In contrast, the Sunfish has a wider beam for more stability, increased freeboard and the addition of a foot-well for a more comfortable sailing position.

Due to the broad appeal of the Sunfish, in 1995 it was commended by the American Sailboat Hall of Fame for being "the most popular fiberglass boat ever designed, with a quarter million sold worldwide" (at that point in time).

[4] Early in 2016, manufacturer Laser Performance moved production from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US[5] to China[6] and boats were supplied to the 2016 World Championships.

In response the ISCA, still the World Sailing recognised Class Association, have announced rule changes which permit alternative suppliers to Laser Performance for some components.

Today, the Sunfish brand-name has become so widely known it is often misapplied generically to refer to any brand of board-style boat sporting the characteristic crab claw sail.

Using a lateen rig for this style boat shifts the advantage toward better performance in lighter air (less than 4 on the Beaufort scale) and contributes to it having good down-wind characteristics.

The hull’s very mild "V" bottom and hard chine make Sunfish a most stable boat for its size, along with enabling it to sail on a plane (hydroplane).

Having a down-wind performance advantage helps the Sunfish achieve a planing attitude at lower wind speeds than its high-aspect ratio sail plan counterparts.

[10][11] The first Sailfish were offered in the form of detailed drawings for the backyard builder or as a finished, ready-to-sail boat, built by the Alcort shop.

Lee's concept didn't interest Alcort, Inc. as a production model so he refit conversion boats independently and sparked organization of Formula S fleets.

AMF marketed this more conventional sail plan as a performance version of the Sunfish in an attempt to compete with, among others, the newly emerging Laser.

The literature points out the sail systems can be easily swapped on a single Sunfish hull to accommodate different sailors' preferences.