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Human Interest
If you are a North American, you may have disappointed with BMW/Oracle’s performance in Valencia. Put it behind you and find other reasons to follow the final acts of the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series. I’m tuning into it not just because of the intrigue and excitement for the day, but because I’m keeping tabs on some of the world’s most talented Star sailors.
No matter what race Torben Grael shows up at, he has one of the most colorful and decorated sailing histories there. He’s returned from the Olympics with four medals; three of them while sailing Stars and one in the Soling. Several of his Luna Rossa Challenge teammates also have made history in Star Class. They include helmsman James Spithill; afterguard members Philippe Presti, Andy Horton and Francesco Bruni; grinders Phil Trinter and Andrew Taylor, and consultant Steve Ericsson. Other Star sailors who are facing off against them on the Emirates yacht are tactician Terry Hutchinson, navigator Kevin Hall, main sail trimmer Don Cowie, and afterguard member Mark Mendelblatt.
While Grael, Horton and Mendelblatt continue to race in Valencia, they’ve been keeping an eye on sailing news out of Medemblick and Cascais, because they are registered for the 2007 ISAF World Championships in Cascais that begin at the end of June and overlap with the final match of the America’s Cup. Why are they following racing in Holland and Portugal? Well, the medal round at the ISAF Grade 1 Holland Regatta was this weekend and it featured many of the Star class’ up and coming legends. Italy’s Diego Negri and Luigi Viale won the regatta, Poland’s Mateusz Kusnierewicz and Dominic Zycki were second and Portugal’s Alfonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos took the bronze. +39 Challenge helmsman Iain Percy and grinder Andrew Simpson, after being eliminated from the Challenger series, scurried to Medemblik and placed 9th in the 40-boat Star fleet of Olympic hopefuls. Those Olympic aspirants who did not sail the regatta in Holland were trying to get a feel for the local conditions in Cascais, where Alfonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos are hometown favorites at the 2007 ISAF World Championships, where 75% of the country slots for the 2008 Olympics will be determined.
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