[1][2] The design has been built by Centro Nautico Adriatico in Italy since 1988 and remains in production.
[1][3][2] The manufacturer describes the boat's design as "a compromise, since it strikes the right balance between practicality and fun.
"[2] The Phantom 16 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of glassfibre, with a foam core.
It has a rotating, watertight anodized aluminum mast and full battened Dacron mainsail.
[1][2][4] The boat has a draft of 1.50 ft (0.46 m) with the centerboards extended and 0.25 ft (0.076 m) with them retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer or car roof rack.