Looking for identification

[D.L.Bland]

Interesting ! I bought a 26' boat , also titled as a Bristol 1967 that later turned out to be also a SailStar, by MFG.letter, which had been built considerably earlier , never sold, and was later titled in 1967 as a Bristol. Now this inform. is from USCG records of the orig documentation number a boat has to be like 6 net ton to get doc. so pretty much all under 25' wont be havin that option. I like yourself, jus said to m'self, "dat puppy dont look a like no Bristol I never seen?" But the glass quality is excellent!

 

[sailflipper]

It's a Voyager by Sailstar for sure. My family used to own one when we were kids in the late 60's and early 70's. We moored in in Noank, Ct. Your boat has a rudder modification, we had also modified ours, they would turn upwind in a very heavy wind. It looks in good shape. Sailed that boat all over southern NE. Always got us wherever we wanted to go. I raced ours in single handed PHRF races when I was 14 years old. Such great memories with that boat. Please send more pictures if you can.

 

[sailflipper]

The Voyager's by Sailstar were built in Warren RI at the later Pearson yard and later the Person Tilson or PTI yard.

 

[sailflipper]

Rodney G. Johnson
Jan 18, 2014
The CONQUEST and ORION were two totally different boats.
The Conquest was closer to being a shoal-draft (Keel/Centerboard) version of the Corinthian than to being related to the Orion (although, clearly not a variation of the Corinthian!). The cabin shape was more rectangular than the cabin on the Orion (as I say, more like a Corinthian) The best image I can give would be to say that the Conquest looks like someone cross-bred a Corinthian and an Orion........ Keel look like the Orion K/CB, rudder looks to be a shoal version of the one from the Voyager, cabin shape looks similar to the Corinthian, cockpit looks to be molded as part of deck.
The Conquest was apparently designed by Paul Coble, who also designed the Corsair/Bristol 24. The Orion/Voyager was a Robert Baker design (He also designed the Explorer/Pioneer/Starfire, the Tallstar/Meteor, and the Little Bear.

The Orion was offered as a Cruiser with centerboard or Keel/Centerboard both versions had an outboard rudder. The Orion was also offered as a "day-sailer" model with open cuddy and no bunks. The Conquest had a shallow, "spade" type inboard rudder, and the keel appears shorter, fore & aft than the one on the Orion K/CB.
Sailstar DID build a fin-keel version of the Orion, known as the "VOYAGER" which in addition to the fin-keel had an inboard "spade" rudder (no attached skeg), the easiest way to tell an Orion from a Voyager if in the water is the lack of a visible rudder on the Voyager (tiller was low in cockpit).

If anyone is looking for a nice 19' Voyager..... I saw one for sale at Zecco Marina in Wareham, MA. I didn't get a chance to look too close though, only drove by (real slow!!), but she looked like she had been totally restored.

Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD"
1979 O'DAY DS II