Olympic Star class...Portsmouth Yardstick?

[dancrane]

In spite of my total lack of interest in racing, the thought of going next summer to see the races at Weymouth, is starting to sound exciting.

Apart from anything else, I've never actually seen a Star class boat. I'm amazed how little I know about them.

Do they have a Portsmouth Yardstick rating? Or do they never race anything but other Stars?

 

[Roberto]

Apart from anything else, I've never actually seen a Star class boat. I'm amazed how little I know about them.

Careful if you try one, there is a strong chance you might never want to go back to any other boat..



Mine is number 6564, currently on the hard

 

[dancrane]

How the heck does the helmsman haul in that 220 square foot main, using kit that doesn't look much bigger than a dinghy's?

Is it the plan for the Star to be replaced by a different keelboat at/after the 2016 Olympics, or is it the end of Olympic keelboats altogether?

 

[flaming]

How the heck does the helmsman haul in that 220 square foot main, using kit that doesn't look much bigger than a dinghy's?

Is it the plan for the Star to be replaced by a different keelboat at/after the 2016 Olympics, or is it the end of Olympic keelboats altogether?

It's the end of Olympic Keelboats, the Elliot is out as well, which is a wringing endorsement of ISAF - which votes to drop a class, and an event (Women's match racing) before it's even appeared for the first time!

2012 could well be the Star's last appearance at the games. Although it should be noted that its obituary has been written before.

 

[Roberto]

How the heck does the helmsman haul in that 220 square foot main, using kit that doesn't look much bigger than a dinghy's?

there is a hook at the masthead to reduce halyard mast compression, then a long cunningham allows to trim the luff, if ons greases the luff boltrope it is reasonably easy


my father is over 70yo (and at 70kg a lightweight too) and goes out singlehanded on her (albeit mainly in summer breezes), the only pain are the runners, as there is no backstay


in light winds, say 5-6kt, once you trim everything and lock the rudder, you may steer by sitting in the very same place and simply moving the weight of your head forward, aft, windward or leeward

however I think it is even more beautiful to look at the boat from the outside: when a star it at some distance, the hull is so low on the water and the mast so tall that basically one only sees a gently heeled white paint brush stroke on the sea

 

[dancrane]

Sounds fantastic. What balance!

If only the new, commercially viable lightweight new designs were a fraction as pretty as boats designed a century ago.

 

[dunedin]

I doubt the Star will have a Portsmouth Yardstick as these are based upon racing results - and AFAIK none raced in UK except occasional visits by Olympic fleet at Weymouth Sail for Gold.

Have seen many but not sailed a Star - looks like a rather odd, aged and boxy boat. And rightly dropped from the Olympics as too expensive for most countries so very very small fleets even in Olympic terms.

But in terms of ex-Olympic keelboats by wish list would be:

1) Dragon - so beautiful and elegant, particularly composite ones with varnished deckwork. Still very keen racing fleets in many countries, but needs serious wealth, Watched the fleet driving home from Palma, mostly towed by hyper expensive top spec Range Rovers and X5s.

2) Tempest - rare trapeze keelboat, fast but not furious. Fleet still raced at Ullswater I believe - they will have a PY, and a fast one for a keelboat.

3) Soling - second only to Dragon for elegance. Still quite a few raced in the UK as classy thoroughbred.

4) Yngling - poor man's (sorry woman's) Soling, but not quite so elegant or fast

Bottom of the class = Star. Ancient box needing huge hiking crew and super fragile mast.

 

[Seajet]

Star

I must agree, looked very boxy indeed when I saw one close up in the Solent...then again the same could be said of the 12 square metre Sharpie, an ex-Olympic boat ( 1939 ? ) which I found wonderful to sail...

 

[Roberto]

fwiw, I sailed a Dragon (eventually called the submarine) and a couple of Solings, funny once on the river Seine where masts from Baron Bich America's Cup challenger boats were laid on the grass, it may be a matter of personal preference but in no way I would swap a Star

also, what boat would stand in front of a Cookson 45-50(ish) while closehauled, without being overtaken -well I admit the wind was light but they were sort of "total carbon machine", boat+sails ?

anyway, enjoy the races

 

[Twister_Ken]

Star pretty? More like a sailing coffin.

 

[dancrane]

Funny, how the Yngling seems only ever to have been knocked, from its earliest days. Is it because it was the ladies' boat?

Great clip here, of an Yngling sailing hard in 40 knots:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn9FAc6XRAo


As I'm no racer, I always find myself thinking how any boat would look with teak decks (or a less costly timber equivalent). I reckon almost any ex-Olympic keelboat, redecked in wood with simplified sail controls, would be a daysailing dream come true.

 

[davidaprice]

Stars have a LYS handicap:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LYS_(sailing)
They are 1.14, the same as a Soling. The Wikipedia page for Solings gives their Portsmouth Yardstick as 914.

 

[Stork_III]

Stars have a LYS handicap:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LYS_(sailing)
They are 1.14, the same as a Soling. The Wikipedia page for Solings gives their Portsmouth Yardstick as 914.

Soling and Star do not have current PN See here http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectio... Documents/py-general/2011 Part 7 PN List.pdf

 

[dancrane]

Not that I have the cash to spend, but oh my lord! What a members-only club the Star seems to occupy! As far as I could see, there are less than ten for sale in the whole world! Five in the States, two in Europe, one in Australia...

Reminds me of looking for a Flying Dutchman for sale. There seemed to be plenty, racing spectacularly on Europe's lakes and across San Francisco Bay...but when you look for one available for sale, it's mostly tumbleweed...

If anything, Stars for sale seem much rarer. I'm not denying, it adds to the appeal and interest!

Mr Price, thanks for the info. If the Star can equal the much larger Soling's PY rating, and achieves it without a spinnaker, that says a lot for what is a very old, and at face value, a simple design. Personally, I don't dislike the boxy shape - it's long and lean enough to be graceful, and that towering rig is awesome.

 

[Seajet]

There was a Flying Dutchman at my club; it was so fragile it fell to bits, though the owner might be largely to blame.

Go for a Squib, an Oliver Lee design so a delight to sail !

 

[Roberto]

Not that I have the cash to spend, but oh my lord! What a members-only club the Star seems to occupy! As far as I could see, there are less than ten for sale in the whole world! Five in the States, two in Europe, one in Australia...

it depends if you want a racing machine, new sails and mast and there you go for the next european championship, or simply a boat to have fun with

if you are interested, I suggest to contact the "Folli" or "Lillia" boatyards around lake of Como, Italy, they build a significant portion of modern stars (most world champions have had their hulls), but have a lot of contacts or second-hand hulls available anywhere around the world

it's so far away for the "for sale" section so I can post it here as example, fwiw my father is selling his, in Italy, for 3000euro, I am sure you could find a lot with similar pricing in the UK or nearby continent. Now what is the price of a Laser ?

 

[dancrane]

Thanks Andy, but I'm not in the Squib or Star price bracket, nor likely to be any time soon!

My interest in the Star is only as a fascinated spectator, finding the prospect of unexpected interest at Weymouth next year!

But, on the subject of tatty old dinghies that might have life in 'em, did you see this £200 Osprey?

http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=216773&image=1

I'm not sure, whether without wheels or sails, it's still likely to be worth considering.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Personally, I don't dislike the boxy shape - it's long and lean enough to be graceful, and that towering rig is awesome.

If you want long lean and elegant with a towering rig the only game in town is the Thames Rater.