Star (sailboat)
Current specifications | |
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Class symbol | |
Crew | 2 (Skipper + 1.5 * Crewman = 250 kg (550 lb)) |
Type | keelboat |
Rig | sloop |
Keel | 401.5 ± 7 kg (885 ± 15 lb) |
LOA | 6.922 m (22 ft 9 in) |
LWL | 4.724 m (15 ft 6 in) |
Beam |
1.734 m (5 ft 8 in) Chine: 1.372 m (4 ft 6 in) |
Draft | 1.016 m (3 ft 4 in) |
Hull weight |
671 kg (1,479 lb) (including keel) |
Mast height | 9.652 m (31 ft 8 in) |
Main & jib area | 26.5 m2 (285 sq ft) |
Mainsail area | 20.5 m2 (221 sq ft) |
Jib / Genoa area | 6.0 m2 (65 sq ft) |
Development | |
Year | 1910 |
Designer | Francis Sweisguth |
Infobox last updated: 19 March 2010 | |
Former Olympic class |
The Star is a 6.9 metres (23 ft) former Olympic one-design racing keelboat for two people designed by Francis Sweisguth in 1910.
It is sloop-rigged, with a mainsail larger in proportional size than any other boat of its length. Unlike most modern racing boats, it does not use a spinnaker when sailing downwind. Instead, when running downwind a whisker pole is used to hold the jib out to windward for correct wind flow. Early Stars were built from wood, but modern boats are generally made of fiberglass. The boat must weigh at least 671 kg (1,479 lb) with a maximum total sail area of 26.5 m2 (285 sq ft).
The Star class pioneered an unusual circular boom vang track, which allows the vang to effectively hold the boom down even when the boom is turned far outboard on a downwind run. Another notable aspect of Star sailing is the extreme hiking position adopted by the crew and at times the helmsman, who normally use a harness to help hang low off the windward side of the boat with only their lower legs inside.
History
The Star was designed in 1910 by Francis Sweisguth—draftsman for William Gardner's Naval Architect office—and the first 22 were built in Port Washington, New York by Ike Smith during the winter of 1910–11. Since that time, over 8,400 boats have been built. For the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the Star was added to the Olympic programme. Although far from a modern design, the class remains popular today, with about 2,000 boats in active racing fleets in North America and Europe.
As a result of the 2011 Mid-Year Meeting in St. Petersburg, keelboats were removed from Sailing at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and therefore the Star class will not be in competition in Rio de Janeiro.[1]
Events
Olympics
The Olympics were not held in 1940 or 1944 due to World War II.
For 1976, the Star class was replaced by the Tempest class.
World championships
The Star World Championships has been held annually since 1923. Most titles has American sailor Lowell North won, with five titles between 1945 and 1973 and another seven podiums. The most crowned skipper-crew combination is Italian duo Agostino Straulino and Nicolò Rode and Brazilian duo Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada with three titles each. Also Bill Buchan, Jr. has three titles, but with different crew.
Famous Star sailors
- Iain Percy (Olympic Champion 2008, World Champion 2010, Olympic Silver 2012)
- Paul Elvstrøm (World Champion: 1966, 1967)
- Dennis Conner (World Champion: 1971, 1977)
- Robert Halperin (Olympic Bronze (1960) and Pan American Games Gold (1963)
- Buddy Melges (World Champion: 1978, 1979)
- Robert Scheidt (World Champion: 2011, 2012, Olympic Bronze 2012, Olympic Silver 2008)
- Fredrik Lööf (Olympic Champion 2012, World Champion: 2001, 2004)
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Star (keelboat). |
- Classic Boat guide to the International Star Class
- International Star Class Yacht Racing Association
- ISAF Star Microsite
- The Star 45 Class at the American Model Yachting Association
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