Ericson Yachts

Ericson Yachts, Inc. - was a pioneering builder of fiberglass yachts. Ericson is now out of business, but its designs have been reproduced periodically by other manufacturers.

History

Ray Handy and several other former employees of Pearson Yachts continued building the PearsonAlberg 30, after Pearson ordered the molds destroyed. The employees kept the molds and kept making the Albergs. They eventually formed Ericson Yachts in Costa Mesa, CA in the early '60's. Among the early team members were Jules Marshall, Kurt Densmore, and [http://www.brucekingdesign.com Bruce King] with Don and Gene Kohlmann joining around 1964. The first Ericson boats were the 26 and the 30, and both began production in 1966.

The Pearson-Alberg 35 became the Ericson-Alberg 35. With the addition of Bruce King, other EricsonSailboats became available in various lengths and designs. Designer Bruce P. King had a long and successful relationship with Ericson Yachts, starting with the Ericson 23, 30, 32 and 41 of the late 1960s.

A circa 1967 advertisement describes Ericson as "a division of H&J Products, Inc." In 1971, the company was bought by CML Group, which was founded in 1969 by Charles M. Leighton and G. Robert Tod, the company name formed by Leighton's initials.

With the exception of a few forays into the cruising market with the clipper-bowed Cruising 31 and the Cruising 36 (both models later called Independence), the Ericson formula produced a well-finished cruiser-racer with good sailing characteristics.

The business entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the mid 1980s. CML sold off Ericson Yachts. CML's executives had decided that the yacht business was too cyclical to provide steady profitability.

Gene Kohlmann regained control of the company in 1984 and ran it with Don Kohlmann until 1990, when Don Kohlmann joined Pacific Seacraft and brought with him the molds for the Ericson 32-3/333, 34/350 and 38/380. Production of the latter two boats resumed in 1991, and in 1998 the Ericson 333 appeared for a short run. After Ericson became part of Pacific Seacraft in 1990, some Ericson designs were produced from 1990 to 1999, notably the Ericson 350 and Ericson 380.

Pacific Seacraft itself was purchased by Southern Californian businessman Jeffrey Emery in September 1998.

Ericson sailboats are enthusiastically still being sailed today.

Models

Note: PHRF handicaps are based on Southern California PHRF Buoy ratings

* Ericson 33 - PHRF 126
* Ericson 33P - PHRF 120

* Ericson 34 - PHRF 123
* Ericson 34T - PHRF 144

* Ericson 35 - PHRF 150
* Ericson 35-1 - PHRF 192
* Ericson 35-2 - PHRF 150
* Ericson 35-3 - PHRF 123

* Ericson 36 - PHRF 102
* Ericson 36CR - PHRF 186
* Ericson 36M - PHRF 90

* Ericson 38 - PHRF 114
* Ericson 38+20 - PHRF 132
* Ericson 38-20 - PHRF 132

* Ericson 41 - PHRF 150
* Ericson 41S - PHRF 150
* Ericson 41T - PHRF 132

* Ericson 46 - PHRF 72
* Ericson 46-C - PHRF 81

ources

* Hornor, Jack. "Ericson 38 - 2nd Time Around," "Boat/US Magazine", May, 2002.
* "New Boat Review," "Practical Sailor," 24(2), January 15, 1998.
* Southern California PHRF (Rating Board)
* [http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Concourse/8326/ericson/ericson_history.htm Ericson Owner's History Webpage]
* [http://ericsonalbergclassic.homestead.com/page2.html Ericson Discovers The Keys to Success]

External links

* [http://www.ericsonyachts.org/ www.EricsonYachts.org]
* [http://www.cool-ink.com/Boat/Boat1.htm Ericson 27]
* [http://www.boatus.com/jackhornor/sail/Ericson35.asp Boat/US Ericson 35 Review]
* [http://www.boatus.com/jackhornor/sail/Ericson38.asp Boat/US Ericson 38 Review]
* [http://ericson30.blogspot.com/2007_06_04_archive.html What is an Ericson 30?]
* [http://members.aol.com/socalsail/Page2.html ERICSON 35 MK2 HOME PAGE]