Is this boat in any way competetiv for a newbie?
thanx
Thomas
Robbe windstar?
Moderator: Pedro Egea
As far as I know (please correct me if this has changed) the boat as it is in the kit is not class legal as the keel is under weight. You can get a better CF fin and lead ballast from www.rcsegeln.de
The performance of the boat is not up to date. It can be OK in light air but as soon as the breeze gets up its not really competative.
If you are looking for a reasonable way into the class I would look for a second hand boat. If you are looking for something new that is not to pricy, check the Swedish AZETONE design. This is offered in a very reasonable package. see also www.azetone.se Haven't seen on of the boat on the water yet but first impression is pretty good.
The performance of the boat is not up to date. It can be OK in light air but as soon as the breeze gets up its not really competative.
If you are looking for a reasonable way into the class I would look for a second hand boat. If you are looking for something new that is not to pricy, check the Swedish AZETONE design. This is offered in a very reasonable package. see also www.azetone.se Haven't seen on of the boat on the water yet but first impression is pretty good.
Nigel Winkley
GER 87
GER 87
Robbe Windstar
Gentlemen
The Robbe Windstar was developed from Chris Dick's excellent timber Metrick Magick which he sailed to great success, including the first IOM Worlds.He passed the design lines to Dick Wallinger, UK Agent for Robbe Schluter, who carved a form to a slightly modifed version. He moulded several of this design, and Gordon Sears sailed one during 1994/95. A photo appears on the front cover of September 1995 Radio Yachting News. Gordon was always very competitive and the design had 10mm less freeboard than the Dicks boat, deck edges radiused, chine line faired neaer the bow, and slightly narrower stern.
When Robbe expressed interest in doing an IOM kit Dick took the original to Germany and it was used as a starting point for Windstar. The protoype was sent over to the UK and I (and others) sailed it for a week. Robbe were given a list of queries and also a copy of the Class rules (in German).
As is often the case with large volume sales companies the marketing people were less concerned with top level racing quality than general user customers and the kit betrays that in a lot of details.
The first 100 hulls did have pigment problem but Robbe then offered a free of charge swap (in clear epoxy) for any purchasers who wanted to get their boat registered for racing.
The Windstar lead ballast and fin are within class spec, as they are over the minimum figure in the class rules for the fin ballast. At the time the kit was designed (1994/5/6) quite a few people were experimenting with ballast below the maximum and several boats in the St Cyr worlds had 'light' ballasts to induce heeling with braod beam boats.
Because of the details designed into the product it is really not a good choice for anyone wanting to race, but it does sail properly if built well, having the basic lines of a really good well balanced boat.
Chris Jackson
GBR 2243
The Robbe Windstar was developed from Chris Dick's excellent timber Metrick Magick which he sailed to great success, including the first IOM Worlds.He passed the design lines to Dick Wallinger, UK Agent for Robbe Schluter, who carved a form to a slightly modifed version. He moulded several of this design, and Gordon Sears sailed one during 1994/95. A photo appears on the front cover of September 1995 Radio Yachting News. Gordon was always very competitive and the design had 10mm less freeboard than the Dicks boat, deck edges radiused, chine line faired neaer the bow, and slightly narrower stern.
When Robbe expressed interest in doing an IOM kit Dick took the original to Germany and it was used as a starting point for Windstar. The protoype was sent over to the UK and I (and others) sailed it for a week. Robbe were given a list of queries and also a copy of the Class rules (in German).
As is often the case with large volume sales companies the marketing people were less concerned with top level racing quality than general user customers and the kit betrays that in a lot of details.
The first 100 hulls did have pigment problem but Robbe then offered a free of charge swap (in clear epoxy) for any purchasers who wanted to get their boat registered for racing.
The Windstar lead ballast and fin are within class spec, as they are over the minimum figure in the class rules for the fin ballast. At the time the kit was designed (1994/5/6) quite a few people were experimenting with ballast below the maximum and several boats in the St Cyr worlds had 'light' ballasts to induce heeling with braod beam boats.
Because of the details designed into the product it is really not a good choice for anyone wanting to race, but it does sail properly if built well, having the basic lines of a really good well balanced boat.
Chris Jackson
GBR 2243