I have acquired a very older Spirit model--10'2" sail number 104. How do you decipher the build date on this model? Best I can figure they started building them in 1959. The original wood mast is still in use, and excellent condition. 
O'Day hull numbers and Year built
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I have an O'Day format sheet that explains what the hull number digits stand for in most of their models but unfortunately the O'Day Sprite is not listed. I assume that you are referring to the "Sprite" because O'Day built a 10' 2" model by that name. Usually, the last two numbers in the hull number signify the date in which the boat was built. The beginning of the numbers is preceded with the letters, "XDY" which stands for the manufacturer, O'Day. The next letter stands for the model and the four numbers after that are the serial numbers.I have acquired a very older Spirit model--10'2" sail number 104. How do you decipher the build date on this model? Best I can figure they started building them in 1959. The original wood mast is still in use, and excellent condition.
More on numbers
The plate is missing, but the previous owner made a photocopy of it; reads as follows:
Made by Marscot Plastics inc.
Fall River, Mass
for
G.D. O'DAY ASSOCIATES, INC.
Boston, Mass
HULL NO 3438 CLASS NO S-35(?) can't make out the last digit or letter
During repair to the stern area the plate was removed and then misplaced.
The plate is missing, but the previous owner made a photocopy of it; reads as follows:
Made by Marscot Plastics inc.
Fall River, Mass
for
G.D. O'DAY ASSOCIATES, INC.
Boston, Mass
HULL NO 3438 CLASS NO S-35(?) can't make out the last digit or letter
During repair to the stern area the plate was removed and then misplaced.
Evidently the O'Day company didn't include the Sprite in their format. Check out this site for more info: http://www.iheartodays.com/index.html
The Hull ID format that Joe refers to didn't start until 1972 (actually, November 1972, for the 1973 model year). The Sprite was built from about 1959-1970, and so was built long before the HIN was used.
The HULL# listed on your boat indicates the total number of O'DAY Sailboats built (you have the 3438th O'DAY built), the CLASS# refers to number of SPRITES (you have the 35xth SPRITE built). I'd guess that yours is a 1959 model or maybe 1960-1, the fact that she was built FOR O'Day (by Marscot) and not built BY O'Day indicates that she was built prior to the point when MARSCOT ceased building O'DAYs and George O'Day started to build the boats at his own factory (O'DAY started building boats in the early 1960's, prior to that George O'Day imported boats from Britain and later started selling the boats that he had built by Marscot). The wooden mast is also a clue, and points to an early model SPRITE, later models (same design, just updated) had aluminum masts and I think were called "SUPER-SPRITES" for a while.
The HULL# listed on your boat indicates the total number of O'DAY Sailboats built (you have the 3438th O'DAY built), the CLASS# refers to number of SPRITES (you have the 35xth SPRITE built). I'd guess that yours is a 1959 model or maybe 1960-1, the fact that she was built FOR O'Day (by Marscot) and not built BY O'Day indicates that she was built prior to the point when MARSCOT ceased building O'DAYs and George O'Day started to build the boats at his own factory (O'DAY started building boats in the early 1960's, prior to that George O'Day imported boats from Britain and later started selling the boats that he had built by Marscot). The wooden mast is also a clue, and points to an early model SPRITE, later models (same design, just updated) had aluminum masts and I think were called "SUPER-SPRITES" for a while.
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