2000 World Championship - Annapolis, MD, USA
May 10-20, 2000
The following results are from the Star Logs. Starting with 1977 frequently only yacht numbers were given. The last time both yacht numbers and yacht names were given was 1989. In later years sometimes, fleet designations were omitted. In these cases some of the more obvious fleet designations were supplied. Also from time to time only last names were supplied. First names, where known, were added.
Results
Place No. Skipper Crew Fleet Daily Places Pts. 1 7995 Mark Reynolds Magnus Liljedahl SDB 1 3 22 3 1 28 30 2 7876 Ross MacDonald Kai Bjorn EB 16 2 6 2 dnf 19 45 3 7763 Mark Mansfield David O'Brien IRL 10 17 11 30 6 9 53 4 7425 Doug Schofield Rob Schofield, Jr. AN 7 6 15 21 64 8 57 5 7953 Ian Walker Mark Covell SO 6 60 8 18 15 10 57 6 7937 Jose VanDerPloegRafael Trujillo Lar 14 16 14 9 11 12 60 7 7939 Gavin Brady Jamie Gale NZL 5 1 10 52 13 37 66 8 7954 Vincent Hoesch Florian Fendt CBM 15 19 19 8 25 5 66 9 8006 Colin Beashel David Giles SY 36 31 23 7 3 6 70 10 7879 Pietro D'Ali Ferd. Colandinno Viar 11 5 31 13 22 21 72 11 7515 Ross Adams Chuck Nevel WH 39 36 7 4 23 4 74 12 7981 Mark Neeleman Jos Schrier Med 17 9 16 26 9 dnc 77 13 7971 Marc Pickel Thomas Auracher Brm 18 dnf 4 44 5 7 78 14 7405 Brain Ledbetter Alan Ledbetter PS dnf 14 5 29 16 15 79 15 7965 Flavio Marazzi Renato Marazzi Int 78 13 3 15 34 26 91 16 7988 Peter Bromby Lee White BER 9 20 26 49 42 2 99 17 7737 Eric Doyle Tom Olsen SDB 4 26 34 25 14 31 100 18 7875 Torben Grael Marcelo Ferreia Gua 8 54 32 54 8 3 105 19 7991 Frank Butzmann Jens Peters BF 25 63 9 28 44 1 107 20 7866 Halvor Schoyen Asmund Tharaldsen OS 34 24 44 17 18 14 107 21 7996 J.A. MacCauslandPhil Trinter CR 3 12 37 35 35 21 108 22 7980 L. Pelekanakis Dimitris Boukis GRE dnf 30 12 31 19 20 112 23 7949 Luca Modena Sergio Lambertenghi PDV 35 18 43 11 21 30 115 24 8015 Joe Londrigan Mark Strube LS 20 79 1 66 7 29 123 25 7488 Roberto BenamatiLuca Maffezzoli Gar 19 83 ocs 1 2 25 130 26 7970 Augie Diaz Rick Peters BisB 27 50 41 24 30 11 133 27 7885 Ric. Simoneschi Marco Marenco FdiG 23 88 40 19 4 57 143 28 7958 Rbt. Ferrarese Stefano Pisciottu JO 65 82 24 14 24 22 149 29 7979 Larry Whipple Barry Van Leeuween PS dnf 46 17 40 29 24 156 30 7213 Eduardo Farre Lucca OL 57 67 46 22 31 13 169 31 7840 Silvio Santoni Giuseppe Devoti NG 41 64 dnf 10 37 18 170 32 7753 Roeland WentholtJoost Houweling Hol 24 56 25 27 41 dnc173 33 7629 Marko Dahlberg Ville Kurki Fin 49 21 49 71 26 32 177 34 7924 Benny Andersen Mogens Just DF 46 91 2 23 dnc 17 179 35 7902 Steven Kelly Bill Holowesko N 31 44 36 47 28 40 179 36 7961 Paolo Semeraro Paolo Fulvio Mu 51 10 27 33 59 dnf180 37 7955 M. Lovrovic Jr Marin Lovrovic Sr CRO 43 73 20 69 33 16 181 38 7317 Rob Douze Vincent Geysen Hol 30 72 29 12 39 dnc182 39 7609 Tony Snell Dave Caesar LOC 13 22 54 43 66 55 187 40 7978 Ingvar Krook Verus Thelander AR 44 15 62 45 32 53 189 41 7736 Alberto Zanetti Juan Pablo Engelhard OL 21 42 65 65 20 46 194 42 7738 Bill Buchan Jr Scott Leppert PS 64 38 ocs 6 45 48 201 43 7353 Victor Soloviev Anatoly Mikhailin RUS 55 49 18 46 81 34 202 44 7928 Giampiero Poggi Giovanni Stilo Rom dnf 32 55 37 43 35 202 45 7350 John Finch Kevin Murphy LOC 54 28 38 36 50 dnc206 46 7862 John Virtue Austin Sperry NH dnf 4 42 78 46 38 208 47 7856 Ben Staartjes Ko Van den Berg Med 42 11 58 51 49 58 211 48 7931 Jeremy Davidson Jeff Davidson NH 61 43 39 16 63 dnc222 49 7990 Daniel StegmeierBeat Stegmeier TB 58 85 13 67 27 59 224 50 7595 Carlo Loos Nehammer CBM 12 dsq 61 80 12 61 226 51 7709 Phil Rotermund Tim Krämer KF 47 35 21 90 74 51 228 52 7780 Feder. Strocchi Gianni Torboli NG 75 57 28 5 84 66 231 53 7960 Giulio Gatti Paolo Busolo LdC 69 48 45 59 40 43 235 54 8023 Lee Kellerhouse Brian Terhaar SDB 28 37 81 72 58 47 242 55 7972 Peter Vessella Brian Fatih WSFB 29 dnf 51 34 17 dnc244 56 7307 John Sherwood John Avis CB 73 55 53 53 47 36 244 57 7911 Jimmie Lowe Andrew Higgs N 85 94 30 55 55 27 252 58 7855 Mats Johansson Leif Moller Vin 2 25 dsq dnf 10 dnc263 59 7957 Arthur Anosov Chris Rogers TaB 97 58 59 70 36 45 268 60 7454 Jon Bartlett Shane Zwingleberg AN 37 99 47 63 77 44 268 61 7864 Kevin McNeil Arnis Baltins AN 90 65 56 61 52 39 273 62 6926 G. Calegari Enrique Irueta BA 99 8 ocs 58 62 54 281 63 7265 Josh Phypers Ted Lavery CA 72 41 73 41 70 60 284 64 7462 Dave Watt Mike Wurm PS dsq 23 dnf 48 71 33 288 65 7985 Barton Beek Chuck Beek NH 32 100 77 57 60 64 290 66 7621 Peter Costa Jessica Costa BH 38 90 57 39 95 67 291 67 7938 Paul Sustronk Dag Nyhof LOC 50 76 33 20 dsq dnc292 68 7715 Stefan Lehnert Peter Menning Brm 66 33 71 42 80 dnc292 69 7369 James Freeman Eric Van Olst Ith 74 87 50 74 54 41 293 70 7547 Jack Rickard Bob Carlson WH 96 40 74 62 75 49 300 71 7741 John Vanderhoff Rowan Perkins NCB 40 52 89 dsq 69 50 300 72 7982 James Allsopp Jim Kavle AN ocs 29 78 32 57 dnc309 73 7777 Manuel Bunge Marco Lagoa SAN 48 92 dnf 77 53 42 312 74 7759 E. Cepurnieks A. Muziceniko LAT 77 81 52 73 48 63 313 75 8004 A. Tamburini Renzo Ricci Mu 62 45 72 97 76 62 317 76 7929 Dirk Sommer Jr Lars Kiewning KF 22 47 dnf dnf 68 68 318 77 8013 Mitja Kosmina Evgenji Komlianec SLV 33 7 dnf 85 85 dnc323 78 7863 Klaus Meyer Jens Hannemann Brm 79 62 48 79 61 dnc329 79 7248 David Chittick Mike Whitford Mid 76 66 60 99 79 74 355 80 7670 Gene McCarthy Glenn McCarthy PPL 91 39 93 68 65 dnc356 81 7628 Steve Braverman Ron Rezac BH 56 68 76 89 dsq 69 358 82 7640 Bill Culberson Matt Mowad MoB 59 84 80 64 73 dnc360 83 7663 Rick Dhein Keith Gardner LG 84 98 95 93 38 52 362 84 7566 Elliott Oldak Sean Delaney AN 100 74 68 75 90 56 363 85 7728 John Lombard Kurt Larson Mid dnf 27 ocs 76 83 65 364 86 7614 John Foster Michael Lawlor ISV 71 89 67 81 56 dnc364 87 7824 Rick Burgess John Wulff GrL 63 105 35 84 78 dnc365 88 7460 Steve Kling Calthorp WS 52 104 84 38 88 dnc366 89 7942 Kim Fletcher Kyle Henehan SDB 86 51 82 60 94 dnc373 90 7756 J. Svendsen J.C. Jurlander DF 26 70 69 96 dsq dnc374 91 7984 Carlo Falcone Shannon Falcone ANT 45 dnf 86 87 51 dnc382 92 7496 Guy Brierre Buddy Clarke NOG 53 59 dnf 94 72 dnc391 93 7930 Guido Chiarella Terry Fletcher Sun 60 77 ocs 100 82 73 392 94 7951 John Jenkins Will Bacon AN 70 69 64 98 93 dnc394 95 7993 Joe Bainton Bowne NB 87 93 63 95 67 dnc405 96 7542 Rick Brethorst Mark Lewis IR 80 61 66 91 dnf dnc411 97 7634 Jeff Schaefer John Goode GLW 67 75 70 dsq 96 dnc421 98 7950 C. Scheinecker Gerd Habermuller Att ocs 34 dnf 56 dnf dnc429 99 7565 Jack Button Chris Batchelor Mid 93 101 79 92 97 72 433 100 7718 Joe Pro Avellon BisB 82 103 91 88 dsq 71 435 101 7917 Dierk Thomsen Jakob Just KF 92 80 92 82 92 dnc438 102 7712 Wulf Kahl Theo Petersen Lub 95 97 75 83 91 dnc441 103 7471 John Bainton Will Christenson NB dnf 107 97 50 87 dnc454 104 7976 Juan Percossi Gabriel Meyer BA 68 78 83 dsq dnf dnc455 105 7501 Roger Turner Tony Collard GL 98 71 94 103 89 dnc455 106 7386 Davis Buckley Gregory Gahlinger AN 88 53 90 dnc dnc dnc457 107 7054 Jukka Jaskari Mikael Wahrn Fin 89 95 85 86 dnf dnc468 108 6756 Steve Andrews Ailene Rogers HB dnf 106 96 104 98 70 474 109 7332 Throny Cook Mike Young CLIS dnf 86 87 102 86 dnc474 110 6890 Brad Anderson Ryan Smith LOC 83 96 88 105 dnf dnc485 111 7688 Larry Parrotta Scott Karr NCB 94 102 98 101 dnf dnc508 112 7923 Renato Irrera A. Calbarella Pal man dsq dsq dsq dsq dsq565
REGATTA REPORT
by Dave Gendell/SpinSheet Magazine
Race 1- Reynolds/Liljedahl post a wire-to-wire Opening Day victory
The Nautica 2000 Star Class World opened today in challenging, but gratifying, conditions. Shortly after noon, the fleet began a race in a 12 knot breeze just west of north and under sunny skies scrubbed clean by a powerful line of thunderstorms that raked the entire east coast overnight Saturday.
The vast majority of the fleet started on the left side of the two part starting line, betraying a windshift that ultimately led to the abandonment of the contest. The bulk of the fleet was about one-third of the way up the leg when left-ward march of the 10-12 knot wind led to the unfurling of "November" flags and the sailors were called back to the starting box. After a second attempt on a more westerly axis was delayed by a General Recall, the first race of the six race series finally started cleanly at approximately 1:30 p.m., on an axis of 295.
Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl lead the first race
Any warm weather Annapolis breeze with the word "west" used in its description will be shifty as the air must cross the baking parking lots and buildings of the Baltimore/Annapolis/Washington corridor before navigating the mouths of various rivers and creeks and ultimately pushing down the race course. This was certainly the case on Opening Day, as solid shifts in direction, combined with occasional 14-16 knot puffs made for conditions requiring frequent gear shifts along with changes in hiking styles and intensity.
Not surprisingly, a number of the pre-regatta favorites used the shifts and velocity changes to work their way through the standings as the five-leg, 11-mile windward/leeward contest moved forward. No team was better than Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl who thrived in the constantly changing conditions. Reynolds (Age: 44: San Diego) and Liljedahl (Age: 46, Miami) will represent the United States in the Star Class in Sydney this September at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
Although they led at every mark--at times their lead over the second place boat was nearly two minutes--Reynolds and Liljedahl worked hard around the entire course to maintain their lead, and competing teams were on their heels at the finish. Several teams occupied the second place spot around the course including the Brazilian duo of Grael/Ferreira and the Argentian team of Zanetti/Engelhardt, but in the end it was the Swedish duo of Mats Johansson and Leif Moeller crossing the line in second place, followed by a pair of American-flagged teams: John MacCausland and Phil Trinter, frequent Chesapeake Bay competitors; and the reigning Star Class World Champions Eric Doyle and Tom Olsen. The New Zealand duo of Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale, who had not sailed a Star before this year, climbed through the pack throughout the afternoon to finish fifth overall.
With a victory at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month and a wire-to-wire Opening Day win today, Reynolds/Liljedahl have certainly made a statement in recent weeks. However, it's going to be a long week on the Chesapeake and of late, winning the opening contest of the regatta has not been a key to victory. In fact, no team has won the Star Worlds after winning the first race since Grael/Ferreira did it in Chicago in 1990.
A beautiful Sunday afternoon and plenty of pre-race publicity brought more than 100 spectator boats onto the racing area. The wide wind shifts brought the spectator fleet and passing daysailors into play more often than many competitors would have preferred. "It didn't cost us anything, but you just don't know which way they [the spectators] are going to go," Reynolds said. "We tried to yell as loud as we could. I lost my voice. We'd wave and they'd wave back." The spectator fleet included the clipper ship Pride of Baltimore II which carried VIPs from sponsors including Nautica and United Parcel Service. Pride II, however, gave the fleet a wide berth.
The warm and sunny conditions, as well as the northwesterly breeze, are expected to continue Monday. Annapolis locals know that a dying northerly in the wake of a 36 hour old frontal Photo by Walter Cooperpassage can yield frustrating conditions for even the most patient sailor. Coupled with the challenges of spring current and the rigors of competing against more than 110 of the world's finest Star teams--including 12 Olympic medal winners, it should be an interesting afternoon. Racing is scheduled to begin at Noon local time.
Top Ten after Race 1
1. USA 7995 Mark Reynolds, Magnus Liljedahl 1.0
2. SWE 7855 Mats Johansson, Leif Moller 2.0
3. USA 7996 John MacCausland, Phil Trinter 3.0
4. USA 7737 Eric Doyle, Tom Olsen 4.0
5. NZL 7939 Gavin Brady, Jamie Gale 5.0
6. GBR 7953 Ian Walker, Mark Covell 6.0
7. USA 7425 Douglas Schofield, Robert Schofield, Jr. 7.0
8. BRZ 7875 Torben Grael, Marcelo Ferreia 8.0
9. BER 7988 Peter Bromby, Lee White 9.0
10. IRL 7763 Mark Mansfield, David O'Brien 10.0
Race 2 - Kiwis Brady and Gale top a light air race #2
A Kiwi invasion? In the Star Class? In a slow and grinding light air contest, the type which traditionally brings the cream to the top of the oldest and most prestigious one-design class? It happened today. Four months ago, childhood friends Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale had never taken a close-up view of a Star boat. Although neither have turned 30, the New Zealand natives have already both racked up amazing records in a variety of boats. Both are two time America's Cup veterans. Brady was a helmsman aboard the Chessie Racing Whitbread Round the World Race team. Gale sailed in the 1996 Olympics aboard New Zealand's Soling team.
Stars are not actively sailed in New Zealand. "I remember seeing one there in the early 1990s but it was never really sailed that much," says Gale. It is an unlikely scenario, but this evening, the New Zealand national flag was flying from the yardarm at the Annapolis YC clubhouse after the pair sailed to victory in the slow second race of the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship Regatta. "This is a bit of a surprise really," said Brady, 27, after the race. "We didn't expect to win any of these races. Our philosophy going into the regatta was to sail ultra-conservatively and just finish in the top 20."
Brady and Gale in are Annapolis sailing to earn New Zealand a spot on the starting line at the 2000 Summer Olympics set for September in Sydney (six such spots will be determined this week in Annapolis). A top 20 finish in the regatta should not only guarantee a spot on the line in Australia, it should also ensure that Brady and Gale will be on the line with the full support of the New Zealand yachting establishment.
They took delivery of their year-old Mader Star in Miami and reeled off 29 straight days on the water training before placing 14th at the Bacardi Cup in March. Yesterday's race was the first they have won at a major Star regatta. Brady has maintained a home in Annapolis for several years, but it has primarily been a base from which to mount his globe-trotting match racing and big boat campaigns.
But this was no fluke of local knowledge or Hail Mary wind shifts. The duo were fifth Sunday, having ground through 29 places between the first windward mark and the finish. And today, they started, according to Brady, "in the 40s or 50s" but quickly moved forward. "It was a magic beat," Brady said. Of course staying in front of a fleet packed with some of the planet’s finest sailors, including 12 Olympic Medal Winners, is enough to challenge even the most confident young sailors.
The Kiwi victory was solid. They rounded the first turning mark in second on the heels of Staartjes/Vandenberg (BEL) and soon thereafter established a lead they would not relinquish. There were points in shifts and lulls where they might not have been the furthest along on a given leg but they were never crossed.
The day began with the remains of Sunday’s northerly offering a whispered promise to the crews of 112 Star boats who have gathered here for the class's ultimate championship. However, by the scheduled Noon start, the northerly had dropped out and was replaced by flat water and a strong ebb current carrying the entire regatta south towards the Atlantic. And ultimately, relief, however paltry, came from the south, but not before a silent three-hour battle between a weak seabreeze and the remnants of the northerly.
A course was in place shortly before 3 p.m. and a start was attempted in eight knots of breeze on an axis of 175. After a General Recall, Principal Race Officer Mark Murphy and Race Committee Chairman Chip Thayer, mindful of the hour, set the "Black Flag" guaranteeing disqualification to any competitor over early. The fleet was soon underway with a single boat, Carlo Loos and Christian Nehammer, ruled On Course Side by the Race Committee. Loos/Nehammer ultimately crossed the finish line flying a protest flag.
Ross MacDonald, who, along with crew Kai Bjorn, finished second today said, "There were good decisions made by the race committee. When they started, we were in the best breeze of the day. It got really light two-thirds of the way through the race but then the pressure came back up. It can't be the Bahamas every day." Since the breeze was light, the start was delayed, and the strong ebb current of early afternoon had moved the pitch a mile south of Thomas Point Light, many boats and crews returned to the dock in fading twilight. The five-leg race ran just over ten miles in length.
In third, and maintaining their overall lead with four points, were Sunday's victors, Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl. Brady/Gale are two points behind in second. Another pair of relative Star Class newcomers, the Schofield brothers, Douglas and Robert, sit in third with a 7-6. The Annapolis-based team are making their first appearance at Worlds. "We weren't sure how we would do since we have an older boat with older sails, and this is by far the biggest fleet I've competed against," said Doug after placing seventh on Sunday.
Robert Schofield has been sailing Star boats for 10 years, primarily as crew. Doug Schofield has been racing with his brother for three years. They finished fourth at the 1999 North Americans in Boston. "I set the boat up in terms of rig tuning and trim and Doug takes it around the track," the elder Schofield said. With the light air induced churn in the results today, these three teams are the only remaining without double-digit finishes on their record.
Race 3 - Londrigan/Strube win Tuesday's battle but Brady/Gale are winning the war
Tuesday was the day the Annapolis Chamber of Commerce would love to be able to box up and set securely on the shelf to remove only when a special event is in need of an adrenaline boost. After kicking off the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship Regatta on a shifty and crowded Sunday and continuing through a long and slow Monday slog, the fleet of 112 was treated to a classic Chesapeake Bay seabreeze on Tuesday afternoon. It was a windy, and colorful Chamber of Commerce afternoon on the Chesapeake Bay.
After a delay of nearly two hours during which the spring ebb current built and the southerly established itself, the fleet started a five-leg windward/leeward course shortly before 2 p.m. This is how it is supposed to work. At 10 a.m., as the fleet picked up their tows at the foot of the host Annapolis YC clubhouse, the breeze at Thomas Point Lighthouse, which is immediately adjacent to the racing area, was from the north at two knots. By Noon, the appointed hour for racing, it had swung around to the south-southeast but was still a mere four knots.
However, Principal Race Officer Mark Murphy and Race Committee Chairman Chip Thayer knew by then that the afternoon breeze had traction and would soon be pumping. By 1 p.m., it was up to 10 knots, and by the start, the breeze was 14-15 knots solidly from the southeast--straight from the Atlantic and far steadier than Sunday's shifty westerly and Monday's fragile stillborn southerly. It was a classic Chesapeake seabreeze.
The fleet got underway cleanly on the first attempt shortly before 2 p.m. By 3 p.m. the fleet was around the first weather mark, rolling in gusts to 17 knots, having experienced what observers on the stake boat called "a fast and furious" rounding. The Swiss team of Flavio and Rento Marazzi led the fleet followed in close order by the American brother duo of Brian and Alan Ledbetter and the Bahamian-flagged team of Lowe/Higgs.
The team of Joe Londrigan and Mark Strube, who took a solid 20th on Opening Day but suffered through a 79th on Monday, were in fifth at the first mark and by the second weather turn, had ground their way to second and were breathing down the necks of the Marazzis. Londrigan, sailing with Phil Trinter, finished second to Carl Buchan and Hugo Schreiner in the 1992 San Francisco Worlds, and the team pushed forward to win the 1993 Kiel Worlds by a 19.7 point margin. Strube is relatively new to the Star and most recently was a member of the Aloha Racing America's Cup challenge.
The duo's break Tuesday came at the second and final leeward gate when they chose the starboard turning mark while the balance of the top five opted for the port mark. Strube says, "We had good numbers coming across after rounding. We waited for the first shift and when it came we tacked." After a brief skirmish with Andersen/Just, Londrigan/Strube locked into the top spot for good.
The bullet balances a 79 the team posted Monday, and when tallied with the 20 the pair notched on Sunday, the crew of USA 8015 lies in 23rd. Londrigan says, "I've been at the front before so I know what it feels like. I usually have very consistent finishes but not so far at this regatta. I think it's going to be up and down for everybody." The Danish duo of Andersen/Just started well and moved through the pack as the race wore on, finishing second. The Marazzis ultimately finished third. The German-flagged crew aboard #7971, Pickel/Auracher, finished fourth. After starting the series with an OCS, the Ledbetter brothers were in the top five throughout Tuesday's race. The Ledbetters have turned their regatta around with a 14 Monday and a fifth Tuesday.
Despite the solid pressure of the seabreeze, it was oscillating and allowed for passing lanes. Tom Olsen, 1999 World Champion crew commented after the race, "It was as shifty and weird as if it were blowing five knots. There were short opportunities to make gains, and if you thought about it for too long, the opportunity could be gone. It was tough to get any sort of pattern recognition with the breeze." And several teams who started deep in the pack pushed through this superb fleet with amazing skill, combining blazing boatspeed with the ability to translate every small advantage to gains.
By the final stages of the race MacDonald/Bjorn had scrapped past 52 boats and finished sixth overall. The team, battling for Canada's spot on the line in Sydney, are in second overall after three races. Reynolds/Liljedahl, who won the Opening Race, rounded the first weather mark in 52nd and eventually settled into the 22nd spot in the third contest. The U.S. Olympic representatives lie in third at the regatta's mid-point.
But no team's regatta has been as successful as Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale (NZL 7939). The winners of Monday's race used the race's final four legs to claw past 40 boats, ultimately crossing the finish line in tenth place, vaulting to the top of the standings with 16 points after three races. The day was not as kind to the Italian team of Manuel Bunge and Marco Lagoa who broke their mast and retired early in the race. Several other teams also packed on the points yesterday with OCS scores added to their lines.
The fact that the high pressure dome that has dominated the past few days is sliding off the east coast to take up residence between Hatteras and Bermuda leads one to believe that there could be more seabreeze to come, as the clockwise flow around the high will only reinforce the southerly. However, any number of unsettled weather features are west of the Chesapeake and could move in to influence the racing area. Either scenario bodes well for the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship Regatta.
Tuesday evening, in an Annapolis YC ceremony hosted by Commodore Sir Durward and Lady Holly Knowles, Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale were presented with the Vanderveer and Halperin Trophies. After three complete races, Brady and Gale, sailing in their first Worlds, lead the regatta by eight points. In 1932 Bud Vanderveer, a Star sailor from Western Long Island Sound, met with a fatal automobile accident after placing among the top entries at the end of the third day of the World's.
It is a Star Class tradition that the skipper with the best total score, without discards, after three races, will have his name engraved on the Vanderveer Trophy. His crew's name is engraved on the Buck Halperin Trophy. Buck Halperin, a member of the Southern Lake Michigan Fleet, crewed for William Parks when they placed third in the 1960 Olympics held in Naples, Italy. He was a fierce competitor who won the Navy Cross in World War II for heroism under fire.
Race 4 - Wednesday brings a bittersweet Italian victory while Reynolds/Liljedahl move into first overall
You had to be good to do well in Race #4 at the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship Regatta off Annapolis. This usually goes without saying in the Star Worlds, but today, in this fleet of overachievers, Sydney-bound heroes, and Olympic aspirants, you had to be especially good to succeed. This afternoon, in yet another warm and shifty fragile spring southerly, five of the top seven skippers were previous winners of the Star World Championship. Five of the top nine finishers had sailed to Olympic medals. Anyone who questioned the Chesapeake's ability to deal a fair regatta in terms of conditions had their concerns assuaged today.
But of course the Star Worlds have always been one of sailing's most special events. Having held a World Championship for 77 consecutive years, the Star Class knows a thing or two about how to determine its World Champion. Although it flies in the face of the more common "more is better" philosophy of scheduling, there is a reason why the Star sailors prefer to sail six long races in their World Championship. Six long races, one race a day, will, ultimately, produce a well-rounded and deserving team who the members of the Class can proudly point to and say, "There are our World Champions." Some will speak as Dennis Conner has in the past and call the winning pair "The Best Sailors in the World". The skipper will earn the right to fly a Gold Star on his mainsail and the crew will have the right to fly four Gold Bars. The Star Class will always call both the skipper and his crew "World Champions".
Wednesday's first sequence began after another lengthy delay spent waiting for the southerly to establish itself. After a General Recall, the Black Flag was hoisted for the day's second start, and the fleet was off, for the second straight day in a warm eight knot southerly. Race #4 was a shifty contest demanding the supreme concentration and patience that have come to define this regatta. The ultimate winners of this series will have mastered the art of staying in phase with every oscillation the Chesapeake puts forth.
This series is part of the Italian Olympic Trials, and the Italian Star contingent in Annapolis has been enjoying some fierce competition. Wednesday, six of the top 14 finishers were Italian. The day’s best finish belonged to Roberto Benamati and Luca Maffezzoli (ITA 7488) who took top honors and the Duarte Bello Trophy which the class presents to the winner of the fourth race at the Worlds. Benamati/Maffezzoli began the regatta with a 19. However, the pair were OCS in Race # 3, and this, combined with an 83 Monday, essentially has ended their Olympic hopes.
After winning Wednesday, Benamati explained that the Race # 4 victory was bittersweet. "Tuesday [the OCS] was the worst day of our Olympic Trials. We have no chance anymore to beat our competitors. Now I am thinking of something else like to buy a horse...maybe after today the price of our boat went up." Despite Wednesday's Benamati/Maffezzoli bullet, it appears as though the team of D'Ali/Colandinno (ITA 7879) are on their way to representing Italy at Sydney.
This evening's cumulative results, for the first time, reflected a discard of each team's worst finish. The standings are sorting themselves out, the visiting teams have tuned into the course conditions, and the top sailors have begun their predictable march to the front of the standings. A nice mix of conditions and those six long races will ensure that the series winners are fully deserving of the title of World Champions.
After the discard, U.S. Olympic representatives Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl carry a 1-3-3 and lead the event with seven points. A 2-6-2 keep Canadians Ross MacDonald and Kai Bjorn close behind in second overall. And two teams sailing their first World Championship in the class are locked into the third and fourth sports: Brady/Gale (NZL 7939) and the Schofield brothers (USA 7425). The aforementioned crew of D'Ali/Colandinno are a point behind the Schofields in fifth. As Magnus Liljedahl puts it, "So far, so good. But conceivably anyone could still have two bad races."
Despite the vagaries of springtime on the Chesapeake Bay, the sole skipper to win a race in this year's regatta who has not previously earned the right to fly a Gold Star is Gavin Brady who, with crew Jamie Gale, won Monday's Race #2. Sunday's winner, Mark Reynolds, won the 1995 Laredo Worlds, Tuesday's winner, Joe Londrigan, won the 1993 Kiel Worlds, and yesterday's winner, Roberto Benamati captured top honors in the 1991 Cannes Worlds, sailing with Mario Salani as crew.
Thursday’s weather window is looking to be on the breezy end of the scale virtually ensuring that the sailors the class points to and says, "Those were the first world champions of the new millennium" will be masters of all conditions.
Race #4 Results, top 10
1. ITA 7488 Benamati, Roberto/Maffezzoli, Luca
2. CAN 7876 MacDonald, Ross/Bjorn, Kai
3. USA 7995 Reynolds, Mark/Liljedahl, Magnus
4. USA 7515 Adams, Ross/Nevel, Chuck
5. ITA 7780 Strocchi, Federico/Torboli, Gianni
6. USA 7738 Buchan, Bill/Leppert, Scott
7. AUS 8006 Beashel, Colin/Giles, David
8. GER 7954 Hoesch, Vincent/Fendt, Florian
9. ESP 7937 Van Der Ploeg, Jose Maria/Trujillo, Rafael
10. ITA 7840 Santoni, Silvo/Devoti, Giuseppe
Cumulative results after four races/one discard, top 10
1. USA 7995 Reynolds, Mark/Liljedahl, Magnus 1-3-[22]-3 7 points
2. CAN 7876 MacDonald, Ross/Bjorn, Kai [16]-2-6-2 10
3. NZL 7939 Brady, Gavin/Gale, Jamie 5-1-10-[52] 16
4. USA 7425 Schofield, Douglas/Schofield, Jr., Robert 7-6-15-[21] 28
5. ITA 7879 D'Ali, Pietro/Colandinno, Ferdinando 11-5-[31]-13 29
6. SUI 7965 Marazzi, Flavio/Marazzi, Rento [78]-13-3-15 31
7. GBR7953 Walker, Ian/Covell, Mark 6-[60]-8-18 32
8. ESP 7937 Van Der Ploeg, Jose Maria/Trujillo, Rafael 14-[16]-14-9 37
9. IRL 7763 Mansfield, Mark/O'Brien, David 10-17-11-[30] 38
10. GER 7954 Hoesch, Vincent/Fendt, Florian 15-[19]-19-8 42
Race 5 - Reynolds/Liljedahl solidify their overall lead with a win in warm southerly
The fifth race of the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship was sailed today in a warm and boisterous 15-22 knot southerly. 2000 U.S. Olympic representatives Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl (USA 7995) used the sunny afternoon to extend their lead over the 112 boat fleet that has assembled in Annapolis, America's Sailing Capital, to contest the ultimate championship of the Star Class.
The Annapolis YC Race Committee started the day's first sequence at Noon in 15 knots of breeze which had established itself from the southern quadrant, reinforced by a low to the northwest and a Bermuda High offshore. The southerly wind axis provides the Chesapeake's longest fetch and, predictably, a swell had developed in the racing area well before the regatta arrived on the course. Perhaps equally as predictable, the day's first sequence resulted in a General Recall. With the unique shape of the 114-year-old Thomas Point Lighthouse standing sentinel in the haze nearby, the fleet was recalled and started cleanly, again under the Black Flag, in short order.
A solid windy and wavy day is also a good thing to have on the slate at a World Championship-especially late in the week-as success in these conditions requires an extra dose of physical and mental stamina, precisely the qualities every champion of the Star Class possesses (in fact Thursday's top three finishers all have earned the right to fly the Gold Star). The challenge was made even more acute because the breeze, which was touching 20 in the puffs, allowed the Race Committee to set Star Class Course "0", a six leg Olympic-style course about 11 miles in length. The German-flagged duo of Marc Pickel and Thomas Auracher led the pack at the first mark rounding but were soon overtaken by Reynolds/Liljedahl who won Sunday's race and carry two thirds on their card after discarding a 22 they picked up in Tuesday's seabreeze-flavored romp.
Looking back on Thursday afternoon's race, Reynolds pointed to the second reach as a turning point. "It was a little tighter than usual, and we planed from mark-to-mark. It was a lot of fun." As Reynolds/Liljedahl extended, a battle for second ensued. Eventually Wednesday's hard luck winners Roberto Benamati and Luca Maffezzoli (ITA 7488) locked into the slot just ahead of 1998 Worlds winners Colin Beashel and David Giles (AUS 8006). International Star Class president Riccardo Simoneschi and his crew, Marco Mareno,posted their best finish of the week with a fourth. Pickel/Auracher finished fifth.
The hard luck story of the day belonged to Canadians Ross MacDonald and Kai Bjorn who were solidly in second overall entering Thursday's race. The duo, who are here to earn the right to represent Canada at the Sydney games, were in the process of turning a 720 (assigned after the on-the-water jury flagged them for a kinetics violation), when they inverted their mast and damaged their spreaders to the point where they were forced to retire from the race. Despite the difficulties in Race #5, MacDonald and Bjorn retain their second place position on the overall score sheet and hold a three point lead over Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale. Brady/Gale, sailing for the right to represent their native New Zealand in September's Olympics, sailed to a 13 today, continuing their amazing ascension to the top of what many call the world's most difficult one design class.
In fourth overall is another pair working to qualify their nation for Sydney, Irish sailors Mark Mansfield and David O'Brien. And rounding out the top five are Great Britain's Olympic reps, Ian Walker and Mark Covell. Despite a slim number in the "Total Points" column, Reynolds is well aware of the fact that mathematically the regatta is not over. Last evening he noted, "We've gotten a 22 before, so that can happen again, and Ross has gotten seconds before, so that could happen again. So it's certainly not over. Friday's conditions are supposed to be pretty unsettled, it could be a difficult day."
Reynolds is one of many who have been impressed with what he has seen in Annapolis this week. "I'd say as for as the organization-the on-shore stuff-I don't think I've ever seen anything better," he said Thursday afternoon and added, "The sailing conditions have been difficult, but we expected that here." The final race of the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship Regatta is scheduled to begin at Noon Friday. Saturday, May 20 is held as a reserve day.
Race #5 Results, top 10
1. USA 7995 Reynolds, Mark/Liljedahl, Magnus
2. ITA 7488 Benamati, Roberto/Maffezzoli, Luca
3. AUS 8006 Beashel, Colin/Giles, David
4. ITA 7885 Simoneschi, Riccardo/Mareno, Marco
5. GER 7971 Pickel, Marc/Auracher, Thomas
6. IRL 7763 Mansfield, Mark/O'Brien, David
7. USA 8015 Londrigan, Joe/Strube, Mark
8. BRZ 7875 Grael, Torben/Ferreia, Marcelo
9. NED 7981 Neeleman, Mark/Schrier, Jos
10. SWE 7855 Johansson, Mats/Moller, Leif
Cumulative results after five races/one discard, top 10
1. USA 7995 Reynolds/Liljedahl 1-3-[22]-3-1 8 points
2. CAN 7876 MacDonald/Bjorn 16-2-6-2-[DNF] 26
3. NZL 7939 Brady/Gale 5-1-10-[52]-13 29
4. IRL 7763 Mansfield/O'Brien 10-17-11-[30]-6 44
5. GBR 7953 Walker/Covell 6-[60]-8-18-15 47
6. ESP 7937 Van Der Ploeg/Trujillo 14-[16]-14-9-11 48
7. USA 7425 Schofield/Schofield, Jr. 7-6-15-21-[64] 49
8. ITA 7879 D'Ali/Colandinno 11-5-[31]-13-22 51
9. NED 7981 Neeleman/Schrier 17-9-16-[26]-9 51
10. GER 7954 Hoesch/Fendt 15-19-19-8-[25] 61
Race 6- Reynolds and Liljedahl Will Sail for USA in Sydney as 2000 Star World Champions
In a chilly spring mist this afternoon, Americans Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl sailed to a 28th which was their worst finish of the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship but was more than enough to secure them the overall victory at the regatta. Discarding today's finish, Reynolds and Liljedahl sailed to a 1-3-22-3-1 for the week, and their 30 point total earned them the regatta's top honor by a comfortable 15 point margin.
The 112 boat fleet was hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club and included the winners of 12 Olympic Medals and nine previous Star World Championships. In second overall was 1994 World Champion Ross MacDonald who was sailing in Annapolis with crew Kai Bjorn. MacDonald and Bjorn's performance in Annapolis earned them the right to represent their native Canada at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
The war may have gone to Reynolds and Liljedahl, but today's gray battle was won by the German-flagged duo of Frank Butzmann and Jens Peters who came from behind to claim top honors in the 10-12 knot five-legged race. Americans Ross Adams and Chuck Nevel held a comfortable lead through much of today's race. Today's race was contested in a breeze from the easterly quadrant and was sailed on a reserve day due to yesterday's abandonment in the face of light and shifty breezes. Using solid boatspeed and tactics, Butzmann/Peters picked their way through the leaders in the race's latter stages and locked up the victory.
Bermudians Peter Bromby and Lee White secured themselves a spot in Sydney with a second place finish today which moved them into 16th overall. The third place spot in Race #6 was occupied by 1990 World Champions Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira. Adams and Nevel finished fourth.
Reynolds (Age: 44, San Diego) and Liljedahl (Age: 46, Miami) will represent the United States in the Star Class in Sydney this September at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. The Sydney regatta will be Reynolds' fourth crack at the Olympics in the Star class. He won a Gold Medal in 1992 and a Silver Medal in 1988. Reynolds, a sailmaker with Quantum Sail Design Group, won the 1995 Star Worlds and has finished in the top three at the regatta on five other occasions including a third last year in Italy with Liljedahl as crew. His crew in the previous Olympics and Worlds was Hal Haenel.
Reynolds, who led the Nautica 2000 Star Class World Championship every evening but one, says, "I was getting a little nervous the last couple of days. I just wanted to get this thing over with. It's nice to have it done, and it's nice to come out on top." In a testament to the competitiveness of the fleet, four of the six individual race winners were previous Star World Champions. The truly international flavor of the Star Class was exemplified by the fact that nine nations were represented in the regatta's top ten overall finishers.
When asked about his experience in Annapolis and on the Chesapeake Bay, Reynolds said, "We had a great time. The organization of the regatta was superb, and I don't think we've had a better one. The conditions were difficult, but we want them to be difficult." Magnus Liljedahl says, "It was a sweet victory. I'm very happy. It was a very good week but when you win, everything about the regatta is just beautiful."
After the trophy presentation, the Reynolds/Liljedahl team and their boat (USA 7995) are departing Annapolis for California where they plan to compete in a Star regatta in San Diego next weekend. The coming summer sees the team head for Europe where they will participate in Kiel Week. Another major event for the newly-crowned 2000 World Champions is the Star Class North American Championship set for Cleveland this August. After that regatta, it's off to Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. "We have some work to do to further improve," says a smiling Magnus Liljedahl shortly after winning his first Star Class World Championship. "But we're really looking forward to it."
At regatta's end, eight nations had earned the right to sail in the Star Class at Sydney this September. All 17 Star class spots in Sydney have now been determined. Among the nations who qualified in Annapolis are Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bermuda, Norway, Greece, and Argentina. It is unclear at this time if all of these nations will send teams to Sydney. Those in search of more information about the Star Class are directed to the official website of the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association http://www.starclass.org or the official website of the International Sailing Federation http://www.sailing.org.
Top 10, Race #6
1. GER 7991 Butzmann/Peters
2. BER 7988 Bromby/White
3. BRZ 7875 Grael/Ferreira
4. USA 7515 Adams/Nevel
5. GER 7954 Hoesch/Fendt
6. AUS 8006 Beashel/Giles
7. GER 7971 Pickel/Auracher
8. USA 7425 Schofield/Schofield, Jr.
9. IRL 7763 Mansfield/O'Brien
10. GBR 7953 Walker/Covell
Top 10, Final results after six races/one discard
1. USA 7995 Reynolds/Liljedahl 1-3-22-3-1-[28] 30 points
2. CAN 7876 MacDonald/Bjorn 16-2-6-2-[113/DNF]-19 45
3. IRL 7763 Mansfield/O'Brien 10-17-11-[30]-6-9 53
4. USA 7425 Schofield/Schofield, Jr. 7-6-15-21-[64]-8 57
5. GBR 7953 Walker/Covell 6-[60]-8-18-15-10 57
6. ESP 7937 Van Der Ploeg/Trujillo 14-[16]-14-9-11-12 60
7. NZL 7939 Brady/Gale 5-1-10-[52]-13-37 66
8. GER 7954 Hoesch/Fendt 15-19-19-8-[25]-5 66
9. AUS 8006 Beashel/Giles [36]-31-23-7-3-6 70
10. ITA 7879 D'Ali/Colaninno 11-5-[31]-13-22-21 72
