2000 North American Championship – Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Regatta Report by Bill Allen
The 2000 Star North American Championship returned to one of the most popular venues in North America, the Cleveland Yachting Club. Thirty-three competitors from three countries arrived expecting the same varied and difficult conditions experienced in the Star World's in 1990. They were not disappointed. The attendance was probably held down slightly because the World's was less than 3 months earlier in Annapolis, but the competition and camaraderie were unmatched.
The Cleveland Yachting Club has hosted numerous top level Star regattas over the past several decades, including 4 continental championships, numerous district championships, and the 1990 World's, which set the standard for World Championship professionalism and hospitality, both on and off the water, for the decade of the 90's. Commodore Brian Cruse and Regatta Chairman Mark Busch, both long time star class competitors, and their team of cager and dedicated volunteers continued the fine tradition of great regattas at CYC.
FIRST RACE
The regatta schedule called for 2 races on opening day. The first start was delayed due to shifting winds. Finally race one got underway in a 5-10 knot breeze from the West. Unfortunately, 2/3 of the way up the first leg, the wind shifted 40 degrees to the left and the race was abandoned. A second attempt at race one was likewise abandoned when the wind went 40 degrees right! A third attempt almost was aborted as well, as another lefty hit the fleet. However, this time the shift was only 15- 20 degrees and the race continued. Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl led the fleet, followed by Rob Maine/Brian Murphy, and Eric Doyle/Phil Trinter. By the leeward mark, the wind was diminishing and totally died just as the first boats reached the mark. Doyle/Trinter were able to tack away and get into breeze coming from the left and led the fleet the rest of the race. Reynolds/Liljedahl and others were stuck on the right and could never recover. Bill Allen/Mark Strube also got over to the left and finished second, with Paul Sustronk/Mike Wolf third. Local sailor Doug Owens and crew George Auer, all 300 pounds of them, sailed a fine race to finish 6th. Thankful to have completed one race, the committee sent the fleet home.
The second day provided beautiful sailing conditions, winds 10-15 from the North. Unlike day one, the fleet got away cleanly. Allen/ Strube got a nice shift near the weather mark to round 1st, followed by Reynolds/Liljedahl and Gavin Brady/ Jamie Gale from New Zealand. Both Olympians showed their surfing technique and passed Allen/Strube off the wind. Brady/Gale moved into the lead on the second weather leg, as the wind shifted left slightly. Allen/Strube followed in 2nd, with Doyle/Trinter next and Vessella/Fatih and Reynolds/Liljedahl close behind. Reynolds/Liljedahl and Vessella/Fatih sailed lower on the run and passed Doyle/Trinter and Allen/Strube, finishing second and third.
THIRD RACE
The wind diminished slightly for the second race of the day. Again, Reynolds/Liljedahl led at the weather mark with Brady/Gale a close second. The Wilbur twins, Richard and Robert, from CYC (recently un-retired) were also in the thick of things, and moved into the lead on the second beat. Reynolds/Liljedahl finally passed them to win the race; Ross Adams/Chuck Nevel from Wilmette Harbor finished 2nd and the Wilburs were 3rd.
FOURTH RACE
Day three dawned with wind from the south at 6-10 knots and slowly dying. Again, shifting winds made for interesting sailing and lots of position changes. Brady/Gale led the first time around. On the second beat, Doyle/Trinter played a shift to the left and won the race. Brady/Gale held on for sec- ond, and John MacCausland/Sean Delaney made their first entry into the top three. Rob Maine and Kevin Murphy from Wilmette Harbor were 4th and Susie Pegel and Tom George (SDB) finished 5th. After four races, The New Zealand Olympic team of Brady/Gale and the Americans Doyle/Trinter were starting to put some distance on the fleet. But on Lake Erie, weird things can happen.
FIFTH RACE
For the second race of the doubleheader, with the wind dying, the shifts became more pronounced and large holes developed. It was sometimes difficult to tell whether the changes were shifts or just no wind. Brady/Gale played on the left side well and led the fleet at the weather mark. Vessella/Fatih rounded second, with Reynolds/Liljedahl third and the Wilbur twins about 5th or 6th. Positions remained about the same the rest of the way. On the final beat to the finish, the racing was very close, with Vessella/ Fatih edging out Brady/Gale, with Wilbur/ Wilbur third. Brady/Gale now led the regatta by 2 points.
FINAL RACE
The last race was slightly delayed, as the wind filled in from the north at 8-12 knots. Being the only 2 boats with a chance to win the series, an interesting pre-start duel developed between Brady/Gale and Doyle/Trinter. I missed the precise maneuvering, and any vocal exchanges. But with 30 seconds to go, both boats were fully hiked and heading to the start. Amazingly, both got to the line about at the gun and had clear starts. Brady/Gale were able to work out a lead, not only on Doyle/Trinter, but on the rest of the fleet as well. Vessella/Fatih, continuing an outstanding performance late in the series, were 2nd, with Susie Pegel/Tom George and the Doyle/Trinter team fighting for 3rd. Vessella/Fatih took over the lead on the second beat, with Brady/Gale concentrating on staying ahead of Doyle/Trinter. They finished 2nd in the race and won the Championship. Doyle/Trinter finished second in the series, Vassella/Fatih third, Reynolds/Liljedahl fourth, and Allen/Strube fifth.
The awards dinner was a great party in the CYC tradition. In addition to series and daily awards, Bill Allen/Mark Strube won the Masters Trophy, the Richard and Robert Wilbur won the family award with their very respectable 9th place. Matt Freeman (12) won the youngest crew award sailing with his dad Jim, and the Parkers (Dick and son Bryan) won the middle of the fleet award (and 2nd in the family award). It's great to see our grand prix sailors and weekend warriors competing together and enjoying the competition and camaraderie that makes our class the best.
Special thanks go to all those who helped put on this outstanding regatta. Unfortunately, they are too numerous to mention. Co-PRO's Tom Adams and John Busch did a great job in very difficult conditions. The competitors and class deeply appreciate all the hard work that goes into running a continental championship. CYC will be a tough act to follow; we all look forward to coming back!
The 2001 North Americans will be sailed at Milford, Connecticut next August. Milford is a great venue and provides similar Star class tradition. It should be another great event.
2000 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP - CLEVELAND, OH
Place No. Skipper Crew Fleet Daily Places Pts.
1 7939 Gavin Brady Jamie Gale NZL 8 1 4 2 2 1 10
2 7737 Eric Doyle Phil Trinter SDB 1 4 5 1 15 4 15
3 7972 Peter Vessella Brian Fatih WSFB 21 3 6 8 1 2 20
4 7995 Mark Reynolds Magnus Liljedahl SDB 32 2 1 18 4 3 28
5 7986 Bill Allen Mark Strube WH 2 5 7 6 16 12 32
6 7515 Ross Adams Chuck Nevel WH 10 7 2 24 7 7 33
7 8024 J.A. MacCauslandSean Delaney CR 9 8 10 3 5 13 35
8 7838 Ben Mitchell Rick Peters LB 13 6 8 15 6 10 43
9 7410 Richard Wilber Robert Wilber CLE 30 12 3 17 3 9 44
10 7325 Susie Pegel Tom George SDB 11 13 12 5 10 6 44
11 7905 Rob Maine Kevin Murphy WH 14 16 9 4 8 11 46
12 7938 Paul Sustronk Mike Wolf LOC 3 ocs 11 7 23 5 49
13 7963 Jock Kohlhas Fred Weber BisB 4 10 15 22 12 17 58
14 7609 Tony Snell David Caesar LOC 5 9 18 26 14 18 64
15 7547 Jack Rickard Tom Dendy WH 7 18 14 10 19 15 64
16 7765 Dick Parker Bryan Parker SLE 15 22 19 11 11 14 70
17 7626 James Freeman Matthew Freeman SL 22 15 25 13 13 8 71
18 7428 Douglas Owens George Auer CLE 6 27 21 9 27 23 86
19 7630 Brad Anderson Ryan Smith LOC 26 19 23 20 9 16 87
20 7993 Joe Bainton Chris Rogers NB 27 17 17 16 18 20 88
21 7930 John Chiarella Terry Fletcher Sun 12 20 31 25 17 22 96
22 7263 John Hunger Rex Gary CLE 23 26 20 12 22 21 98
23 7408 Clifford ThomasAgop Kasparin LS 18 23 16 23 21 25 101
24 7140 Brian Cruse Mike Lovett CLE 16 29 30 14 20 29 108
25 7664 Tom Londrigan SrJoe Cole LS 20 21 28 19 24 28 112
26 7471 John Bainton Will Christianson NB 17 14 26 dnf dnc 24 115
27 7786 Bert Collins Guy Avellon An 25 24 24 28 25 19 117
28 7434 Bill Parks Mike Laport GLM 19 11 22 dnc dnc wth 120
29 7951 Will Bacon Jon Rogers An 24 25 27 29 dnc 26 131
30 8011 Bob Van Wagnen Eric Beckwith BisB 31 ocs 13 21 dnc dnc 133
31 7047 Phillip HaggertyBrad Sokach LOC 29 28 32 27 26 27 137
32 7060 Brian McKay Marshall Wilde LOC 28 30 29 dnf dnc 30 151
33 7064 Dan Roehl Tim Gallagher 33 31 dnf 30 dnf 31 159
