USED Classic Boat. Top five alpa boats from 9.5 to 12.6 m.

The landscape related to what we call Classic Boats -that is, production boats over twenty-five years old and launched since 1967-. is a vast and ever-expanding realm, consisting of hulls of all shapes and sizes and, perhaps, not as easily “navigable” as we often wish. In light of this, beyond our sections on Historic Classic Boats and Your Classic Boats, a new series of articles is born, aimed, shipyard by shipyard, at exploring 5 exceptional hulls, projects fundamental to the evolution of boating and the “brand” itself. Proceeding in alphabetical order, then, here are alpa and 5 of the best boats the shipyard has ever launched.

• Are you looking for a Classic Boat? Do you want to sell one? Use our Used Boat Market! It is the perfect place for anyone looking for a Classic Boat to buy, as well as the perfect platform for those who have a desire or need to sell their vintage gem. And, using it, it’s as simple as that!

alpa, 5 exceptional hulls from 9.5 to 12.6 meters

Alpa (Allied Plastic Processing Company) was officially founded in 1956 and immediately proved to be a pioneer in the world of GRP and production quality. It has initial success thanks to excellent production of dinghies, including FD and FJ. However, it is the 1960s that are the real springboard, leading the yard to launch as many as 22,000 units by the late 1970s. Demonstrating its ability to serve both small segments and large square footage, alpa gained increasing acceptance and exceptional partnerships. In ’68 came the first true masterpiece, Illingworth’s alpa A11, followed by another cult hit, S&S’s alpa 12.70. The 1970s continued with several cults such as the 9.50 and 11.50, but numbers are deceiving. Internal problems will lead to closure by the end of the decade.

• You can learn more about the history of alpa in the dedicated article (HERE).

alpa 9.50

Specifications: 9.50 x 2.96 m; 1970-1978; Circa #200; alpa/Danilo Cattadori Produced in hundreds of examples, the alpa 9.50 is a prized gem, to say the least, to this day. It is, fundamentally, one of the yard’s great success stories. Developed in-house by alpa based on the lessons of the earlier A11 and 12.70, this is a particularly seaworthy hull, able to cope comfortably with medium-to-strong wind conditions even with a small crew. Qualitatively top-notch, balanced and aesthetically impeccable, it is alpa’s small-big status symbol, the boat that goes everywhere. It symbolizes sailing for everyone, the Italian way.

• Learn more about the boat and what it is worth

alpa A34

Specifications: 10.11 x 3.2 m; 1977-1979; #44; Olin Stephens With the alpa A34 we face a hull that, at a glance, seems to deviate from the brand’s classic aesthetic canon. Designed by the great Olin Stephens, however, it is a pivotal hull for the yard, not so much for success, but for what it represents: it is one of the last designs, already innovative for its time, an essential window into what alpa might have been in the 1980s. Overall, she is an exceptional cruiser, with of generous interior but water lines and temperament worthy of a racing boat. She will survive with Zuanelli under the name Z34.

• Learn more about the boat and what it is worth

alpa A11

Specifications: 11.28 x 2.84 m; 1968-1971; #N/A; John H. Illingworth After the alpa A15, she is alpa’s great bluewater hull. Designed by the same pencil that gave birth to Sir F. Chichester’s Gipsy Moth IV, the A11 (in Maica and Super Maica versions), is a classic. Long keel, classic and marine lines, unimpeachable pitch on the wave… the alpa 11 is an exceptional RORC, fast and trustworthy, symbolizing one of the shipyard’s highest achievements, remaining in history for having been able to combine classic sailing, with its lines, quality and aesthetics, with modern, serial, fiberglass sailing. It cannot, in short, not be on this list.

• Learn more about the boat and what it is worth

alpa 11.50

Specifications: 11.56 x 3.20 m; 1971-1979; #185; alpa/Danilo Cattadori Developed by alpa as a replacement for the alpa 11, similar in aesthetic solutions but profoundly different under the waterline, it is the big successful hull of the 1970s, flanked by the smaller 9.50. Produced in as many as 185 hulls from 1971 to the time of the yard’s closure, the alpa 11.50 is a hull that to this day knows how to prove reliable and enjoyable, going anywhere. The interior is qualitatively perfect, the hull is balanced and streamlined, the lines classic, elegant. It is, in a nutshell, the symbol of an era, the Italian-style cruiser appreciated by entire generations.

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alpa 12.70

Specifications: 12.65 x 3.48 m; 1969-1977; #15; Sparkman & Stephens In the late 1960s one firm towered above all, Sparkman & Stephens. alpa, equally at the top, commissioned them for a 40-footer. One of the best hulls of the period is born, the Italian Swan 43, the dream of thousands of sailors: the alpa 12.70. Basically, a rare gem. Made in a miniseries of 15 original examples, the 12.70 is a “war machine,” a cruiser, yes, but designed for racing, wreaking havoc on race courses. Built above all standards, she is a masterpiece on every front. Noteworthy are the 4 “short deckhouse” examples, a Holy Grail signed alpa.

• Learn more about the boat and what it is worth

Are you looking for or want to sell a Classic Boat?

• If you are looking for or want to sell a Classic Boat, remember our Used Boat Market(HERE), the ideal place for anyone looking for a Classic Boat to buy and/or, even more so, the ideal platform for those who have a desire or need to sell their vintage gem. If you have a Classic Boat to sell, or if you were looking for one, remember the Marketplace. Using it is as simple as it gets.
• Want to learn more about the world of Classic Boats (1967-1998), the iconic boats of the period, the legendary designers, the stories and races of the “golden age” of sailing? Check out our section dedicated to Classic Boats!