpa 9 or Alpa A9) is a classic Italian fiberglass sailboat built by Alpa Yachts (ITA) from 1967 to around 1970. Designed by British naval architect Illingworth & Associates (Captain J.H. Illingworth, founder of the Junior Offshore Group and a key figure in early post-war yacht design), it represents an early step in Alpa's evolution toward larger cruising yachts after their pioneering fiberglass work in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Compared to the more innovative Alpa 8.25 (fin keel/skeg rudder, longer production run), the A9 draws from relatively traditional lines for its era: semi-long keel (or fin keel in some descriptions), high deckhouse, masthead sloop rig, and generous interior volumes for comfortable coastal cruising. It's a solid, seaworthy pocket cruiser with classic 1960s profiles—capacious below for 4 berths, galley, and head—suitable for weekend outings, family sailing, or extended coastal trips. Production was shorter-lived than siblings like the 8.25 (ended ~1970), making surviving examples somewhat rare but cherished as "plastic classics" by owners (e.g., refits on boats like "Algol" or "Fulvia III").
Construction Details
| Designer | John Illingworth |
|---|---|
| Builder | Alpa Yachts (ITA) |
| Length | 29.820 ft |
| LOA | 29.820 ft |
| LWL | 21.980 ft |
| Beam | 8.860 ft |
| Displacement | 8598 lb |
| Ballast | 3638 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.250 ft |
| Year Built | 1967 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 36.02 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10 ft |
| p | 31.10 ft |
| e | 11.15 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.02 ft | 10 ft | 31.10 ft | 11.15 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Alpa A9 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 31.1 ft - (9479 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.15 ft - (3399 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.54 ft - (9918 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 32.67 ft - (9958 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 179.035 ft² |
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Alpa A9 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 29.9 ft - (9114 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.97 ft - (3953 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.53 ft - (8086 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.5 ft - (3505 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 171.96 ft² |
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Alpa A9 - GENOA
| Luff | * 35.51 ft - (10823 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.91 ft - (4849 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.73 ft - (10281 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 266.35 ft² |
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Alpa A9 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 35.51 ft - (10823 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.5 ft - (5029 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.67 ft - (9958 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 439.44 ft² |
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Alpa A9 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 35.51 ft - (10823 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
| Foot | * 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 543 ft² |
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Alpa A9 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 20.56 ft - (6267 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 7.28 ft - (2219 mm) |
| Leech | * 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 6 ft - (1829 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19 ° |
| Area | * 61.69 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.