Northstar 80/20
Description
The North Star 80/20 (later renamed Hughes 40) is a heavy-displacement fiberglass cruising ketch designed by the legendary firm Sparkman & Stephens (design #2134) and built by North Star Yachts Ltd. in Canada from 1973 to 1976. Only about 25 units were produced, making it a rare and coveted bluewater vessel known for its tank-like construction (1-3/8 inch solid fiberglass hull, 1/2 inch solid decks), exceptional stability in heavy weather, and center-cockpit layout for safety and privacy. The long keel provides superb tracking and forgiveness at sea, while the masthead ketch rig offers versatile sail reduction for short-handed sailing. The spacious 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, and a dedicated nav station—sleeping 6-7 in comfort for long passages. 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 | 49.30 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14 ft |
| p | 43.30 ft |
| e | 14 ft |
| p2 | 28.25 ft |
| e2 | 9.75 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.30 ft | 14 ft | 43.30 ft | 14 ft | 28.25 ft | 9.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
Northstar 80/20 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 43.3 ft - (13198 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.77 ft - (13646 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 45.04 ft - (13728 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 312.37 ft² |
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Northstar 80/20 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Leech | 37.67 ft - (11482 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.43 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.46 ft - (4712 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 10.47 ° |
| Area | * 324.69 ft² |
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Northstar 80/20 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 47.5 ft - (14478 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | 43 ft - (13106 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 109.57 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.34 ft - (4676 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.69 ° |
| Area | * 364.3 ft² |
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Northstar 80/20 - GENOA
| Luff | * 48.69 ft - (14841 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.33 ft - (6806 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.15 ft - (14067 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 511.22 ft² |
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Northstar 80/20 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 48.69 ft - (14841 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.1 ft - (7041 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.79 ft - (13652 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 844 ft² |
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Northstar 80/20 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 28.19 ft - (8592 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.24 ft - (3121 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.86 ft - (7273 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.4 ft - (2560 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.04 ° |
| Area | * 118.39 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.