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The making of the sliding gunter (gaff) was the most difficult part of the re-production of the historic rig. Compared with the sliding gunter rigs of the traditional German racing dinghy classes, the design parameters are quite challenging: The sail area is considerably larger, the up-righting moments and forces of a keel boat (with a bulb keel about 400kg) and the sliding gunter is of an impressive length.

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The final spar, carved out of the log is a true piece of excellent craftmenship and a piece of art..

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First sketches and ideas for the design and construction of the claw, which will have to hold strong forces by main sail, especially in strong breezes.

The top dimensions have been made according to the actual measurement regulations valid for the spars’ diameters.

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Step by step, using a manual plane, the originally square log becomes an octagon, a hexagon, ...., a circle (pictures show the mast)

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The claw has become a little three-dimensional masterpiece of carving.

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The wooden spars get a final coating in the coating department.

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We have not found any information about the fittings of the spars of the star’s sliding gunter rig. There are some indications from larger racing dinghies - but at the end of the day - a keel boat of neary 1t of deplacement ( helmsman and crew included) is something different. We decided to design the fittings as straight foreward and simple as possible. At the times when the Star had a sliding gunter rig, it was supposed to be a low cost and quick to build racing machine. For the sake of simplicity we decided to manufacture to fittings out of stainless steel. Maybe, if the sliding gunter reconstruction is a full success, we are going to replace them later by bronce fittings.

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The new old star rig with sliding gunter has been assembled for the first time. The dimensions are really impressive, seeing the spars assembled in the hall. We fix the measurement bands at the right place and the rig is ready for the sail-maker to measure the basic dimensions for the production of the gaff main.

By the way: Will there be any computer sail design software taking into account the elasticity of a sliding gunter?

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Perfect sunshine for a perfect moment: Probably for the first time after more than 75 years a full scale starboat gets a gaff/sliding gunter rig.

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Ready to set boom and sliding gunter for a first test:

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Sailmaking of mainsail and foresail at the workshop of “Segel Raap”

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