The Starlight 39 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Starlight 39, an aft-cockpit masthead sloop was designed by Stephen Jones and built in the UK by Sadler Yachts.

A Starlight 39 sailboat motor-sailing, with backwinded headsailA Starlight 39

Published Specification for the Starlight 39

Underwater Profile: Wing keel & skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 38'10" (11.8m)

Waterline Length: 31'9" (9.7m)

Beam: 12'6" (3.8m)

Draft: 5'4" (1.6m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 19,749lb (8,958kg)

Ballast: 7,119lb (3,229kg)

Designer: Stephen Jones

Builder: Sadler Yachts, Rustler Yachts (both UK)

Year First Built: 1990

Year Last Built: 1994

Number Built: 34


Published Design Ratios for the Starlight 39

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 15.7

  • Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
  • 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
  • Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 36.1

  • Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
  • Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 275

  • Under 100: Ultralight
  • 100 to 200: Light
  • 200 to 275: Moderate
  • 275 to 350: Heavy
  • Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 31.2

  • Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
  • 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
  • 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
  • 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
  • Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 1.8

  • Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
  • Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...


Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Starlight 39

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 15.7 suggests that the Starlight 39 will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.1 would usually mean that the Starlight 39 would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in wings at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 275, tells us the Starlight 39 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 31.2 suggests that crew comfort of a Starlight 39 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.8 indicates that a Starlight 39 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 


Other sailboats in the Starlight range include:


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