2022 Star Class World Championship

The 2022 Star Class World Championship presented by Bacardi was officially declared open by Tom Londrigan, International Star Class President, on the morning of Sunday, September 11 accompanied by a parade of nations and gun salute at Eastern Yacht Club.
 
The opening day was plagued by a light and shifty breeze, with a major left shift forcing the race committee to postpone the start and reset the course, with the second attempt abandoned. At 1530 hours, race 1 got underway with a 2.2 mile upwind leg, featuring breeze of around 4 knots and big shifts. The leading pack read the course well, but it was a dice roll for many of the 84 teams in the fleet with the changing pressure, dropping to 2 knots and up to 6 knots at times, with a strong current proving tricky.

Live tracking is available to follow the Star World Championship, provided by TracTrac

LIVE TRACKING

The Eastern Yacht Club on Boston’s north shore, one of the USA’s most preeminent clubs, is home to the 2022 Star Class World Championship presented by Bacardi from September 8-17.
 
Marking the 100^th Anniversary since the first Star Worlds in 1922, the Championship represents a significant moment in history, reflected in the attendance by sailors from around the world who will compete to write their names on the Star World Championship Trophy, titles and prizes.
 
Following four days of inspection to ensure compliance with class rules, the practice race got underway today, Saturday, September 10, followed by a cocktail hour hosted by Bacardi, which no doubt will be a popular post-race daily gathering throughout the Championship.
 
“The International Star Class Yacht Racing Association is beyond proud to be celebrating this historic achievement, the first by any international class,” commented Tom Londrigan, Star Class President. “Over the past 100 years, the role the Star Class has played in international sailing cannot be overstated. The Star has led with innovations, not least modernizing itself, while retaining its distinctive one-design hull shape. The Star’s popularity continues, spanning generations. Beloved by all ages, the youngest sailor competing here is Vincent Schrader (GER), 23 years old, with the oldest, John Chiarella (USA) at 85 – all thrilled to be competing. John Chiarella is the Star Class Commodore.  Thank you to our hosts the Eastern Yacht Club, to the Star Class sailors and volunteers. We look forward to a wonderful week.”
 

Star Worlds Competitors;

Please check your inbox for the Logistics arrival memo that was mailed to all competitors today.   It is also posted on the Worlds website.

Looking forward to seeing everyone very soon!

Logistics Memo

90 entries from 14 nations with over 15 past World Champions and 15 U30 teams

It’s shaping up to be an event to remember, the 2022 Star World Championship not only will be celebrating the 100th Anniversary Championship but will register a record number of participants after the Olympic years. There will be over 15 past Star World Champions and a good representation of the new generation with 15 U30 teams.
 
100 years ago, the first ever Star World Championship took place in Long Island, NY, USA, the boat was about 10 years old and its popularity was expanding from the American borders to the rest of the Globe. This year we celebrate one the most endured sailing classes, the International Star Class, with the 100th Anniversary Star World Championship, in Marblehead, MA, USA, not so distant from the venue of the first edition of the event. 90 entries 10 years after being cut from the Olympic Games, it is a testimony of the longstanding appeal of the boat designed in 1910 by Francis Sweisguth and as an Olympic sailing class for 80 years, from 1932 to 2012, more than any other class.

The U 30 committee would like to express its thanks to Starclass member and 2006 District Champion Will Swigart for stepping up to sponsor Vincent and Marcel from Germany.  Will has kindly lent his beautiful 8291 to these young star sailors so that they can compete at the Western Hemisphere Championship and the Worlds.  Indeed, he has gone so far as to arrange delivery of the boat to and from the regattas, so all the boys have to do is show up and sail their best.

We use this opportunity to thank Will publicly for his participation and to commend him as an example of American hospitality and honoring the best traditions of our class.  Quoting Will here without his permission: 

“I remember being an age when gestures like this made an enormous difference, equally German Star sailors were amazingly open and helpful to Chuck Beek and me in the summer of 1986.”

Certainly most of us can remember a time early in our sailing careers when we were helped along by senior members of the class.  Now we need two more of these.  There are U 30 teams from Austria and Brazil waiting to buy plane tickets if we can supply them with boats!   We once again urge the membership to participate in our project for the future of our class and sport.

Humbly and sincerely,

Benjamin Sternberg
Arnd Glunde

The U 30 committee has received requests from two more U 30 teams – one from Austria, and one from Brazil – for loaner boats to attend the Worlds in Marblehead.  We humbly and urgently ask the membership of the Star Class to come up with two more race-ready boats to welcome these young teams to our marquee event of 2022 and inaugurate them into the best traditions of our class. 

If you are an American within a reasonable driving distance of Marblehead please contact us about lending your boat to one of these teams.

There are charter boats available, so a cash donation could pay for the transport or the charter fee for one of these boats. Please contact the Star Class office if you would like to make a donation for an U30 team.

If you are somewhere in between – maybe with time and a vehicle – and are willing to deliver a boat gratis please let us know.

We firmly believe that absent the Olympics and the SSL the only way we can replenish our ranks and grow our class is by showcasing our most valuable asset – ourselves.  The way we will do this is by applying the resources we have and our goodwill towards the future to roll out the red carpet for our young teams so that not only will they come to compete with us, but that in their turn they will extend the same courtesy they received to the next generation.  This is truly the best tradition of our class, one that we learned from those who came before us, and that we are bound to teach by example to the generations to come.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Sternberg
Arnd Glunde
U30 Committee