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District 20 Regatta Report | Sat Jan 4th, 2014 through Sun Jan 5th, 2014 |
Lars Grael and Samuel Goncalves |
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Diaz Dominates Star-Studded Star Fleet As the 2013-14 Star Winter Series Presented By EFG reaches its halfway point in this weekend's Levin Memorial Regatta, last year's overall series champion Augie Diaz along with crew Arnis Baltins continues to show the fleet his stern. This despite the presence of not one but two past Star World Champion teams, as well as Continental champion Lars Grael and numerous other class racers of note. The Miami-based Diaz won two of Saturday's three races in Easterly winds between 6 and 15 knots, with Brazil's Grael winning the second race by a solid 5-boat length margin. "We may have banged the corners a bit too much in the first race, but considering the high level of skill in the fleet, we didn't always have a choice," said Grael. "We settled down after that and played the shifts and puffs better, but got stuck on the lighter side of the course in the last race of the day." While Grael has race numerous events on Biscayne Bay, this is his first day of racing in the series launched last year by Coral Reef Yacht Club member and local fleet captain Stu Hebb, and Grael says he's very glad he came. "This is one of the best places in the world to sail this time of year," he said. For his part, Hebb led the talented fleet around the first mark of the Race 1 of the Levin Memorial Regatta and currently lies in sixth position, just two points behind reigning Star World Champion John MacCausland. "We sailed a solid day, but what a great feeling to beat this group of competitors to that top mark," said Hebb. "With three Brazilian teams, Johnny Mac, George [Szabo], Augie and plenty more, this is, by far the toughest fleet we’ve had yet at the Star Winter Series." Hebb says the entry list bodes well for the biggest event on the Series calendar, next week's Star Midwinters, which counts double for the Series title. While the pointy end of the fleet may be extra sharp, the rest of the fleet continues to build in size and talent. New for 2014 is the first all-female Star team in the history of the Star Winter Series; Isabella is helmed by longtime Star skipper and Class Executive Director Barbara Beigel-Vosbury and crewed by her niece Laura Beigel, and currently sits in 15th position despite full-hike conditions and a total crew weight less than half that of the winning boat's. "We can't hang with some of those boys but there are definitely ways to sail light and still get good results, and of course we're having a great time here with another 5 days of racing over the next week and a half," said Beigel. |
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