Sunfish produced by Ten Cate Sports

MartyDK

New Member
Hi,

I have acquired a sunfish in decent condition manufactured by Ten Cate Sports in the Netherlands.

Would any of you know if it is possible to date it based on the hull no.?

Would any of you know if the bridle eyelets are mounted with wood backing blocks inside the hull? If so I would consider to install an inspection port so I can replace them with something more durable.

Thanks.
 
I can partly answer your question.

Dutch multi-million dollar company Ten Cate started building the Sunfish in 1979. It was a spin-off from the early surfboards. Ten Cate was one of the first to produce these. They got the license to build the boats in 1979 and ceased production somewhere in 1983. Despite their efforts, the Sunfish class never 'took off' in Europe. And despite the big (Dutch) names in sailing.

Officially, the Sunfish Class is still around, but there are no activities anymore.

Personally, I didn't know that Ten Cate has built the Sunfish. On the other hand, I'm not amazed that they did. Ten Cate is situated in the most eastern part of the country, close to the German border. With the only water available, the water from the tap... Officially 'Royal Ten Cate' (since 1691!) used to be a company that produced all sorts of garments: underwear, socks, cotton for tailoring etc. The part of the country where Ten Cate had (and has!) its factory was more or less the 'textile corner' of The Netherlands. Most products were sold to the Dutch Indies (Indonesia) and the Dutch West-Indies (Antilles and Surinam). After WWII, the textile-buying colonies were gone (independence) and most textile manufacturers went bankrupt. But not Ten Cate. They started innovating and started a searching for new markets, new products etc. The introduction of the windsurf board and the evolution from cotton sails to composite has tributed to Ten Cate's success.

Nowadays, one of the biggest 'customers' of Ten Cate, is the US military! From bullet-proof fabrics, anti-shrapnel fabrics up to complete lightweight armour for vehicles. And yes, you can still buy Ten Cate socks and underwear these days. Latest word his it that Japanse Toray wants to merge/buy with Ten Cate.

Royal Ten Cate
 
Before this evening (GMT+1 here) I'd never visited the Dutch Sunfish website. They have a webshop as well. It's in Dutch, but if you need anything or need a translation, just let me know.

Menno
 
Hi,

I have acquired a sunfish in decent condition manufactured by Ten Cate Sports in the Netherlands.

Would any of you know if it is possible to date it based on the hull no.?

Would any of you know if the bridle eyelets are mounted with wood backing blocks inside the hull? If so I would consider to install an inspection port so I can replace them with something more durable.

Thanks.
As for the wooden backing blocks for the bridle, they are fairly robust, and hard to replace from a single inspection port. Unless they feel loose or soft, I'd leave it alone until it becomes a problem.

Mike
 
Mike is right. If the boat is dry the blocks will be fine. If the screws are loose undo one screw on the bridle fill the hole with epoxy then re-drill and use the other to keep the block tight. If the boat is dry the blocks will be fine. I have a much older boat with the original blocks.
 
Hi, I have acquired a sunfish in decent condition manufactured by Ten Cate Sports in the Netherlands. Would any of you know if it is possible to date it based on the hull no.? Would any of you know if the bridle eyelets are mounted with wood backing blocks inside the hull? If so I would consider to install an inspection port so I can replace them with something more durable. Thanks.
• I suspect my brother-in-law would know of Ten Cate. He watched from his rooftop in Amsterdam during "Operation Manna".

• Interesting, as I'd saved a (literally) washed-up part from a Ten Cate board—and still don't know what I have. :confused:

P3030011-001.JPG


• Dating it should be possible from the colors and (the one) location of the diagonal deck stripes.

• If you replace the wood, cut a section from a white cutting board, and bolt it through. (Cutting boards are made of tough polyethylene).

.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mike is right. If the boat is dry the blocks will be fine. If the screws are loose undo one screw on the bridle fill the hole with epoxy then re-drill and use the other to keep the block tight. If the boat is dry the blocks will be fine. I have a much older boat with the original blocks.
Thanks for the tip. Would you recommend to do some cleaning/drilling in the hole prior to filling it with epoxy? Does it make sense to use a syringe to inject the epoxy in the hole?

Thanks,
Martin
 
I would tape around the hole and mix the epoxy. You should be able to use a small stick as it is not very deep. If the hole looks much bigger than the screw put a couple of pieces of fiber glass.
 
Just a reminder, do one screw on each bridle at a time, reattach and do the other.

Nothing worse than removing both screws and hearing the wood block drop.
 
I can partly answer your question.

Dutch multi-million dollar company Ten Cate started building the Sunfish in 1979. It was a spin-off from the early surfboards. Ten Cate was one of the first to produce these. They got the license to build the boats in 1979 and ceased production somewhere in 1983. Despite their efforts, the Sunfish class never 'took off' in Europe. And despite the big (Dutch) names in sailing.

Officially, the Sunfish Class is still around, but there are no activities anymore.

Personally, I didn't know that Ten Cate has built the Sunfish. On the other hand, I'm not amazed that they did. Ten Cate is situated in the most eastern part of the country, close to the German border. With the only water available, the water from the tap... Officially 'Royal Ten Cate' (since 1691!) used to be a company that produced all sorts of garments: underwear, socks, cotton for tailoring etc. The part of the country where Ten Cate had (and has!) its factory was more or less the 'textile corner' of The Netherlands. Most products were sold to the Dutch Indies (Indonesia) and the Dutch West-Indies (Antilles and Surinam). After WWII, the textile-buying colonies were gone (independence) and most textile manufacturers went bankrupt. But not Ten Cate. They started innovating and started a searching for new markets, new products etc. The introduction of the windsurf board and the evolution from cotton sails to composite has tributed to Ten Cate's success.

Nowadays, one of the biggest 'customers' of Ten Cate, is the US military! From bullet-proof fabrics, anti-shrapnel fabrics up to complete lightweight armour for vehicles. And yes, you can still buy Ten Cate socks and underwear these days. Latest word his it that Japanse Toray wants to merge/buy with Ten Cate.

Royal Ten Cate
 
The boats for the 1981 Sunfish Worlds in Sardinia were provided by Ten Cate. The edge trim on the hull-deck joint was black rubber instead of aluminum. They made a strange sound when boats touched in pre-start maneuvers. Instead of the familiar bumping noise, they squeaked. At Registration we were given a packet with our sail numbers and instructions in Dutch, and sent to the beach to un-crate and build our boats. The little bit of Dutch I recall is “geik” and “mastkoker.” After the series ended, the boats were sold right on the beach. That was the first year that a woman broke into the top 10, and the buyer asked her to autograph the boat.
 

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