Starling

The Starling Class yacht is a one-man centreboard yacht that has been used to train most of New Zealand’s teenage yachtsmen over a period of three decades.

The Starling fits nicely between the P-Class and Laser classes as the preferred intermediate boat in New Zealand.

The competitive crew weight is 48 – 70 kgs.

In New Zealand the Starling class is the largest national championship regatta after the Optimist with fleet sizes between 100-200.

The boats are fitted with a full set of sail controls which provide an excellent basis for learning the skills of rig tuning.

Along with fleet racing, there is a Super Series, which holds regattas around the country, and the points from these combine to determine a Super Series Winner.

The Starling Class Association also hold a Starling Match Racing event at Glendownie Boating Club.  Twelve sailors (from 12 yacht clubs), representing 10 regions of New Zealand, compete in the Starling Match Racing Championships.  Qualifiers are held in each region to determine the sailor that will represent their area.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Des Townson designed the Starling as a 9 foot 6 inch (2.9 metre) long by 4-foot (1.21 metre) wide plywood, hard-chine centreboard yacht. The boat structure is simple enough to enable home construction, although demand led to the availability of a fibreglass option in 2000. The original concept was to produce a one design home built boat that could be produced inexpensively and raced without continual outlay for additional rig and sail combinations. Consequently the spars are an aluminium one-design section from a single supplier and the North Sail is also strictly one-design.