Star 45 Model Sailboat, GET THAT TOPPING LIFT RIGHT (if you wanna go fast)!

By Phil Geren

Of all the go fast stuff I have learned from tuning experts over the past year, the most valuable, and the thing that has provided the most additional boat speed for my 13#-3.5oz Star 45 (the "Fat Lady") is how to get the Jib's topping lift set right. I am doing much better in my racing since learning this.

The curve of the leech of the Jibsail MUST resemble as closely as possible the curve of the leeward surface of the Mainsail when sighting from the foredeck. If the Jib's leech is flatter or fuller your boat will not attain its speed potential while beating and reaching.

The topping lift enables you to get the curves aligned. Tightening the topping lift makes the Jib's leech fuller, more curved. Loosening the topping lift makes the Jib's leech flatter. With a little practice you can get the curves to be identical.

Here's how:

Pull the Mainsail in to the beating position; Swivel the Jib boom with your finger (apply only lateral force, no upward or downward force on the Jib boom) so that when you sight from the foredeck and look up and down the curve of the windward surface of the leech of the Jibsail it is superimposed on the curve of the back (leeward) surface of the Mainsail.

Are the curves identical? If not, is the Jib's leech more curved?
If it is, loosen the topping lift.

If the Jib's leech is flatter, tighten the topping lift.

Make small adjustments. This is very sensitive, and you can get it right if you persevere.
Recheck the need for adjustment after every few heats of racing or if you change anything else.

On sailboats EVERYTHING is related to everything else, and you will need to readjust periodically to maintain your added speed.

Don't have a topping lift? INSTALL ONE NOW! You won't believe the improvement!

Construction Star 45, Sail Making, colored sails, sail material

Apr 2007 Subject: [Star45] Sails - colors
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From: "Larry Ludwig" mailing list Star45@yahoogroups.com

You can have colored sails. You can make your own from ripstop and the colors are all available. The material is inexpensive enough that even if you do botch the first few attempts it's not going to set you back more than $10.00

Learning to make sails teachs you more about TRIMMING sails and the way they take a "set" than sailing a boat ever will.

If you set your mainsail luff as a bolt rope (and you should IMHO) then it takes only a few seconds to pop off your mast head or foot, slide out one sail and slide in the other. Then if your jib is setup as a hook attachment to a hole in the mast, you unhook from the deck, unhook from the mast and voila, you are ready to hook both ends of the 2nd sail and you are complete. You should be able to change the sails on your boat in 2 minutes if you are properly set up. Of course, using a 2nd mast and complete rig is even faster. If you setup so your turnbuckles remain on the deck, then they are ready to go regardless of which rig you chose, and you reduce the cost of a 2nd rig by $40 right there.

Don't discount ripstop sails too much. They may not be all the rage... but I promise you the skipper skill factor is WAY more important than the sail material. I have rip stop sails here that have lasted 20 years, if they are well cared for, they will last. Skippers familiar with the Vic class will remember a Regional Regatta being won with a stock ripstop mainsail last year ( I think it was)

Give it a shot, you won't be sorry you did. *and it DOES look very nice on your boat.
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From: "J Fisher" Sender: Star45@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Star45] Sails - colors

I have seen people in the 914 fleet use colored markers to color sails. I think it was mostly to tell the boats apart, but there were some interesting designs. You could probably paint your sails as well to get color.
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From: jfisher@wildblue.net I have made a lot of sail and could put together a step by step to make sails.

I use mylar which I buy from www.McMaster.com. They only carry clear, so I sand it to make it translucent. It colors well with markers so that would be one way to make colored sails. To make sails you can use the sail block based on the method provided on the star 45 yahoo groups by John Whitford or you can use the block from great basin, which is based on the Sweede Johnson sail block. I have used the sweede block with good results.
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From: "Larry Ludwig" Sender: Star45@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Star45] Sails - colors

You can make panelled sails, but it is not required. You can get PLENTY of use out of a single panelled sail. They actually have some advantages in high winds because of the less draught. Also, but putting in the luff curve and using a bolt-rope main, you do have a sail with some draught to it, not just a flat sheet of cloth. The block method works fine, but also.. is not required. Basically you cut the bottom panel seam flat, and draw your airfoil MAC (mean aerodynamic chord) and cut it with a #9 X-acto or scissors. Use seamstress tape and overstitch. Do the same thing with the luff curve, and hem the foot and leech and you are about there. Oversew some corner panels, tack on some batten pockets and thread in a piece of weed-eater line up the hem of the luff and you are ready to put on your class markings and numbers. Grommets in the corners are installed either with a seamstress tool or they could be ordered from Don Ginther at GBMY if he is still shipping, he was in the process of suspending operations.

Where to find the material? Nylon ripstop is inexpensive... typically $6-$7 (x 38-50" long bolt) a yard at LONDON's Fabrics or HANCOCK Fabrics, sometimes you will find it at HOBBY LOBBY retail stores, but if you check your local fabric store you will most likely come up with some in various colors. Also using contrasting thread colors can make the sail more attractive. Start with a single panel sail and go through all the steps. When you are ready to start making paneled sails... don't be afraid to make them out of paper first. Typical brown paper can be cut and taped together and makes a perfect mock up of the sail for pennies.
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From: "Al Stein" Sender: Star45@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Star45] Re: Sails - colors

I think I got mine from Potomac Sailmakers in Alexandria, Virginia... I bought yellow and orange, but they had a bunch of different colors in spinnaker cloth, and very light weight and airtight it is.

It's fairly stiff, too, for as light as it is -- something well under an ounce per yard. Price about the same as Larry experienced... less than $10 a running yard from a BIG WIDE bolt (can't remenber exact width, but it was much wider than normal fabric store goods.
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From: "John & Kelly" Sender: Star45@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Star45] Sails - colors

I have built US One Meter sails from spinnaker cloth purchased from Sailrite.

I used .5 oz which is only available in red, white, and blue, but .75 oz is available in a multitude of colors.

The part I like best about these materials is you can buy a role of C3 spinnaker tape (pricey at $25.00) and build a set of sails without sewing a stitch.

They actually use C3 to tape together the body seams of full scale spinnakers so I'm pretty sure it can take just about anything a model can throw at it.

I've built two sets of sails and only used about 10% of my role of tape so that $25.00 will go a long way.

At about $12.00 a yard, spinnaker cloth is twice the cost of fabric store ripstop, but spinnaker cloth is coated with resin that makes it far more stable and eliminates all porosity (wind can blow right through ripstop). I also haven't tried using C3 on plain ripstop, so I can't say how the bond will hold up.

For cutting fabric like this I'd use a hot knife. I bought a $4.00 40watt soldering iron at the local mega-mart, removed the tip, hammered it flat, and put it back in. Cutting works best over a smooth heat resistant surface. I use my glass topped kitchen table (when my wife's not home).
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Sailing model boat | making your own keel bulb

From: "Jim Adams"

I made a plug from balsa and finished it to a smooth finish.
Using two aluminum pans (the kind that you throw away). Fill the first one with plaster took the balsa-bulb (well waxed) and placed it in the plaster half way in. I used two pins through the center to hold it down.

Let the plaster harden, then pull out the balsa-plug. Next put thin saran wrap over the mold and place the balsa-plug back in the mold. Now comes the fun part I used rubber bands to hold the plug in place (remember I had two pins that extend past the mold walls). Fill the second pan with plaster and lay the first on top, it is kind of messy but it works. When the second half hardens (about two hours) pull them apart. You will need to plug the holes at the ends on the sides and create small air path upward in the and a spur (looks like a funnel when you are done this needs to be big enough to pour in the lead) at the end.

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Pouring molten lead is dangerous. The plaster mold which Jim Describes must be absoultely dry and free of moisture or the lead can spray out ot the spur.

Star 45 Construction | Class rules regarding Keels

Class specifications as of 2006:

7.0 KEELS AND BALLAST BULBS:

7.1 Keel will be of the style known as drop, and will be of the FIN and BULB type.

7.2 Keel fins may be solid or hollow and constructed of reinforced plastic, plastic laminates, fiberglass, wood or metal. (Note: Strength and integrity of the keel fins must be maintained whether built solid or hollow.) Keel fin shape is not specified but must follow the general shapes outlined on the reference drawing. However, keels will not be less than 6 inches nor more than 8 inches long (Fore and Aft) at the keel/hull junction, nor less than 4 inches nor more than 6 inches long (Fore and
Aft) at the keel/ballast bulb junction.

7.3 Keels, keel fins and ballast bulbs may be removable, however, they may not be changed, interchanged, substituted or otherwise manipulated once any heat or series of heats in which scores will be compiled, has started. Mechanically movable keels or ballast bulbs are specifically prohibited from use in Star 45 Class Yachts.

7.4 Ballast bulbs may be constructed of any material not prohibited by the AMYA. The actual shape is left to the builder's discretion, but will not exceed 9.75 (9 3/4) inches from the front of the keel bulb to the rearmost point of the keel or bulb.

7.5 Total drop (length) of the keel fin/ballast bulb combination will not exceed 11.5 (11 1/2) inches when measured from the keel/hull junction, before any fillers or streamlining is added.

7.6 Ballast may be made from any readily available material, such as poured lead, lead shot, etc. (Note: When using material such as lead shot, the mass must be solidified through the use of a bonding agent such as fiberglass or epoxy resin, plaster of paris, poured over and through in order to create a solid mass.)

7.7 Race directors may elect to use a template based on the construction plans to determine the keel length (depth).

7.8 Keel depth shall be measured from the center of the keel fin at the hull to the bottom of the ballast bulb. This measurement is from the edge of the bottom of the hull as it meets the side of the keel and should be determined during construction and before any fillet or fairing is added.

7.9 The Star 45 Class specifically excludes radio equipment, sail controls and batteries (power cells) from being considered ballast. This specification defines ballast as anything carried aboard the model for the main purpose of changing the weight distribution of the model and/or weight of the model. Ballast shall be fixed in place by gluing, fiberglassing, or bolting (bolts and screws).

7.9.1 Ballast may not be removed or relocated during any one regatta. The use of Velcro or similar quick release fasteners is prohibited as methods of mounting ballast.

Sailing Model, AMYA Star45 Class | Construction Deck(s), Hatches

from John Fisher:
Attaching deck to hull

John Fisher photographer

Hull with deck mounted:

John Fisher photographer

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HATCHES:

From Phil Geren:
The simplest hatch cover solution I have found for Star 45 is to cut a piece out of Presentation Cover vinyl, which cut-out is shaped like the hatch opening but 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch larger on all sides. Then, apply electrician's tape (1/2 or 3/4" wide) all around the perifery, so that half the tape is on the vinyl and half is hanging over the edge.

Presentation Cover vinyl which I get at Office Depot is about 15 cents a sheet; it is about 0.008" thick; it is slightly over 8.5X11" in size; a full sheet weighs about 16 grams; it is stiff, but flexible; it is crystal clear, but if you want it opaque, just wet sand it with #400 grit wet or dry sandpaper.

Position the hatch cover over the hatch so that the tape extends evenly past the hatch opening an equal distance all around, and then just press on the tape to stick it to the deck. It's waterproof, durable.

You can make spares and stick them to another piece of vinyl and carry that with you to the races. That keeps spares nice and flat and keeps the tape's sticky side clean for future use. A set of these hatch covers usually lasts me all season. At lunch, I take one cover off to allow the boat to dry out, sticking the cover to a dry vinyl sheet to keep the tape's sticky side clean.

Photo is Star 45 #778, freshly rebuilt for the Nationals this year, and a set of covers on the floor next to her.

Phil Geren photographer

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from Uncle Dave:
I pulled one of my old Star45's from the attic and have it here in my workshop. It has a fiberglass Sirius 45 hull, a aircraft ply deck and aluminum keel fin. Unfortunately it is not one of my finest examples of workmanship or painting. However I'll suffer the embarrassment and use if to show some one style of hatch construction.

Carrying around a model around out of the water is no big deal. Taking a model out of the water can be something else. You first need to hang onto the model. Then find a place to take hold to lift the model. This is one of the reasons I have used easily removable hatches. You can grab the model through the hatch, fingers under the deck and pick it up. Of course a thin ply deck the model deck and hatch construction needs to be strong enough to withstand pulling on the deck and lifting a twelve pound plus model. Therefore I braced my decks around hatch areas.

First I built a flanged frame for the hatch to sit in that also extended under the deck and attached to the deck bracing.


Then I built a hatch cover based on the size of the hatch. Initially the hatch cover was made to fit very loosely in the hatch. I then took some silicone (tub seal or similar) squeezed a bead around the shelf/lip of the hatch. The covering the hatch opening with food wrap poly sheeting I'd push the hatch cover in place down into the silicone. This made a nice water tight gasket around the edge of the hatch. After waiting a day I'd remove the plastic, trim and silicone that showed topside. With the silicone dry, pop the hatch cover in place and check the fit.



I placed a strip of magnetic tape on either end of the cover and on each end of the hatch frame.



When the hatch cover and hatch mag tapes touched they pulled together. This magnetic tape is neat stuff you can pop the cover in place and it will stay put.

Typically I made my hatches about 4"X5" giving me plenty of deck to the sheer.


I heavy weather if the model might go over on beams end I'd cover the seams with tape just to be extra watertight. A 4X5 hatch gives room to get inside, adjust winch, radio etc, and to remove any water that got into the bilge while sailing.

S45 Construction Deck

4/19/2007 John Fisher just finished the deck rigging last night on his latest boat. The boat is set up pretty simple. Open loop with elastic. Winch is below deck, but the same rigging setup can be used with an on deck winch, just substitute a turning block for the through deck block.

The sheets go forward to a block on a bridle for the main sheet. The jib sheet and elastic go through a double block attached to the chain plate to keep things from rubbing on the mast, then through an adjustable double block forward. The jib sheet then goes back to a deck mounted block. The elastic is then hooked to a loop on deck. John put a hook in the elastic so he can release tension when in storage.

Chain plates and mast step are laid out per Scott Rowlands tuning guide.





In tweaker photo bellow you can see the tweaker servo and winch mount.

Sailing Model, AMYA Star45 Class | Decking

From Terry Forbes:
"The Star 45 boats that I have built have decks made from bass wood strips that are 1/4" X 1/16". I find them easy to use and easy to bend with out fracturing. I use thick ca to bond to hull frames and to the adjoining strip. When is have it all glued down, I sand with 120 grit and then 200. I use a soft rag to wipe off deck but leave the cracks filled with the sanding dust or "wood Flower" I then give it a thinned coat of slow cure epoxy. This first coat will soak into the wood completely. I then use un-thinned epoxy for the second and third coat, wet sanding and tack ragging between coats. If you want a really glassy deck, I use a finish coat of Captians Spar varnish. I have used this finish technique on full scale boats and all of my Kayaks. Very nice and durable finish. The decks go on easy and I try to stagger the strips one dark one light. I built a full scale star in the early 60's and had a striped planked deck. I like the look and it builds light. It keeps the hull true as sometimes when you add the deck using plywood it can cause it to move around. I will post some photos of my next hull as it comes to life. I have constructed a ships-way. I used the formers that are shown on the IMYA star plans. I now only have to cut the actual hull formers. I Stack cut 4 at a time on my trusty Dremmel Moto Shop Saw. I have added some lighting holes here and there. All in all I can have a hull lofted in 1 hr. and the sides on that evening using 20-min epoxy to coat the frames and the inside of the hull side. I first made my side peaces out of poster board. This allowed me to get the fit close and have a template to trace the sides for cutting. "