70's Telstar 35 trimarans

[Tradewinds]

Any views/experiences of the larger Telstar 35 trimaran c late 70's?

My son quite likes the look of them & I have zero knowledge of the marque.

What's good / what's bad?

All relevant info gratefully received.

TIA

 

[Bajansailor]

I have scanned the catalogue I have for the Telstar 35 - it is just two sheets, but I hope it gives some useful extra info on her. There is also a specification sheet somewhere - I shall try to find it.....

Here is a photo of one I found on the web that was for sale (but no longer)

Here is the link for the above photo

http://yachtboatforsale.com/boats/telstar-35/

Telstars were built by a chap called Tony Smith (hence the name AJS of the Builders) - he later emigrated to the USA, and I think he took with him the moulds for the old Aristocat 30 catamaran, and used these as the basis for the early Gemini cats which are now very popular there.

Here is the Gemini website - http://www.geminicatamarans.com/portal/GEMINI/Default.aspx

And here is a link to the old Aristocat on Yachtsnet - http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/aristocat-30/aristocat-30.htm

Gemini used to build a slightly longer (28') version of the smaller 26' Telstar, but these seem to have been discontinued now.
Here is one for sale in the USA (Yachtworld have 2 others as well)

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...g-Telstar-28-2830311/Wareham/MA/United-States

 

[Colvic Watson]

I understand the point of the smaller Telstar, nice boats and capable coastal cruisers but surely the weight and drag of the 35 plus the weight of kit you'd need for proper cruising hammers the speed? You then end up with a massive acreage of GRP, cramped accommodation and not much to compensate for it.

 

[Tradewinds]

Thanks Bajansailor.

CW - That's why I'm asking the questions.

I really want some info from people who have had one or have some experience of one.

I don't think he's looking for "stellar speed" of the stripped out boat - he likes the concept of a trimaran. Each to their own.

He travelled the world on our boat so has a fair idea of what's involved in the cruising life.

I understand the point of the smaller Telstar, nice boats and capable coastal cruisers but surely the weight and drag of the 35 plus the weight of kit you'd need for proper cruising hammers the speed? You then end up with a massive acreage of GRP, cramped accommodation and not much to compensate for it.

 

[Mad Pad]

I sailed a 27" Telstar in the '76 OSTAR and lost the mast.
Owner lost the boat on the way back!

 

[Tradewinds]

Oops.

Mad Pad - are you Patrick O'Donovan and the tri was Silmaril?

Even if not, I still take my hat off to you - the '76 Ostar was some race - full of triumph and tragedy.

I sailed a 27" Telstar in the '76 OSTAR and lost the mast.
Owner lost the boat on the way back!

 

[Mad Pad]

Yup,that was me,23 years young!

Will post a few pics tomorrow if I can find them,and yes very sad Mike McMullen and Mick Flannagan (from memory) lost their lives.

 

[Mad Pad]

Here are a few photos of Silmaril,and me raising the jury rig mid Atlantic.
A few pics of other entrants as well.
I did qualify in a 60 ft proa Lillian first but that's another story!

 

[NealB]

View attachment 59990
Here are a few photos of Silmaril,and me raising the jury rig mid Atlantic.
A few pics of other entrants as well.
I did qualify in a 60 ft proa Lillian first but that's another story!

Respect!!

 

[Mad Pad]

Thanks!

And a few of the proa Lillian,did 600 miles in this singlehanded to qualify from Falmouth out into the Atlantic and back to Kinsale.

The owner and I subsequently lost her (and nearly ourselves !) 100 miles off Lands End.....hence me taking the 27' telstar in the race.

 

[Tradewinds]

Brilliant. Thanks for that.

How did the Telstar sail when intact?

 

[Mad Pad]

To be honest not great,hopeless with jury rig!
27' is a bit too small.
The proa went like sh1t,but then you don't get many 60' yachts under 2 tons with that sort of sail area.

 

[Bajansailor]

Brilliant.
I saw a photo of Alain Colas' 'super yacht' Club Med in your collection above - I think she was / is about 240' long. Must have been a bit of a handful to sail singlehanded - I doubt that she had roller furling (?).
Did she come first on elapsed time?
I think that her feat was somewhat overshadowed by Mike Birch in the 31' Newick Val trimaran 'The Third Turtle' (or was that a different OSTAR?).

 

[Mad Pad]

Firstly,Silmaril was 31 ft,not 27 ft! (It was a long time ago)
Eric Tabarly was 1st over the line in Pen Duick 6,followed by Alain Colas in Club Mediterranee (236 ft!) photo on one of my previous posts,and 3rd Mike Birch in 31ft tri The Third Turtle,a staggering performance.
Alain Colas was penalised for putting into Nova Scotia for repairs so Mike Birch was 2 nd on corrected time.
David Palmer in FT was 7 th on corrected time.

 

[markrichardlacey]

Apologies for being an anorak, but Silmaril was a 28' Simpson Wild (Andrew Simpson and Bruce Wild) design extended to 31'. Not a Telstar at all. My father owned another Simpson Wild tri - Three Fingered Jack - in the early Seventies. Silmaril was owned by a couple called Walsh?

 

[Mad Pad]

When I sailed her she was owned by Slade Penoyre,who was very active in the AYRS, hence the Derek Kelsall Proa before Silmaril.He would have bought her early 1976.

 

[Mad Pad]

M Lacey,you are right,I entered her at 31 ft in the '76 race!(Check Google)

I went south so missed the strong westerlies, Mike Mc Mullen....I remember his wife being electrocuted days before the start...went far north to pick up the easterlies.

In Plymouth,before the start I asked him why he had multicoloured warps,he said they were climbing "ropes" ,and would stretch easily so you didn't have to keep adjusting them.

Sadly we never saw him again.......

 

[frits groeneveld]

Hi there, I'm living on a Telstar 35 for the last 5 years and sailing in Fiji at the moment. Great yacht.
see https://www.facebook.com/RAMPETAMPER-1626742234236427/#

 

[Mad Pad]

Frits welcome!

Did you sail the Telstar there?

 

[frits groeneveld]

Hi there, the yacht was sailed from the Netherlands to New Zealand 1n 1978, by the previous owner. This was the first one built by Tony Smith. ad race the boat in 1974 in the "Round of Britain" race. The boat was later used to make the mould for the later Telstars 35, I'm sailing currently in the Pacific and Asia.