Robbe Windstar

[rchadd]

Can anyone advise if this is a good choice of boat?

I have chance of getting a good deal on a new one.

How does it compare to the Tiger Thunder Voyager?

[rchadd]

also what is the difference between the standard, light wind and storm rigs?

[RickE]

A light sail set will be larger in total area than the standard one while a storm set will be smaller to handle the increase in wind without laying the hull over on it's side in a gust. Each will normally have different mast/booms to suit the sails but unless you intend to race the standard sail rig should be okay for normal day sailing for fun.

RickE

[rchadd]

i just picked up the windstar /w std sail rig including Futaba RC transmitter inc sail arm servo for 100 GBP which i think was good deal!

only thing is just seen the instructions! the build looks considerable more involved that the Voyage i previously built

also I see that the boat is plain fibre glass (not painted)

the instructions says that this is to ensure capable for IOM racing (not sure why the white pigmented version does not qualify)

can you advise on best approach to take on painting it?

i figured getting can of car spray paint should be ok? Would it need a primer layer?

i figured paint suitable for a plastic car bumper should be ok.

but how would it stand up to envitable bumps and scrapes etc?

[RickE]

It's difficult to recommend a certain paint as one boater may have excellent luck with one brand while another will have nothing but problems. A primer coat or two is a good idea to check the hull for imprefections. Automotive paint will give you alot more color choices plus the clear coats normally will be less prone to glazing. I've had no experience with the bumper paint but like anything else it might work great! Mainly, try to use the same manufacturer for all the paint (primer, color, clear) and you'll avoid reactions between them if you follow their application guidelines.
RickE

[rchadd]

fyi (uk to us translation just in case!)

bumper = fender

[rchadd]

i notice the windstar build instructions is based around use of a SW1 sail winch with a continuous sheet type system. unfortunately the rc kit that came with the boat has a futaba s3802 sail arm servo. i am not 100% sure what modifications that i will need to make to accomodate using this sail arm servo instead of a winch. any advice is very gratefully recieved.

i am wondering if i should just get a sail winch instead and sell on the sail arm servo. i see the robbe SW1 winch servo is pretty expensive - i am wondering if a Hitec winch servo would be good alternative as i think they are significantly cheaper (i realize they might not have same performance). would it be worth making the modifications to use the sail arm? i heard that performance of sail arms is better than a winch.

[RickE]

If you're in the UK the MITIE sail winch putout by Nylet might be a good fit on your hull. It's a modified Hitec unit that has an external adjuster for the movement of the winch, which is lacking on the stock Hitec servo.

Without seeing the Robbe hull I can'r say if a arm setup would work-usually you need enough beam width (at least six inches) to swing the arm. I'm going to send you a PM on this as well.

RickE

[Cedric Wong]

Anybody can share some photos of Windstar with me esp the r/c system and wire connections ......I am having a real hard time to understand the manual... :(

[lsobral]

Hi
Can I made a IOM competition with a Robbe Windstar ?