Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
Author: District 5 - May 02, 2024The District 5 schedule is set for an epic Southern California road trip from Newport Beach to sunny San Diego.
August 3-4 Baxter Bowl Newport Harbor YC
August 5-10 North Americans Newport Harbor YC
Aug 31-Sept 1 Labor Day Pitcher San Diego YC
September 8-13 Star Worlds San Diego YC
STORAGE SOLUTIONS FOR SO CAL EVENTS
Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) will provide free (unsecure) storage for Stars one week prior and one week after the North American Championships; inclusive dates being July 29th thru August 18th.
San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) is offering free storage for Stars from August 19, 2024 through September 19, 2024. Outside of those dates, SDYC will allow storage at member rates of $140 per month.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 11, 2024San Diego delivered yet another beautiful day on the water, with winds up to 12 knots, sunshine and cooler air. The 64-boat fleet was towed out on time and by 13.00 Race Four of the 2024 Star World Championship was underway with a clear start on the first attempt – first time in this Championship for the joy of PRO Tom Duggan and the excellent Race Committee team.
The top teams thought pin end was favored, but we are all becoming accustomed to the shifty race course off Silver Strand in South San Diego. It was another day of guessing and keeping your head out of the boat for the best shift, another snake and ladders day out on the water at the end of which some are really happy and others, very disappointed. Local hero George Szabo with Guy Avellon did not have the best first beat but were able to make up for it and went from twenty+ to finish 11th holding on to a four spot in the provisional overall ranking.
“After the start we found ourselves in the second row and there's nowhere to tack out, so we just stayed in a picket fence for a while and reached behind some boats; we just kept going and kept going and tacked out of the left and the people in the right progressed, so it made for a long day. Later we noticed all our San Diego friends were out there trying to make the left work and it wasn't working so we went down the run and we were near friends we hadn't seen on the race course before, but in the next beat we pretty much just went south towards Mexico and played every single shift we could, and somehow we battled back.”
It is all smiles in the Cayard – Kleen team (USA/GER), after they secured their third win out of three races. A win different from the others, one they didn’t just lead from the start.
“Sometimes things just go your way, and today was a very, very tricky day. The wind was all over the place and we just tried to keep our head out of the boat looking at all kinds of indications and trying to stay on the favorite tack to the mark, never afraid to change. We're going fast all the time, so that helps, and like I said, we got lucky on the second beat, the wind went to our side instead of Jack Jennings’s side so we were first instead of third or fourth”, commented Paul Cayard, here also as Star Class President, and concluded “We just want to be close at the top and have a chance to win this.”
Two more races to go with the top four teams within 9 points, the throw out comes in after tomorrow’s race and things might change. In the meantime, all of the 64 teams went through the second general weigh-in of the Championship.
Author: SDYC - August 02, 2024San Diego Yacht Club to Host Star World Championship this September
The Star World Championship returns to San Diego, California, for the first time in over a decade, September 7-13, 2024. San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) expects upwards of 60 Star boats on the starting line under sunny, SoCal skies for this competitive class, promising an unforgettable regatta experience on and off the water.
Anyone who follows the class knows the Star class is one to embrace tradition, while fostering the sport by recruiting the up and coming. Out of the nearly 50 registrants on the entry list thus far, you’ll find a few “rising stars” mixed with seasoned champions.
Local to San Diego, newcomer Carter Cameron has been sailing Stars for less than a year. Although Cameron is new the fleet, he’s no stranger to success on the water. Most notably, Cameron has four National Championships under his keel from his time sailing with the College of Charleston. Most recently, he raced in the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta in March.
“I look forward to being on the starting line with the best sailors! There's no better way to improve your sailing than sailing against people better than you,” said Cameron.
Professionally, Cameron has worked alongside Star World Champions Mark Reynolds and George Szabo at Quantum Sails. “They’ve given me all sorts of advice on how to make the boat go fast. The advice that sticks out the most is making sure you sight your rig side to side on the water to make sure your lower shrouds are set properly, and then making sure the helm is balanced with that.”
Also prepped and ready to race is the top USA skipper from the 2023 Worlds in Italy, Jack Jennings. Jennings finished last year’s Worlds in 11th place and is back to working his way up the scoresheet with crew Pedro Trouche. Jennings has been sailing Stars for 15 years and has earned the champion title in North America and Europe, consistently placing in the top 5 or 10 of the fleet.
“Sailing the Star can change your life.”
– Jack Jennings
“There are many long-time Star sailors, but the ones that become champions really sacrifice a lot of time, effort and work to become the best. You have to know going in that it is a long road and there are no shortcuts,” started Jennings. “There are many things to love about the Star, but you have to love the process of getting better to win. Pace yourself and enjoy the process.”
After racing in the 2024 Star Worlds in San Diego, Jennings and team will go back to Miami to prepare for the 2025 Bacardi Cup in advance of the 2025 Star Worlds to be held in Croatia.
And, of course, we have some of San Diego’s best on the starting line for 2024, including Eric Doyle, who has time and again made his home-club proud. He’s even left a lasting impression on Star Legend himself, Dennis Conner.
“Eric Doyle is one of our best world champions.”
– Dennis Conner
“Eric Doyle is a world champion and could be adding to his world medals here in a couple of months,” said Conner. “In September, he’ll be a force to reckon with.”
In preparation for this historic event at SDYC, we sat down with Conner and Malin Burnham, another Star Legend, to recount their history with the class and to hear stories of their successes.
Conner noted, “The biggest event I ever won was held in Kiel, Germany in 1968, when Ron Anderson from Sausalito and I won every race in the Star World Championships with 89 boats — a feat that I dare say will never be accomplished again. When people talk about my greatest victories, winning four America’s Cups is one thing…but the real thing that stands out for me, in my heart, is that I know the greatest victory for me is in a Star boat.”
“The greatest victory for me is in a Star boat."
– Dennis Conner
Echoing Conner’s sentiments of holding the Star class in high esteem is Malin Burnham. Burnham’s love for the Stars goes back to age 16, when he won the International Star Class regatta for SDYC – the youngest crew to have ever done so. Fast forward to graduation when Burnham and Lowell North, who was 15 years old at the time, took a five-day trip from Los Angeles to New York, where they won the Star World Championship in 1945.
“We got back on the train…and somewhere in Kansas the train stopped. Well, it turned out that World War II was over,” Burnham remembered.
BID ON A ONE-OF-A-KIND AMERICA'S CUP EXPERIENCE
Dennis Conner invites you to join him for the 2024 Star Worlds Gala Dinner and Auction on Saturday, August 31 at the San Diego Sheraton Hotel and Marina, in support of the regatta.
At this formal affair, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on a one-of-a-kind experience, a 37th America’s Cup Tour Package hosted by Dennis Conner to the W Hotel Barcelona from September 27 to October 5.
Package Includes:
Bidding starts at $75,000. Pre-bid at 858-422-8162.
For Gala tickets, contact 858-422-8162 or email thedcboat@gmail.com.
STAR SOCIAL AT SDYC
San Diego Yacht Club will be home to daily socials event during the 2024 Star World Championship.
More information and event tickets are available at worlds.starchampionships.org.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 12, 2024The conditions in San Diego have been nothing short of amazing for the 2024 Star World Championship 2024. The 64-boat fleet sailed again today in 10-12 knots breeze with gusts up to 15, slightly more southerly than the previous days. It proved to be a challenging and exciting day at the same time, and the results in this race, added to the throw-out coming in place, have opened the chances to win the Championship to at least six teams, all close in five points at the top.
Today’s winners were Will Stout and Danny Cayard (USA), the skipper is a local hero and the crew is a third generation Star sailor who has just won the North Americans with his father. In this series they had already won race two, and after throwing-out yesterday’s score, they are the provisional leaders of the Championship going into the last day tomorrow.
“Today was another tricky day like yesterday, and we really focused on being on time on the start and keeping a clear lane. We were able to make gains from there and, of course, we were able to pick and choose, and battle it out with a few teams”,commented Danny Cayard.
“We made sure we had the boat going fast and it was very difficult as it was very wavy, choppy, with fairly significant shifts and pressure changes, and just keeping the boat moving through the water proved difficult, it was a very difficult day”, added skipper Will Stout.
And talking about tomorrow’s final race Danny Cayard said: “I think everybody's going to be pushing, and of course you have people that you have your own eyes on because there are six boats within a few points, it keeps things tight but also open, you can't focus on just one person. I think in one way there is no better way to end a Championship”.
Six boats within five points: in second, tied on points with the first, there are America’s Cup veteran John Kostecki with Olympian Austin Sperry (USA), in third Paul Cayard (USA) with Frithjof Kleen (GER) with 18 points, same points for the Argentinians brothers Leandro and Lucas Altolaguirre, in fifth Danish Jorgen Shoenherr with American Jan Eli Gravad, and in sixth Star World Championship representing the local San Diego Yacht Club, George Szabo with Guy Avellon (USA).
The starting sequence will begin at 12,55 on the water off Point Loma, and by tomorrow September 13th, at around 3 pm we shall know the names of the 2024 Star World Champions that will get to write their names on the 100 year old trophy. But before that, San Diego Yacht Club is hosting a Progressive Dinner tonight for the teams to relax and enjoy each-others company before becoming (again) competitors on the water tomorrow.
Author: San Diego Yacht Club - August 28, 2024The Star World Championship returns to San Diego, California, for the first time in over a decade, September 7-13, 2024. San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) expects upwards of 65 Star boats on the starting line under sunny, SoCal skies.
RACE SCHEDULE
A practice race will be held on Saturday September 7th. Championship racing will occur September 8-13, with one race scheduled each day.
WEBSITE
worlds.starchampionships.org
The Star World website features everything you need to know about the regatta, including the schedule, NOR, roster, results, news, photos and videos.
SOCIAL EVENTS
worlds.starchampionships.org/social
The 2024 Star Worlds promises to be just as much fun off the water as on. This section of the Star Worlds website reviews all of the special events happening through the week.
FACEBOOK - SDYC
www.facebook.com/sandiegoyachtclub
The SDYC Facebook page hosts videos, interviews, updates, and photos from each day of racing - featuring mostly local content. Like and follow the page to stay up to date on key information and changes. Participating teams should check for tags and can reshare posts featuring their teams.
INSTAGRAM - SDYC
www.instagram.com/sdyc1886 • @sdyc1886
The SDYC Instagram is home to the Star Worlds highlight, where you can find “happening now” updates, videos, photos, interviews and results – featuring mostly local content. This is the most active and changing hub through the weekend. Participating teams should check for tags and can reshare stories featuring their teams.
FACEBOOK – STAR CLASS
www.facebook.com/ISCYRA
The Star Class Facebook page hosts daily official class content including results, videos and photos, and end of day press releases.
INSTAGRAM – STAR CLASS
www.instagram.com/internationalstarclass • @internationalstarclass
The Star Class Instagram is your go-to for all class content and official updates from Star Worlds.
YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/sdycsailing
The SDYC YouTube page features a Star Worlds playlist where you can find all the interviews and videos in one place.
SHARING
To share your posts with us, use #2024starworlds.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 14, 2024The 2024 Star World Championship was one of the tightest of the last editions, with the title open until the very last leg of the very last race. The 2-mile downwind stretch of Race Six was the longest in the life of many of the teams fighting for the 2024 World Title, certainly it must have felt that way for John Kostecki and Austin Sperry (USA) who rounded first at the second top mark but saw the Argentinian brothers Leandro and Lucas Altolaguirre chasing them with great pace and eventually taking them over to finish first in the last race. But the one boat in between them, John Dane III with Peter Sangmeister (USA), was not enough for the Altolaguirres to claim the overall regatta: John Kostecki and Austin Sperry are the 2024 Star World Champions, after a tight race with lead changes.
“We won this with a lot of thirds.. still hard to process, I have to thank JK and the team for making me achieve this life dream, it’s been 30 years in the making, it just feels so special. This is for all the guys I sailed with growing up and helped me becoming the sailor and the man I am”, commented right after crossing the finish line a very emotional Austin Sperry, a 2008 Star Olympian with John Dane III.
“We sailed a great race today, we needed to, we had a great start, went fast, we had some luck with the wind shifts and it all just came together, which is what you need to win a World Championship”, added America’s Cup legend, Silver medalist at the 1988 Olympics in the competitive Soling Class, Volvo Ocean Race winner in 2001/02 with Illbruck Challenge and who has won 16 World Championship titles, now 17 with his first one in the Star Class.
It all started on time, but with a General Recall and the following start with Black Flag, with 3 boats over early and had to retire, Erik Lidecis with Gregory Smith – who missed by one position the top 10 – Piet Eckert and Frederico Melo (SUI/POR), Tomas Hornos with Mauricio Bueno (USA/BRA) and local U30 team Carter Cameron with Jack Kingston (USA). 8/10 knots were blowing from Southwest so the race course could be set closer to the shore and away from the coastal current, it was another race with constant bearing adjustments due to clouds passing over the racecourse, difficult for both the 64-boat fleet and the Race Committee.
“It has been a challenge all week between the different wind directions, the current and the eagerness of the fleet at the starts. We had to stay south of Point Loma to have steadier breeze and not too far out to avoid the strong coastal current, but we are happy of the outcome”, commented PRO and Star Class Regatta Director Tom Duggan. “We had San Diego classic conditions on the last four days, the first two were affected by a heatwave, but all in all we had six challenging and fair races for everybody, mission accomplished”, added Deputy PRO and SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson.
At the first top mark Eric Doyle with Payson Infelise (USA) were leading followed by Jack Jennings and Pedro Trouche (USA/BRA), the first ones of the six engaged in the quest for the title were John Kostecki with Austin Sperry, with the Argentinians in eight. The Altolaguirre brothers rounded first at the gate with three boats between them and Kostecki/Sperry, they were winning the Championship in that very moment, but it didn’t last for long. At the second top mark the Americans were first, Dane / Sangmeister second and Altolaguirres third, with Kostecki /Sperry now first in the overall regatta. The second downwind was not for the fainted hearted, and a finish this close hadn’t happened in the Star Class for 23 years, the last time two teams ended one point apart was in 2001.
“It was a long week of challenging conditions and it came down to the last race between six boats, it was and a great way to end his championship really, open until the last leg”, said Danny Cayard, third generation Star sailor.
“It was close down until the end but we were just a little short today.. Congrats to the winners they did a great job and sailed the better race, so hats off to them. We are happy with our result, Danny and I have only sailed together for a short amount of time and so it was good for us personally and I am looking forward to the next one together”, added Will Stout from San Diego Yacht Club.
Leandro and Lucas Altolaguirre, great Argentinian sailors under 40 years old, proved incredible skills, especially downwind, and were backed up by all of the very active Argentinian Star Class, and of course Newport Harbor Star sailor Jim Buckingham who loaned them one of his boats for the Championship.
“We had a tough finish to the Championship and this race, we started well, stayed in the shifts in the first upwind and then had an excellent downwind conquering the first position, in the second upwind we lost two boats and in the last leg, we were fast and won the race, but not the Championship”, declared Lucas Altolaguirre. “We had a fantastic week here, we are very very happy, everything was just perfect”.
The pain is still stinging, and it will hurt for a while for Star Class President, Star World Champion, Louis Vuitton Cup winner and sailing international legend Paul Cayard with two time Star World Champion and Olympian Frithjof Kleen, who ended in fourth after winning three of the six races…
“It is disappointing to win three races and not the World Championship, in Race Two and Race Five I made some mistakes, just big mistakes and finishing more than tenth, you kind of need to stay in the top ten.. if you're not having a great race like today but still sail well and are able to get back to seventh it is ok, so anyway just had too many points and the other guys sailed very consistently and I'm super happy for my son Danny who finished second”, commented Cayard. “Obviously, like Frida said, we were so close to accomplishing the goal, after race four we were really in a strong spot and so it hurts, it's hard to think beyond that right now but we're a good team, we sailed well, we have a fast boat and I'm sure after a few weeks we'll digest this and we will look forward to another shot at this”.
The 2024 Star World Championship closed with the Prize Giving Ceremony at San Diego Yacht Club, with all of the 128 sailors gathered around the new Star World Champions, the ones that will get to engrave their names in the 100+ year old trophy and could lift it in front of the whole fleet tonight.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 07, 2024San Diego Yacht Club and the bay area have always had a special place in the Star Class history. Some of the GOATs of sailing, and the Star boat, banged their first corners just off Point Loma, with 15 Star World titles won by SDYC members over the years. Lowell North, Malin Burnham, Dennis Conner are among the most successful and world-renowned Star sailors from San Diego, but the Pacific keeps on fostering talented sailors. This is what makes the 2024 Star World Championship so special, being in what is indeed one of the cradles of Star sailing in the USA. The event opened today, September 7th with an official ceremony and flag parade with the World Championship following its traditional format with one 2-mile leg race per day over six days with the names of the 2024 Star World Champions confirmed on Friday September 13th.
Star Class President and 1988 Star World Champion Paul Cayard commented, “Standing with the 100-year-old World Championship Trophy makes you realize once again the great history of the Star Class and the big legacy we have to honor as Star sailors, and for me, especially as Class President. This trophy was won 15 times by members of the San Diego Bay fleet, the centre of the San Diego Yacht Club burgee has a red star as well, and that’s the emblem of the Star Class, which highlights the tight link between us, so we're very happy to be back in San Diego; everybody is friendly and super organized, we're really looking forward to starting racing here”.
Sixty-four teams have arrived in Southern California representing 14 countries, to vie for the Gold Star and to engrave their names on the trophy, making history. Some others are here to try to win it again, like Class President Paul Cayard (USA) sailing with two-time World Champion Frithjof Kleen (GER), or the locals George Szabo and Eric Doyle, respectively sailing with Guy Avellon and Payson Infelise, or Miami Star and Snipe hero Augie Diaz, crewed by Bruno Prada (BRA), his winning partner back in 2016, and John Dane III with Peter Sangmeister.
Swiss Piet Eckert with Portuguese sailor Frederico Melo, runner-up last year in Scarlino, Italy, and giving it another shot at the old trophy. America’s Cup legend John Kostecki (USA) for the first time at the Star Worlds with Olympian Crew Austin Sperry, to prove their talent. Six U30 teams are joining the fleet, five from the USA and one from India, who is in the US to complete his master’s degree in Astronomy.
"We're thrilled to host sailors from around the globe for this prestigious event. Over the next week well witness incredible racing, honor some of sailing greatest legends, and enjoy memorable events both on and off the waters," concluded SDYC Commodore Al Pleskus.
The first warning will be signalled starting tomorrow at 13.00 local time (GMT -7), repeated daily until Friday.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 08, 2024San Diego delivered incredible conditions on Day One of the 2024 Star World Championship. With sunshine, 12 to 15 knots of northwesterly breeze, and chop mixed with ocean swell, the 64 teams participating had it all. The eager fleet couldn’t wait to get going, and after two general recalls PRO Tom Duggan had to hoist the Black Flag to get a clean start, and they were off for the five-leg race. The wind was gusty and shifty; today was all about being in the right place while maneuvering and managing the boat in the chop and strong wind. Six teams couldn’t handle the conditions and did not finish the race.
At the first top mark, the "old newcomers" to the class, America’s Cup legend John Kostecki and Star Olympian Austin Sperry, were leading ahead of Will Stout and Danny Cayard, followed by Danny’s father, Class President, and one of the most eclectic sailors in history, Paul Cayard, with his Star World Champion and Olympian crew, Frithjof Kleen. They arrived at the top mark all very close, and by the gate, Cayard/Kleen rounded the right gate just a few seconds ahead of Kostecki/Sperry, who split and went left. A tight battle on the second upwind between the two American sailing superstars saw Kostecki/Sperry arrive first at the second top mark, with Cayard/Kleen in second, Stout/Cayard in third, and the Altolaguirre brothers, Leandro and Lucas from Argentina, in fourth, just centimeters ahead of local legend Eric Doyle with Payson Infelise. The Altolaguirres had a great downwind leg and rounded the gate in second behind Cayard/Kleen, whose speed downwind was truly impressive with Kostecki/Sperry in third. This order was confirmed at the finish, with Cayard/Kleen conquering the first of six races to take the lead in the 2024 Star World Championship.
“It was a great race; we just kept it super simple. Although we didn't have a great start because I had to bail out at the pin end and gybe around, that end was so favored that eventually we got through and had a decent lane. But I think mainly we were fast, and we sailed pretty smart. We were able to work our way through, so it feels good to have the speed. We've been training for quite a while for this race, so I think we're in a good position for the rest of the week,” commented Paul Cayard. “We had really good speed, picked the right shifts, chose the right gates, and were always sailing in good pressure. I think we did pretty well. The Argentinians kept on pushing, and they were pretty quick, so we had to watch them and felt the pressure. Paul did a fantastic job helming the boat, always very fast. It was great and fun!” added crew Frithjof Kleen.
Tomorrow’s racing will start at 1300, and the forecast suggests it should be lighter than today, providing a nice change of scenario and opening up opportunities for light breeze enthusiasts.
Author: Star Class office - August 08, 20242024 ISCYRA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
6 September 2024
1700
San Diego, California, USA
AGENDA
Author: SDYC - December 21, 2023San Diego Yacht Club is excited to invite members of the International Star Class to compete at the Star World Championship in San Diego, CA in September, 2024. SDYC has been host to the regatta in 2013, 1994, 1973, 1969, 1961, 1958, 1940, 1938, making 2024 our 9th edition. San Diego Yacht Club and the Star World Championship Committee are committed to making this regatta a top-notch experience for sailors and spectators alike. In addition to seven days on the water, the Star Worlds will be home to thriving hospitality on land. The week will start with a blue-blazer opening ceremony, a midweek dinner on the aircraft carrier Midway, a progressive dinner on property and drinks and snacks daily on the dock after racing. There will be a designated “Star Lounge” for both competitors and guests staffed daily with a yacht club volunteer “ambassador” to answer questions and provide local knowledge. Keep an eye on the Star Class and SDYC websites for information and assistance with planning. We look forward to seeing you!
Al Pleskus, SDYC Commodore
John Burnham and Traci Baillie Miller, Co-Chairs
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 09, 2024It took four start attempts for Race Two to get off at the 2024 Star World Championship in San Diego, California – a frustrating beginning to a day that the fleet will remember as a very difficult one. During the two laps of the windward/leeward course, they had to keep their cool while the weather played tricks on them.
The wind off the coast of Silver Strand, just south of San Diego, was fickle and shifty. A good 10-12 knot breeze welcomed the fleet on the racecourse at around 1230, but right after the third start sequence, an hour and two general recalls later, it died within 2 minutes, leaving half of the fleet floating on the left side of the line. That same side was then the favored one in the fourth, and actual, start of Race Two. That is where local skipper Will Stout with crew Danny Cayard took off from. A good first beat playing the shifts and they were comfortably leading at the top mark, followed by local legend Eric Doyle with Payson Infelise. By the gate, their margin had at least doubled, and so on until the finish, which they crossed several minutes before Doyle and Infelise.
“We got off on the left side of the line and just had a little bit more pressure than everybody else, then we took it to the right side and then it was just about tacking left and right to stay in the pressure,” started Will Stout.
“The pressure was up and down and left and right all day today, and we really tried to keep our heads out of the boat, talking constantly with each other. It seemed to continuedly pay for us, and we were looking at our competitors, there's no slouches out there, so we tried and use what they were doing to our advantage, and we were able to put one together today,” added Danny Cayard.
Stout and Cayard are second overall thanks to two very good days, while Doyle and Infelise are the provisional leaders of the 2024 Star World Championship, even though, like everyone cares to underline, the road is still long and the trophy far away.
“There were very trying conditions, especially for the Race Committee today, they did a fantastic job. The wind was shifting around, it was quite up and down at a lot of different wind directions from the either the pin end or the weather end,” commented Doyle. “It was very challenging, we had several recalls and a race abandoned because the wind died in our face, so basically it went from zero to 12 knots at times. You had to hook the puffs together, play the left, but watch out for big right shifts and work hard downwind. Kudos to Will and Danny, they had a big race and won, but after two days we're happy of our performance, we're chipping away and things are going well.”
For a handful of very happy teams, like Augie Diaz (USA) and Bruno Prada (BRA) who went from 16th place to 4th place, there were many struggling on the racecourse. Huge distances separated them and everyone was looking for that puff that just wasn’t coming, like Olympian Jon Dane III and Peter Sangmeister (USA), who finished in 9th yesterday and 35th today. Or, even worse, Continental Champion Tomas Hornos (USA) and Mauricio Bueno (BRA), who finished 10th in Race One and 56th in Race Two.
Nonetheless, no angry faces were spotted at the after-sail refreshments at the San Diego Yacht Club, the Championship is not even halfway through and after four races the throw out comes in. After a long day, competitors were welcomed to a dockside social, followed by a Gin tasting at the Club and a North Sails panel.
Author: Star Class Office - January 25, 2024The San Diego Yacht Club is excited to invite members of the International Star Class to compete at the Star World Championship in San Diego, CA in September, 2024. The NOR is now posted and we look forward to your entry! SDYC is offering free boat storage from August 19-September 19 and member pricing for storage outside these dates. In addition to seven competitive days on the water, the Star Worlds will be home to thriving hospitality on land. The week will start with a blue-blazer opening ceremony, a midweek dinner on the aircraft carrier Midway, a Thursday dinner on property and drinks and snacks daily on the dock after racing. There will be a designated “Star Lounge” for both competitors and guests staffed daily with a yacht club volunteer “ambassador” to answer questions and provide local knowledge. Keep an eye on the Star Class and SDYC websites for updated information and assistance with planning. We look forward to seeing you!
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 10, 2024Out of three races of the 2024 Star World Championship, two were won by the American-German team Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen, the other one, yesterday’s, by Will Stout and Danny Cayard, Paul’s son, so every race so far was won by a Cayard.
Family and tradition have always played an important role within the Star Class, it is not uncommon to have second, third and even fourth generation Star sailors in the same family, but here, at the 2024 Star World Championship in San Diego, California, this family is just proving to be in great form – Paul and Danny have just won the North American Championship in Newport Beach, LA, together just over a month ago.
Race Three of the 2024 Star World Championship was epic: tough and tactical at the same time. The breeze was up from 10-12 knots to gusts of 15 throughout the racecourse, then it was down in some big holes here and there, the chop was high, mixed with the ocean swell, and the left was once again favored but you could not go all in with it for there were big puffs on the right. Off the start Cayard / Kleen were already in the lead with a good margin by the top gate. That margin extended all the way to the finish and they earned in a second bullet that puts them in third overall position before the throw-out.
“We had a great start, tacked on port and got in a very good lane on the first beat. We were very fast, so fast in fact that I made a mistake and went too far, giving away some distance coming into the windward mark, but we still had a very comfortable lead and really we just managed the race from there”, commented Paul Cayard about the win. “It wasn't straightforward, it was tricky, the wind got very light downwind, but we told ourselves that we need to sail more with our heads out of the boat. Yesterday we got caught and had a bad race because we weren’t looking around enough, so we made that improvement, and we were rewarded with the first place”.
“I think that we're very fast in all conditions, also yesterday we were, I guess, the fastest on the racecourse, it’s key to keep our heads out of the boat. We are now looking forward to fantastic midweek Prize Giving Ceremony tonight on an aircraft carrier, San Diego yacht club is putting up a great show and the Star Class is always delivering the best Word Championship”, added crew Firthjof Kleen.
As ‘Frida’ said, the 64-boat fleet is invited to the Midweek Prize Giving Ceremony tonight at the USS Midway, a historical naval aircraft carrier museum in downtown San Diego. The Midweek Party is a long-standing tradition in the Star Class, awarding the winners of the first three race and the best team halfway through the Championship.
Race four is scheduled for tomorrow at 12.55 with forecast for lighter breeze and cooler temperatures. After tomorrow’s race the throw-out will come in place and the tight ranking might be shaken up.
“It’s tough everyday here – said Olympian crew Austin Sperry – yesterday was a grind for us, going from 23rd at the topmark to 11th, in the big picture I was pretty happy, today was hard as well”.
“Another tricky day today, every day is been not typical San Diego, lot of changes going on during the day, we had a really good last beat and we were able to pass a bunch of boats”, commented his skipper John Kostecki. “We are in the middle of the Championship, and we are right there, ready to give it all in the last three races, it’s hard, there are a lot of great teams out there!”, concluded.
