News
IGC APPROVES USE OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP YEARS AS SAIL NUMBERS
For 2022, the IGC has approved all World Championship competitors the right to use a number between 1922 and 2022 as their Sail number for the entire 2022 season. This approval supports the celebration of 100 Years of Star World Championships in a way to honor every year there has been a Championship, represented as a sail number.
World Champion skippers AND crews will have first choice to display “their World Championship year”. It is expected that skippers AND crews will fly their honors (Gold Stars/Olympic Rings/four gold bars).
As of April 15, World Champions have been contacted and several have responded positively that they will be using their year of victory as their sail number with their Gold Star or bars. After May 15, the unclaimed years will be opened to current 2022 World Championship registrants. The Class and regatta organizers will be on hand to help with the transition for sailors who need to change numbers.
Organizer Danny Cayard commented, “The Star Class is the oldest One Design class in the sport of sailing. 100 years of Star World Championships is no small achievement. Amongst the many special events of the 2022 World Championship, the recognition of each World Championship year, carried by all competitors as sail numbers, will serve as an impressive reminder of the history of the class.”
This visual image on the sails celebrates 100 years of Star Class World Championships.
Watch the Worlds entry list to see what years will be represented!
REDUCED ENTRY FEE ANNOUNCED FOR U30 TEAMS
The Star Class Legacy Foundation and the Eastern Yacht Club have collaborated to ensure the U-30 teams will have a special entry fee rate for the 2022 Star World Championship in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Qualified U30 teams will enjoy a reduced entry fee of $150.
“This news is fantastic. Housing provided and now a manageable entry fee makes this event possible for young sailors,” said District 2 U30 sailor Matt Rajacich. In addition, the Australian Star Class commented that “we are working very closely to develop a couple of Australian U30 sailors and this provides additional motivation to get them into the Class seeing the support offered – it is truly an amazing Class!”
Star Class President Tom Londrigan added, “I had two separate U30 sailors approach me yesterday and promised to give a donation to the Legacy Foundation when they heard the news. These young sailors don’t have much but the reduced fee is not lost on them, they want to show their appreciation. It’s this type of support that reminds us that we are all part of this Class and that our growth and success is a team effort.”
The 2022 Worlds is aiming to draw over 100 teams to the regatta, and all the organizations involved ageree on the importance of attracting U30 teams for the class and for the sport as a whole. This reduced entry fee is a group effort across each of the organizations: Eastern Yacht Club reduced the fee in half for U30 teams; the Star Class waived its portion of the fee; and finally, the Legacy Foundation agreed to support the remaining fee on an application basis.
Entry forms can be found on the Star Worlds website
Sailors interested in applying, please contact the Star Class office
Star Worlds Offers Free U30 Housing
Recognizing the importance of attracting the U30 sailors, Eastern Yacht Club and its members have graciously offered to house U30 sailors gratis during the event. Priority will be given to these teams to enable them to attend this prestigious event as well as experience Marblehead hospitality.
The 100th Anniversary of Star Class World Championships will be held this September 10-17, 2022 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA. The host for the event is the prestigious Eastern Yacht Club.
Eastern Yacht Club has hosted the Star Class World Championship twice; first in 1981 and most recently in 1997.
Interested sailors are encouraged to contact the Class for the availability of charter boats to attend this and other major events. For more information: Star Worlds Website
Entry Open for 2022 World Championship & 100th Anniversary of Star World Championships
Entry is now open for the 2022 Star World Championship. This will be a celebration of the first 100 years of the Star World Championships.
STARTLING FINALE AT THE 2021 STAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2021 Star World Champions who won the event yesterday at the end of Race 5, Diego Negri (ITA) and Frithjof Kleen, have sailed a flawless series and topped everyone else in the 83-boat fleet. They opted for not racing today and left the field free to the teams fighting for the Star Worlds podium. And it proved to be quite a battle, first of all with their nerves.
18 boats were spotted over the starting line early in the second general recall of race six with a black flag hoisted, and for this they were disqualified. A heavy burden for a few, already discarding a high result in their scorecard. They all presented a request for redress, but the jury rejected all but one. Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada were granted redress by the International Jury but due to their first UFD, it didn’t help much in their hunt for a place in the spotlight.
On the water, the fight for the medals was decided between the Austrians Johann Spitzauer and Hans-Christian Nehammer (AUT) and Olympic silver medalist Tonci Stipanovic with Tudor Bilic (CRO). The 2017 Star World Champion Eivind Melleby (NOR) with Guy Thomas Avellon (USA) and Denmark's Jörgen Schönherr, who had three-time European Champion Markus Koy (GER) onbord, were also still in the game.
DIEGO NEGRI AND FRITHJOF KLEEN ARE THE 2021 STAR WORLD CHAMPIONS
“It is unbelievable, a dream come true", commented a very emotional Diego Negri, who has been a three-time runner-up at the Star Worlds. "And today was a tough day with rain and clouds around. Towards the end the wind dropped a lot so I was really, really afraid that it would be cancelled and it would have been too much to take in, but luckily we made it to the finish line”.
“It’s been a long way to come to this finish line. All my sailing history is coming together here, today. I think it was a tough championship, with some waiting in the beginning, and then two long races per day, trying to keep the focus at all times. But it’s great, and it came in a good moment in my sailing career. I don't know what I could have done better this week, I knew that we had to do something special to beat the other guys, Mateusz and Bruno, Xavier and the others, and I think Frithjof and I really did something special. We’ve prepared hard for this, with Werner Fritz helping us, coming out so many times with us on Lake Garda, always trusting us, and then thanks to Folli who gave me this amazing beautiful girl, I love her!! I named her ‘21’ because she arrived after the pandemic in 2021, and she is a winner like in blackjack, where 21 is the winning number. So she will now be my baby forever. Special thanks go to my family, of course, especially my wife, without her, there would be no chance I could have done any of this. Thanks to everyone!”