History
As is recounted in the brief paragraph at the head of page 2 of the , Star Yachts was founded in the years immediately following WWI by Franz Marie Denye, a Belgian refugee who had fled Belgium at the beginning of the war. Originally a builder of full size ships, he decided that models would provide a livelihood for him and his family. This they did until the works site was compulsorily purchased to clear the site for new development in 1990. At that point the family closed the business. The factory had been demolished by 1991. There was a brief attempt to keep the name alive as the banner of a Youth Opportunity Programme project to provide work for the unemployed, but it soon folded. It is not known whether the products of the YOP project were the same as those of the original company.
Production over the years was extremely varied andvery large, as is shownby the regularity with which relatively recent examples appear on Ebay and in boot sales. Apart from the last catalogue and some instructional material of comparable vintage, very little documentation has survived and we don't know a lot about the pre-war production apart from very occasional models that turn up of which we had no prior knowledge. Over the years the range has included both clockwork and steam powered boats but these are extremely rare. It is thought that Star produced hulls for steam powered models sold by Mersey Models of Liverpool and probably that the steam plants used by Star were made by MerseyModels.
Changes over time
Much of the variation in production will now be impossible to disentangle, but we have some small insights. Early (pre-1939?) hulls have a rounded counter stern, but more recent (post 1945?) models have a square stern. [early round stern] The Star trademark logo was originally a brass pressing nailed to the deck, but this was changed at an unknown date to the more familiar transfer. The last production run of yachts have blue sails. Names have been changed at various times, For instance SY7 yachts exist named both as Arctic Star and as Ocean Star. Whether this is a considered policy, or the result of a shortage of the appropriate name transfers is impossible to determine.
The catalogue is a trade catalogue. Most of the boats were sold through toy shops and department stores, particularly in seaside towns, but some of the larger boats were sold at one stage by Bassett-Lowke, who bought in a number of ranges of superior quality toy boats throughout their existence. There will be pages on Bassett's activity in the toy end of the market in due course.
You will see that the last pages of the catalogue contain many non-boat items suitable for sale in sea side toy shops. Many of these are in plastic. It is not known whether these were moulded by Star or bought in. The absence of any plastic components on the boats and the continued availability of items such as the tower style bucket suggests that they were bought in.
Catalogue and Instruction sheets
You can download the last colour catalogue, a price list and some sailing instructions.
Sailing performance
As the catalogue admits, the very small models are suited only for the bath. The smaller yachts struggle to perform, but the 'named' yachts generally sail well Western Star however, at 30 inches the largest yacht in the last catalogue, is a pig to sail properly. The performance is improved by moving the mast forward by an inch.
Potential collectors should be aware of Chinese copies of Star designs sold under the logo of Bosun Boats. These are not Star yachts in any sense and do not sail anything like as well as the originals.
See photos of some collectors with their genuine Star yachts.
Model Boats Website
This is the alert text. You can customize this text to be as long or short as needed. The modal height will adjust accordingly.
|
| Sexual content |
| Violent or repulsive content |
| Hateful or abusive content |
| Harmful dangerous acts |
| Child abuse |
| Promotes terrorism |
| Spam or misleading |
| Infringes my rights |
Vintage Pond Yachts
- 1935 Catalogue
- Star Yacht Stands
- Postage & Delivery
- Terms and Conditions
- Model Making
Star Yachts of Birkenhead 1935 Catalogue
The Star Yacht factory in Birkenhead, England manufactured model sailing boats for a period of nearly 70 years, their yachts were successfully exported all over the world and yet, in spite of this, nowadays there seems to be very little information available identifying the broad spectrum of their products and how they had evolved over the years. From what I can gather the catalogues that were produced, depicting the full range of yachts in line drawings, were primarily intended for the trade with products listed in carton quantities and reference given to trade-terms, etc. so it is, perhaps, for this reason that so few have survived and that details of the companies products are so sketchy.
I have been fortunate to be able to scan a number of early catalogues that chart not only the development of Star’s core product, model yachts, but also the vast range of other associated toys that were produced in order that the business avoided the peaks and troughs of such seasonal sales.
I will be adding further catalogues and information over time.
See also: The History of Star Yachts of Birkenhead.
See also: Star Yacht display stands.
The following pages are scans from an original 1935 Star catalogue and each can be viewed by clicking on it.
Latest tweets :)
- The RSS feed for this twitter account is not loadable for the moment.
Follow @artisan_works on twitter.
Latest Pins on Pinterest
Follow me on:-
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
BSYAS is a website dedicated to the history and information of Birkenhead Star Yachts, a British manufacturer of model yachts. Learn about the Denye family, the factory, the ranges, the technical aspects and more.
Graham Hunt, a local resident and Star yacht enthusiast, shares his passion and knowledge of the classic yachts. Learn about the history, restoration and appreciation of the Birkenhead Star Yachts.
Star Yacht Appreciation Group. A group for those who admire, own, collect or sail the famous "Star Yachts". Star Productions was founded in Birkenhead by Belgian refugee Franz Marie...
See how members of BSYAS have restored their Star yachts to keep them sailing. Browse photos and stories of various models, from early MK/3 to rare Star Cargo Steamer, and learn about the history and craftsmanship of these classic yachts.
A forum post by Graham, who runs the BSYAS, a website for Star yacht owners and enthusiasts. He shares his contact details and asks for information and literature about the historic yachts.
From starting with just a hull, part of a mast, two original sails, a lot of fabrication, help from the Birkenhead website, and a new set of sails courtesy of Ben's Pond Yacht Supplies from across...
Learn about the origins, production and features of Star Yachts, a British model boat maker founded by a Belgian refugee after WWI. Download the last catalogue, price list and sailing instructions of the yachts and other items.
Birkenhead Star Yacht Appreciation Society Membership . If you would like to become a member of the Birkenhead Star Yacht Appreciation Society, please click the "Add To Cart" button below, include your name and email address in "PayPal Message" or send a separate email message otherwise I will use your PayPal provided address. All personal ...
A group for those who admire, own, collect or sail the famous "Star Yachts". Star Productions was founded in Birkenhead by Belgian refugee Franz Marie Denye just after WW1 and the slogan... Star Yacht Appreciation Group
Learn about the origins and evolution of Star Yachts, the most prolific British model yacht manufacturer of the 20th century. See photos, catalogues and stories of the family-run business that produced thousands of sailable toys for children.
I cleaned it up with some fine wire wool and white spirit and discovered the makers badge, 'Star Yachts of Birkenhead'. I did a Google search and was amazed to see so much information about the company. There's even an appreciation society (birkenheadstaryachts.co.uk) which offered to identify and date said yachts.
Graham Hunt at Birkenhead Star Yacht Appreciation Society has asked me to let people know that he's put some pictures of Star Yacht Day on the website now. If anyone has any other pictures of either...
Star Yachts, Birkenhead. Star Yachts are a mark of wooden pond boats that were made in England for over 75 years. When I was a kid I had two of these boats- one large green, white and yellow boat and a smaller one that was all-red with yellow sails. ... The story of the Star Yacht company is interesting. From a 1974 sales booklet: The founder ...
A web page that shows scans of an original 1935 trade catalogue of Star Yachts, a model sailing boat manufacturer in England. The catalogue depicts the range of yachts and other toys produced by Star Yachts at the time.
Browse the catalogues of Star Yacht models produced by Birkenhead Star Yachts from 1932 to 1989. See how the designs evolved and compare the features and specifications of different models.
Star Productions was founded in Birkenhead by Belgian refugee Franz Marie... A group for those who admire, own, collect or sail the famous "Star Yachts". Star Productions was founded in Birkenhead by Belgian refugee Franz Marie Denye just after WW1 and the slogan... Facebook. Join or Log Into Facebook
Henderson Yacht Designs Inc. UNCLAIMED . This business is unclaimed. Owners who claim their business can update listing details, add photos, respond to reviews, and more. Claim this listing for free. UNCLAIMED . 2538 55th Avenue North Saint Petersburg, FL 33714 ...
Support the BSYAS website and its activities by donating online or sending an email. You can also donate your old STAR yachts or contact the society for more information.
Big thanks to Graham Hunt because I used the restoration instructions on your Birkenhead Star Yacht Group website for the rigging and would really have struggled without it. I'm hoping to bring her...
Preferred Yachts is a yacht brokerage and sales company with over 35 years of experience. Browse their inventory of 28 boats for sale, ranging from 25 to 50 feet, in various makes and models.
Birkenhead Star Yacht Enamel Badge = £5.00, superb quality at 35mm high roughly about 50% larger than a deck badge transfer, red and black on a gold glitter background with a butterfly clip for attachment. £2.50 postage. UK post only. Also available in BSYAS style for members only. Replacement parts.
St. Petersburg Yacht Club · October 14, 2021 · Mark Your Calendars! Join us for a celebration of our Members at the annual SPYC Member Appreciation Party. Sunday, October 24th ~ 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Complimentary to Attend ~ This is a Members Only Event . Reservations Requested: Call (727) 822-3873. All reactions: ...
The Class of 2019 - Stuffed Animals!! Thanks to the generosity and kindness of The St. Petersburg Yacht Club employees, these soft and cuddly stuffed stuffed animals (which are collected during our...