Solid Yachts & SY Series

First introduced in 1922 as the Star Solid Yacht, by 1926 there was a range of eleven different sizes, numbered 0,1,2,3,4,5,5a,6,7,8, & 9 these were all hand made yachts. The yachts were painted with a black keel, red hull with green deck edging, or black keel, yellow hull and red edging or green keel, light green hull with dark green edging. The keel was a straight sided item. The mast and booms were basic dowel, joined together with wire and not fitted with any ferrules, all models had a bowsprit, the sails were white cotton with a roundel Star emblem. With a rounded stern and also a noticeable waistline shape 3/8" below the bottom edge of the deck edging. By 1926 they were split into 2 groups, nos. 0,1,2,3,4,5 had 2 sails, 5a,6,7 had 3 sails. and 8,9 had 4 sails. No bowsies were fitted to the very early yachts, just sliding knots to adjust the rigging, brass bowsies were introduced in the mid to late twenties.

1927 Type 8 with 21" hull & 9 with 23" hull introduced with 4 sails.

In 1928 models 6a,7a,8a were added and in 1932 an extra smaller model "00" was added, also in this year, there was a change in the keel shape to the more recognisable curved keel (See illustration), this feature stayed right up to the end of production, other colours were also introduced mainly 2-tone green and cream. For 1931 and 1932, a blue/black and gold roundel "Star" badge was fitted to the decks of some of the yachts. Later versions were fitted from 1933 to 1939 with the brass deck badge, fitted by 3 pins. Rigging was attached to the deck by staples and this was carried through from the start of production until the end. 1934 saw the trade mark logo being printed on the main sail and also this year saw a new addition to the solid range called the "M" series, M1, M2, M3 which was a cheaper version which dropped the bowsprit, the series did not last long but some of the features such as no bowsprit were incorporated into the later smaller yachts. There were some deletions and additions over the years but mainly stayed with the original listings up to the second world war.

In 1932 coinciding with the introduction of the new SB Series, some solid yachts were fitted with red sails for this year only.

In 1939 the name in the catalogue was changed to the "Popular Series". Also in 1939 the hull on No.9 was increased to 24" and the colour of the range was changed to the more familiar white hull with different coloured deck edges and keel. This year, semi automatic lathes were introduced to the manufacturing process and this allowed a shape change to the hulls losing the waistline around the deck edging.

Post war models had the more familiar transfer deck logo also the smaller models lost the bowsprit, SY/3 upwards retained them. 1948 saw a reduction in the range mainly due to the availability of materials as most wood was diverted to the rebuilding of homes. 1950 saw the range increase in numbers with the 24" hull now being the No.7. The 5, 6 and 7 had varnished plank-lined decks, this was later dropped from the 5.

1954 the black Star emblems were printed onto the mainsail. The range was given the series prefix "SY" with models 00,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7, which continued until closure. From this time the SY series had a choice of different colour schemes, smaller yachts were green, blue or red. A plank-lined deck returns to the SY/5.

1958 Bow names were added to the larger SY models in gold block letters outlined in black, 4.5mm for earlier models and later on 5mm.

1967 Brass bowsies changed to white plastic, bowsies retain same "Dogbone" shape. Larger yachts fitted with plastic ferrules on mast and spars. Some of the larger yachts started changing from round stern to square stern shape. SY/5 can be found with a green or blue colour scheme.

1971 SY/3 and SY/4 yachts were available in multiple colours.

1972 Bowsies changed to straight sides.

1977 All solid yachts now have a square stern shape.

1980s Larger yachts may have had coloured plastic ferrules, yellow, green, blue and red. For the SY/7, Star emblems were printed onto the mainsail in black but for a limited time in the 1980s it changed to a red Star emblem which reverted back to a black one, yachts may have been accompanied with a red keel.

1985 - 1990 The very last ones made may have been fitted with either yellow, blue or red sails some with different coloured Star sail emblems. The size of plastic bowsies was reduced.

Shape of solid hulls through the production years

Early 1920s Shallow rear hull depth with waistband	Later 1920s Equalised hull depth	1932 onwards with "New" keel Still with rear hull waistband



1940s semi-automatic lathe-shaped hull with no rear waistband	Late 1970s With squared off stern	1980s Fully automatic lathe shaped hull

The post war range of nine Solid yachts, SY/00 - SY/7.

SY/00 SY/0 SY/1

SY/2 SY/3 SY/4

SY/5 SY/6 SY/7