North Star 80/20 Ketch (Hughes 40)
Description
The North Star 80/20 Ketch (also known as the Hughes 40 Ketch) is a heavy-displacement fiberglass bluewater cruising ketch designed by Sparkman & Stephens (design #2134) and built by North Star Yachts Ltd. in Canada from 1973 to 1976. Only about 25 units were produced, creating a rare and coveted vessel with a masthead ketch rig for balanced sail reduction and short-handed handling—ideal for ocean passages. It features a long keel for exceptional stability and tracking, a center-cockpit layout for safety and privacy, and overbuilt construction (1-3/8" solid fiberglass hull, 1/2" solid decks) for durability in heavy weather. The spacious teak interior includes two staterooms (V-berth forward and aft double), two heads (one with shower), a large U-shaped galley, expansive saloon with convertible settees (sleeping 6-7), and a dedicated nav station. Standard power was a Westerbeke 4-154 diesel (52 hp), with many repowered to modern equivalents.
Construction Details
| Designer | Sparkman and Stephens |
|---|---|
| Builder | North Star Yachts Ltd. |
| Length | 40.000 ft |
| LOA | 40.000 ft |
| LWL | 31.000 ft |
| Beam | 13.330 ft |
| Displacement | 24600 lb |
| Ballast | 9000 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.750 ft |
| Year Built | 1973 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 49.25 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14 ft |
| p | 43.25 ft |
| e | 14 ft |
| p2 | 27.75 ft |
| e2 | 9.75 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.25 ft | 14 ft | 43.25 ft | 14 ft | 27.75 ft | 9.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
North Star 80/20 Ketch (Hughes 40) - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 43.25 ft - (13183 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.72 ft - (13631 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 44.99 ft - (13713 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 312 ft² |
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North Star 80/20 Ketch (Hughes 40) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 40.96 ft - (12485 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.21 ft - (5550 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.22 ft - (11040 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.1 ft - (4907 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 329.67 ft² |
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North Star 80/20 Ketch (Hughes 40) - GENOA
| Luff | * 48.64 ft - (14825 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.33 ft - (6806 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.11 ft - (14054 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 510.73 ft² |
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North Star 80/20 Ketch (Hughes 40) - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 27.75 ft - (8458 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.75 ft - (2972 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 28.97 ft - (8830 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 29.09 ft - (8867 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | 135.13 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.