Award-Winning Colgate 26 One-Design Nears Hull #300
and Comes With Year-End Bonus
FORT MYERS, FL (October 24, 2006) -- Steve Colgate, founder of Offshore Sailing School, announced today that the Colgate 26 he designed with Jim Taylor back in 1996, is nearing a centennial landmark as it approaches the sale of hull #300. Steve Colgate created this delightful family sport boat® to fill the demand for recreational boating and keelboat instruction. Built at Precision Boat Works in Palmetto, FL, the Colgate 26 has become one of the most popular sailboats for one-design racing and family daysailing.
Rather than make a big splash at the launch of hull #300, each buyer who places an order from hull #280 through #300 will be presented with a Colgate 26 half-model, engraved with the owner’s name and hull number. The 1Ž2” scale model is 13” long, mounted on a beautiful 7” x 16” rectangular mahogany plaque.
The Colgate 26 was conceived and designed with the future of sailing in mind. Over 42 years of teaching experience and sailing school management have gone into the concept of the Colgate 26. “For years, I suggested to the major boat builders a need for a low cost, durable, safe instructional boat,” said Colgate. “They did not believe there was a market. My feeling was, and its been proven true, that if a boat has all the features desired for teaching beginners and racing, the same boat will appeal to the broad market of the public. Our boats are being used and abused 6 to 7 days a week, 12 months a year in a number of Offshore Sailing School locations. We have been using Colgate 26s since 1996 and they have held up beautifully,” he said.
To celebrate the #300 milestone, Colgate is offering a choice of two year-end rewards. A buyer placing an order for a Colgate 26 by year-end can choose either free delivery (up to 1500 miles from the factory), or a free six-hour orientation for up to four people with a certified Offshore instructor at the owner’s home base.
The Colgate 26 was awarded Cruising World magazine’s “Boat of the Year” Award, Pocket Cruiser Division in 1997. Considered the definitive training boat, entire fleets of Colgate 26 sailboats were purchased by the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, United Kingdom Sailing Academy and Eckerd College.
Today, Offshore Sailing School has more than 40 boats, several one-design fleets, ten branches and a staff of highly qualified instructors. Offshore is the only sailing instructional program with courses approved for continuing education by the American Council on Education.
The Colgate 26 Class association web site can be viewed at www.colgate26.com. Contact Steve Colgate at Steve@colgate26.com or call 866-842-4355 for more information.
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Editor’s Note: Contact Mary Orme at mary@amcENERGY.com for a high-resolution image to accompany this article or call 727-733-9332.