.gif)
Star (sailboat)
Encyclopedia
The International Star (or Starboat) is a 6.9 m (22.7 ft) one-design racing keelboat
for two people.
The boat must weigh at least 671 kg (1479.3 lb) with a maximum total sail area of 26.5 m (285 ft). 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 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.
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. The Star has been an Olympic Games
class since 1932. 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
, the Star class is dropped from the 2016 Summer Olympics
in Rio de Janeiro
.
.
For 1976
, the Star class was replaced by the Tempest
class.
For Olympic years in which the games were not held, the Star was not included, or Olympic participation was notably limited; the World Champions are listed below.
({International Sailing Federation Classes))
Keelboat
Keelboat has two distinct meanings related to two different types of boats: one a riverine cargo-capable working boat, and the other a classification for small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yachts.-Historical keel-boats:...
for two people.
The boat must weigh at least 671 kg (1479.3 lb) with a maximum total sail area of 26.5 m (285 ft). It is sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
-rigged, with a mainsail
Mainsail
A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast....
larger in proportional size than any other boat of its length. Unlike most modern racing boats, it does not use a spinnaker
Spinnaker
A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of...
when sailing downwind. Instead, when running downwind a whisker pole is used to hold the jib
Jib
A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast...
out to windward for correct wind flow. Early Stars were built from wood, but modern boats are generally made of fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
.
The Star class pioneered an unusual circular boom vang
Boom vang
A boom vang or kicking strap is a line or piston system on a sailboat used to exert downward force on the boom and thus control the shape of the sail. An older term is "martingale"....
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
Hiking (sailing)
thumb|350px|A sailing canoe with crew hiking out on the outrigger, in Ailuk Lagoon, [[Marshall Islands]].In sailing, hiking is the action of moving the crew's body weight as far to windward as possible, in order to decrease the extent the boat heels...
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.
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
Isaac E. Smith
Isaac Edgar Smith was a boat builder based in Port Washington, New York. Isaac, or "Ike" as he was commonly known, was born in Charleston, Illinois to Stephen Baldwin Smith and Mary Elizabeth Smith . His parents were residents of Port Washington, but had traveled to Illinois in 1856, returning to...
during the winter of 1910-11. Since that time, over 8,400 boats have been built. The Star has been an Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
class since 1932. 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
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, the Star class is dropped from the 2016 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
Olympics
The Olympics were not held in 1940 or 1944 due to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
For 1976
Sailing at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program....
, the Star class was replaced by the Tempest
Tempest (keelboat)
The Tempest is a one design two man high performance keelboat with a trapeze. It was designed by Ian Proctor for the 1965 trials for the new Olympic Keelboat, which it won convincingly....
class.
| Year | Nation | Skipper | Crew | Boat # | Yacht |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 Sailing at the 1932 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Gilbert Gray Gilbert Gray Gilbert T. Gray was an American sailor who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.In 1932 he was a crew member of the American boat Jupiter which won the gold medal in the Star class.-External links:*... |
Andrew Libano Andrew Libano Andrew Jackson Libano, Jr. was an American sailor who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.He died in New Orleans, Louisiana.... |
Jupiter | ||
| 1936 Sailing at the 1936 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is an Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of the 1904 and possibly the 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Peter Bischoff Peter Bischoff Peter Bischoff was a German competitive sailor and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal in the Star class at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, together with Hans-Joachim Weise.-References:... |
Hans-Joachim Weise Hans-Joachim Weise Hans-Joachim Weise is a German competitive sailor and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal in the Star class at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, together with Peter Bischoff.-References:... |
Wannsee | ||
| 1948 Sailing at the 1948 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens Greece. With the exception of 1904... |
Hilary Smart Hilary Smart Hilary Smart is an American sailor and Olympic champion.He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he received a gold medal in the star class with the boat Hilarius, together with his father, Paul Smart.... |
Paul Smart Paul Smart (sailor) Paul Smart was an American sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he received a gold medal in the star class with the boat Hilarius, together with Hilary Smart.... |
Hilarius | ||
| 1952 Sailing at the 1952 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Agostino Straulino Agostino Straulino Agostino Straulino was an Italian sailor and sailboat racer, who won one Olympic gold medal and one silver medal in the Star class, and eight consecutive European championships and two world championships in this class and was world champion in the 5.5m-class.-Biography:Straulino was born in Mali... |
Nicolò Rode Nicolò Rode Nicolò Rode is an Italian sailor and Olympic Champion. He competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and won a gold medal in the Star class with skipper Agostino Straulino on Merope... |
Merope | ||
| 1956 Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Greece. With the exception of 1904 and... |
Herbert Williams Herbert Williams (sailor) Herbert Williams was an American sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, where he received a gold medal in the star class with the boat Kathleen, together with Lawrence Low.-External links:*... |
Lawrence Low Lawrence Low Lawrence Low is an American sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, where he received a gold medal in the star class with the boat Kathleen, together with Herbert Williams.... |
Kathleen | ||
| 1960 Sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Timir Pinegin Timir Pinegin Timir Alekseevich Pinegin was a Russian sailor who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics, in the 1960 Summer Olympics, in the 1964 Summer Olympics, in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and in the 1972 Summer Olympics.... |
Fyodor Shutkov Fyodor Shutkov Fyodor Vasilevich Shutkov was a Russian sailor who competed for the Soviet Union in the Summer Olympics of 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, and 1968.... |
Tornado | ||
| 1964 Sailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens Greece. With the exception of 1904... |
Durward Knowles Durward Knowles Durward Randolph Knowles is a sailor and olympic champion from the Bahamas. He competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he won a gold medal in the Star class, together with Cecil Cooke... |
Cecil Cooke Cecil Cooke Cecil Cooke was a sailor and olympic champion from the Bahamas.He competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he won a gold medal in the star class, together with Durward Knowles.-External links:... |
Gem | ||
| 1968 Sailing at the 1968 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens Greece. With the exception of 1904... |
Lowell North Lowell North Lowell North is an American sailor and Olympic Gold Medalist, born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal in the star class with the boat North Star, together with Peter Barrett.He received a bronze medal in the dragon... |
Peter Barrett Peter Barrett (sailor) Peter Barrett was an American sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal in the star class with the boat North Star, together with Lowell North.He received a silver medal in the finn class at the 1964 Summer Olympics in... |
North Star | ||
| 1972 Sailing at the 1972 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
David Forbes David Forbes (sailor) David John Forbes is an Olympic-level sailor, who has competed for Australia in the 1968 Summer Olympics, in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.... |
Scott Anderson Scott Anderson (sailor) John Anderson is an Australian sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where he received a gold medal in the star class, together with David Forbes.-References:... |
— | ||
| 1980 Sailing at the 1980 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Valentyn Mankin Valentyn Mankin Valentyn Grigoryevich Mankin is a retired Soviet/Ukrainian sailor, three times Olympic champion for the USSR team.Mankin is Jewish... |
Aleksandr Muzychenko Aleksandr Muzychenko Aleksandr Aleksejevich Muzychenko is a retired Soviet/Russian sailor, Olympic champion for the USSR team.He started to sail in the age of 6, in Omsk, at the river Irtish, He scored his Olympic triumph in star class at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Tallinn, together with Valentyn Mankin.Now... |
— | ||
| 1984 Sailing at the 1984 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
William E. Buchan William Earl Buchan William Eastman Buchan is an American sailor and Olympic Champion. He competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and won a gold medal in the Star class with Steven Erickson.... |
Steven Erickson Steven Erickson Steven Erickson is an American sailor and Olympic Champion. He competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and won a gold medal in the Star class with William Earl Buchan.He is the son of Judy Brummond of Edmonds, Washington.-References:... |
— | ||
| 1988 Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre (sailor) Michael McIntyre is a British sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and won a gold medal in the Star class, together with Bryn Vaile.-References:... |
Bryn Vaile Bryn Vaile Philip Bryn Vaile is a British sailor and Olympic Champion. He competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and won a gold medal in the Star class, together with Michael McIntyre.-References:... |
— | ||
| 1992 Sailing at the 1992 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Mark Reynolds Mark Reynolds (sailor) Mark Reynolds is an American Star class sailor and Olympic champion. He has sailed Stars since age four, training with his father who was the 1971 World Champion .... |
Hal Haenel Harold Haenel Harold Haenel is an American sailor and Olympic Champion. He competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and won a gold medal in the Star class with Mark Reynolds. He received a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.-References:... |
— | ||
| 1996 Sailing at the 1996 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Torben Grael Torben Grael Torben Schmidt Grael is one of the most well known Brazilian sailors, renowned in international competitions. A descendant of Danes, he was taken sailing by his grandfather at five years old on the sailboat Aileen, of the extinct 6 meter class, which was the boat used by the silver medal winning... |
Marcelo Ferreira Marcelo Ferreira Marcelo Ferreira is a Brazilian sailor and Olympic champion. He received a gold medal in the Star Class at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta with Torben Grael... |
— | ||
| 2000 Sailing at the 2000 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Mark Reynolds Mark Reynolds (sailor) Mark Reynolds is an American Star class sailor and Olympic champion. He has sailed Stars since age four, training with his father who was the 1971 World Champion .... |
Magnus Liljedahl Magnus Liljedahl Magnus Liljedahl is an American sailor and Olympic champion. He competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he received a gold medal in the star class, together with Mark Reynolds.... |
— | ||
| 2004 Sailing at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Star class These are the results of the men's Star class competition in sailing at the 2004 Summer Olympics.-Medalists:-Results:-Notes:Points are assigned based on the finishing position in each race . The points are totalled from the top 10 results of the 11 races, with lower totals being better... |
Torben Grael Torben Grael Torben Schmidt Grael is one of the most well known Brazilian sailors, renowned in international competitions. A descendant of Danes, he was taken sailing by his grandfather at five years old on the sailboat Aileen, of the extinct 6 meter class, which was the boat used by the silver medal winning... |
Marcelo Ferreira Marcelo Ferreira Marcelo Ferreira is a Brazilian sailor and Olympic champion. He received a gold medal in the Star Class at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta with Torben Grael... |
— | ||
| 2008 | Iain Percy Iain Percy Iain Bryden Percy OBE is a British sailor and double Olympic champion.-Sailing competitions:Percy competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he won a gold medal in the Finn class... |
Andrew Simpson Andrew Simpson (sailor) Andrew James Simpson MBE , nicknamed Bart Simpson, is a British sailor. He won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as crew for skipper Iain Percy in the Star class... |
— | ||
World Champions
- List of annual Star World Champions (1st–3rd place)
For Olympic years in which the games were not held, the Star was not included, or Olympic participation was notably limited; the World Champions are listed below.
| Year & Location | Nation | Skipper | Crew | Boat # | Yacht |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 Western Long Island Sound City Island, Bronx City Island is a small island approximately 1.5 mi long by .5 mi wide. At one time attached to the town of Pelham, Westchester County, it is now part of the New York City borough of the Bronx. As of the 2000 census the island had a population of 4,520. Its land area is 1.023 km²... |
 (USA) |
Jack Robinson | Arthur Knapp Jr | Little Bear | |
| 1928 Newport Harbor Newport Beach, California Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings... |
(USA) |
Prentice Edrington | Gilbert Gray Gilbert Gray Gilbert T. Gray was an American sailor who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.In 1932 he was a crew member of the American boat Jupiter which won the gold medal in the Star class.-External links:*... |
Sparkler II | |
| 1940 San Diego | (USA) |
James Cowie | Gordon Cowie | Rambunctious | |
| 1944 Lake Michigan Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron... |
(USA) |
Gerry Driscoll John Gerald Driscoll III John Gerald “Gerry” Driscoll III was an international yachting champion and businessman from San Diego, California. He competed in the defense portion of four America’s Cup races , and was part of the organizational effort for two others... |
Malin Burnham | ||
| 1976 Nassau Nassau, Bahamas Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas... |
(USA) |
James Allsopp | Michael Guhin | Mustard Seed | |
| 1980 Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... |
(USA) |
Tom Blackaller Tom Blackaller Thomas David Blackaller, Jr. was a world-champion American yachtsman, America's Cup helmsman, sailmaker, and racecar competitor... |
David Shaw | Chewbacca | |
| Notes: All competitors in the 1920s and WWII events were from North America. The 1984 World Champions (Brazil) did compete in that years Olympics. |
|||||
Famous Star Sailors
- Paul Elvstrøm (World Champion: 1966, 1967)
- Dennis ConnerDennis ConnerDennis Conner is an American yachtsman, noted for winning the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and four wins in the America's Cup.-America's Cup:...
(World Champion: 1971, 1977) - Robert HalperinRobert HalperinRobert Sherman "Bob" Halperin , nicknamed "Buck", was an American competitive Star class sailor, and Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist....
(Olympic Bronze (1960) and Pan American Games Gold (1963) - Buddy MelgesBuddy MelgesHarry "Buddy" Melges, Jr., is one of the most successful competitive sailors in history, with dozens of national and international championships in many different classes, including ice-boating as well as conventional sailing...
(World Champion: 1978, 1979) - Fredrik LööfFredrik LööfFredrik Lööf Fredrik Lööf Fredrik Lööf (born 13 December 1969 in Kristinehamn, Sweden is a Swedish professional sailor who has participated in five Summer Olympics, winning two bronze medals...
(World Champion: 2001, 2004)
External links
- 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
({International Sailing Federation Classes))