[boatboy132]

Hey fellow sailors,

so i had a offer to buy a 1979 Lippincott Star class for $500 heres what i know the guy told me about it

''It only came with a jib that is in fair shape. All the deck hardware is there and in place (for location purposes), but would need to be replaced, except for the jib traveler, it is in good shape and all stops work. I bought it from a guy in Toronto, it was stored at the bottom of Leslie St. The hull was spray painted but almost all of it came off with only a scotch brite pad, and the small amount I sanded came off like nothing. I have the mast and boom with all three stays.''

i know project boats normally turn in to lots money and work, else does anyone have any reviews about them and how they sail?

Thanks

 

[paulk]

Looks like a Star, alright. For $500 you have a pretty nice trailer worth maybe $250 and what looks like a boat that might float, Stars are notorious for having weak, bendy masts that get adjusted like crazy to shape the mainsail. (It's a really big mainsail in relation to the jib, so it's really important.) There are running backstays to help do this adjusting, and if it's blowing and you don't get the running back tightened in time... the mast breaks. To have been around for about 100 years they must have some good points. One of them is the ability to adjust sail shape (with the mast) to have pretty nice performance upwind. The skipper gets a good kick out of this. Downwind, there's no spinnaker, so the crew (only two people per boat, per class rules) doesn't have too much work. This creates a win/win situation. If your Star doesn't leak, has a well-attached keel, and you can find some more sails, you can have a great time bopping around in a relatively hot boat. Watch the mast, though. A new one will set you back a good bit more than your initial outlay.

 

[boatboy132]

thanks, I know mast aren't cheap as ive broken one before on a 25ft boat,

 

[Sailormon6]

It's hard to tell from a few photos whether the hull is structurally sound and all the basic parts are there, but if they are, I wouldn't be afraid to buy the boat and trailer for $500. The biggest expenses are likely to be sails and new trailer tires. The old tires are probably too dry rotted to trust.

The Star class is one of the great old classes of keel racers. Some of the all-time great sailors, like Buddy Melges and Lowell North, made their reputations racing in the Star class.

You can get a wealth of information about it from the International Star Class Association website at the following link. International Star Class Yacht Racing Association

I took the following history from the Star website:

"The Star is one of the most prolific keelboats in the world for a reason: it is an incredible boat to sail. Designed in 1911 by Francis Sweisguth, it has proven to be a classic in every sense. It is the oldest Olympic class, having first been used in competition in 1932, and still at the heart of that competition today. Supported by a worldwide association the Star as a class is one of the best organized in sailing, with over 7,500 yachts built over its 80 year history, and 2000-plus actively racing today.

The Star has evolved into the consummate craft for all ranges of competition and performance sailing: its equipment and rig is simple enough for the novice, yet versatile enough for those on the forefront of sailing. It's large, powerful sailplan, combined with a sleek hull and light weight, propel the boat in the faintest of airs, while the flexible spar can be tuned to "de-power" when the breeze kicks up. The large main is infinitely adjustable, allowing the sailor to completely control the driving surface of the sail. Boats today are generally constructed of fiberglass, with positive flotation and an integrated keel. The design, sails, and equipment of the Star are governed by stringent class rules, created to improve competition on the basis of skill and control cost . This has also served to help the longevity of the design, keeping older boats competitive through careful evolution.

Stars are generally "dry-sailed", that is, stored on their trailers when not in use, and with a total weight around 1500 lbs, can easily be towed from place to place.

Many of the world's top sailors past and present have been involved in the Star Class. It's list of former World Champions reads like Who's Who of yachting: other top sailors such as Colin Beashel, John Kostecki, Mats Johansson, Hans Vogt, Benny Anderson, Rod Davis and Mark Reynolds are also involved in the Star class. But the class is made up of a variety of sailors of all ages and skill levels. One race on a Star has hooked some sailors for life: they'll tell you: It's a thrill."

 

[krisscross]

How do you plan to use this boat? It is a lot of boat for casual day sailing for one person to handle. And a PITA to launch and retrieve at the end of a day. But the price seems right.

 

[Sailormon6]

I have never sailed a Star, but I have watched a fleet of them being launched and raced. They are typically raced by a skipper and one crew. With it's fractional rig, it should be easy to singlehand when sailing purely for pleasure. The Stars that I am familiar with on the Chesapeake Bay are stored on their trailers in the marina parking lot with the mast and rig up, so that, when they want to race, they only have to bend on the sails, put on the jibsheets and launch the boat. If you don't plan to race it, I know of no reason why you couldn't keep it in a slip.

 

[boatboy132]

Thanks for help guys, so the boat is currently covered and cover in snow, I was planning on using it as single handing and with my buddy for regattas and around the cans, as for docking I was thinking of just dry sailing witch isn't really big deal for me,