Don't know what the numbers are for this case, but the Sunfish is a pretty
good boat, and with well over 500,000 kicking around, it's easy to find a
"class" race or a replacement part. Market timing???

What does the Starwing weigh? Every year some new graduate of our sailing
class would buy a ??? (Sunfish knockoff), sail it for the season, discover
that it weighed twice what the Sunfish did, and sell it. That particular
boat changed hands some six times in the four years I was sailing there. It
only looked like it would be competitive.

My fat belly meant that the 19 year olds would get up on a plane some ten or
twenty feet before I did and stay on for an additional distance when the
wind faltered. Of course they also could also hike out further and stay
there longer.

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm
"John Smith" wrote in message
...

Don't know why it (Starwing) was a failure; the
workmanship is very good..

What does the Starwing weigh?

Starwing is a completely different animal. It has a lot of sail (the number
escapes me at the moment) for a boat it's size, with a main and jib. It is
very narrow at the water line, but then swells out broadly above (I figure
that is the "wing"). The wood is all mahagony, and everything is done very
nicely. The fiberglass is very thin, and the boat is light.

At least it was until I "fixed" it. I got it really cheap because it had
cracks in both sides from rough trailering. Since I don't plan on
trailering it ever, I put some fiberglass over the cracks and it is fine
now; if a bit heavier.
Frankly though, I am not much of a sailor, and I couldn't handle it in winds
over 5mph; it was just too responsive and would capsize in a gust before I
knew what happened. It is much better now with a few pounds of new
fiberglass.

However, last week I took it out in 10-15 winds, but headed home when the
winds picked up. Before I could get home a huge gust too it over, despite
my hiking out as far as I could go. I am hoping some weight in the
daggerboard will add a small cushion.

One should never (hardly ever?) capsize on a beat or a reach. Running
downwind is a different question.

DO NOT CLEAT THE MAIN SHEET FAST. Letting it run in a gust depowers the
sail.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THE TILLER. Heading up in a gust depowers the
sail. (And gains distance to windward when beating.)

Reducing sail makes life easier, but if you have the sheet free and are
ready to head up with a quick twitch of the tiller, you can unload
instantly. Hiking out is good for boat speed, but not required to avoid a
capsize.

My Sunfish came from the factory with a simple hook on the front center of
the cockpit. Someone had replaced this with a cam cleat, but that's too
risky. I put back the hook. Since I'm lazy, I added clam cleats on each of
the side decks. On a beat or reach these are right under my hand and I can
free the sheet in an instant. Note that's cam = bad and clam = good.

Running down wind is risky. If you have too much sail up you should
consider tacking down wind.

Remember, with the Sunfish we're talking 90+ square feet of sail on a 150 lb
boat that has no reef points and no ballast. Not as "responsive" as a wind
surfer, but it can get exciting. Running before a squall line once I
actually had a rooster tail from the rudder. I didn't capsize but when I
tried to round up and come about to fetch the finish line I slid off into
the water and it sailed away without me. (Didn't matter since the committee
boat broke its anchor rode, the safety boat pitch poled, and those that
didn't capsize ran way up on the shore.)

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm

"Toller" wrote in message
...
snip
Frankly though, I am not much of a sailor, and I couldn't handle it in
winds
over 5mph; it was just too responsive and would capsize in a gust before I
knew what happened. It is much better now with a few pounds of new
fiberglass.

However, last week I took it out in 10-15 winds, but headed home when the
winds picked up. Before I could get home a huge gust too it over, despite
my hiking out as far as I could go. I am hoping some weight in the
daggerboard will add a small cushion.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THE TILLER. Heading up in a gust depowers the
sail. (And gains distance to windward when beating.)

Reducing sail makes life easier, but if you have the sheet free and are
ready to head up with a quick twitch of the tiller, you can unload
instantly. Hiking out is good for boat speed, but not required to avoid a
capsize.

by "heading up" he means pushing the tiller away from you as if you were
tacking.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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On 27 Aug 2005 22:46:50 GMT, William R. Watt said:

DO NOT TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THE TILLER. Heading up in a gust depowers the
sail. (And gains distance to windward when beating.)

Reducing sail makes life easier, but if you have the sheet free and are
ready to head up with a quick twitch of the tiller, you can unload
instantly. Hiking out is good for boat speed, but not required to avoid a
capsize.

by "heading up" he means pushing the tiller away from you as if you were
tacking.

A manoeuvre also known as "luffing".

--Damian

The lead won't help at all.
You have to mold the bottom two-thirds of the board in lead to even feel
a difference, and would not stop a knock down like you describe. It
would make the boat take on roughly twice the added ballast weight
(assumption of typical dingy/daysailor) in water to unload when you try
to right it.

Learn to sail the boat with just enough grip on the main to keep it
trim. Don't lock is down ever. When the wind hits let the main flog
and sail on the jib hold maintain control. That is what you do with
every other "too much sail" dink (the list is long).

Matt Colie
Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner and Pathological Sailor
(of Scotts, Interlakes, Lightnings, Interclub dingys, Sailfish
[not-Sun], Rebels and many other classes)


Toller wrote:
What does the Starwing weigh?


Starwing is a completely different animal. It has a lot of sail (the number
escapes me at the moment) for a boat it's size, with a main and jib. It is
very narrow at the water line, but then swells out broadly above (I figure
that is the "wing"). The wood is all mahagony, and everything is done very
nicely. The fiberglass is very thin, and the boat is light.

At least it was until I "fixed" it. I got it really cheap because it had
cracks in both sides from rough trailering. Since I don't plan on
trailering it ever, I put some fiberglass over the cracks and it is fine
now; if a bit heavier.
Frankly though, I am not much of a sailor, and I couldn't handle it in winds
over 5mph; it was just too responsive and would capsize in a gust before I
knew what happened. It is much better now with a few pounds of new
fiberglass.

However, last week I took it out in 10-15 winds, but headed home when the
winds picked up. Before I could get home a huge gust too it over, despite
my hiking out as far as I could go. I am hoping some weight in the
daggerboard will add a small cushion.