February 2019 News

INTERNATIONAL STAR CLASS LEGACY FOUNDATION

It’s Miami, it’s Biscayne Bay and it’s the Star Class. A big fleet of Star boats is racing on the blue ocean waters with 10 knots of breeze: it doesn’t get much better than this and it is easy to understand why so many sailors got hooked to Star sailing when events are organized in the South of Florida in winter time.

This is what the International Star Class Legacy Foundation board thought when, about one year ago, started thinking and molding the event they believe will keep one of the oldest sport association shining bright for many years to come, the Under 30 World Championship.

The Legacy Foundation was created in 2016 by a group of Star passionate who were worried about the future of their beloved boat and class. Born in 1911 by a genius American designer, the Star is among the oldest boat still holding very participated regattas, because it is still one of the most versatile, technical and challenging boat ever built. It was represented at 18 Olympic Games for 80 years, it went from the age of real traditional regattas in the Thirties and Forties to the technological era of the fast boats at the London Games in 2012. That was the last time the class was to the Olympics, and then is when the Star Class started noticing a decrease in membership and an increase of age of members.

And if it is without doubts great to see how the Star boat is ‘sailable’ for life, to keep the one century long tradition alive and kicking somebody had to turn hopes into action.

Luke Lawrence and Alexey Selivanov are the winners of the inaugural Star Junior World Championship

American sailor Luke Lawrence is, with crew Alexey Selivanov, the first Star Junior World Champion Under 30 after a six race regatta in the water of Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, successfully hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club and organized by the International Star Class.
The championship started off well for the team who won the inaugural race of the series on Monday, then handed the lead last night to Charlie Buckingham and Austin Sperry (USA) and even today, on the last downwind they were second to Tomas Hornos (USA) and Pedro Trouche (BRA). But the finish line was upwind and they managed to pass a couple of boats, all they needed to conquer the first ever Star Junior World Championship title.

Perfect Miami conditions bring American Olympic sailor Charlie Buckingham with Austin Sperry to the lead of the Star Junior World Championship

It was a typical Biscayne Bay kind of day; sunshine and breeze going from 6-7 knots in the morning up to 10-12 in the afternoon. Three races were sailed as scheduled, thanks to a great job by the Race Committee with PRO Carl Schellbach, and the 36 teams, with their ’30 and under’ skippers who really enjoyed the second day of the inaugural Star Junior World Championship hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club.
 
With today’s three races completed the Championship is back on schedule with the provisional leaders, after four races, American Charlie Buckingham – who moved to the Star after finishing fourth in the Laser at the recent World Cup Series event –and Star US Olympian, Austin Sperry. The American team posted a bullet in today’s last race, while the other two race wins went to Star Sailors League Finals 2018 winner Pedro Trouche (BRA) crewing for American Tomas Hornos, sitting in second place overall, and to 2017 Star World Champion crew Joshua Revkin (USA), at the helm, with Arthur Anosov as crew. Third overall are Americans Luke Lawrence with Alexey Selvanov, winners of yesterday’s only race.

One race on the opening day of the inaugural Star Junior World Championship in Miami

Beautiful sunshine and light breeze welcomed this morning the 36 teamsattending the inaugural Star Junior World Championship at Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami, USA. The Committee was eager to get on the racecourse as the weather forecast said the breeze would be dropping in the early afternoon. One race was concluded on Biscayne Bay with the wind blowing around 6-8 knots from West at the start at 12,10 pm and then dropping to 4-5 knots towards the end of the race one hour and 15 minutes later.

Racing at the Star Junior World Championship starts tomorrow in Miami

Everything is ready in Miami, Florida, at Coral Reef Yacht Club for the first ever Star Junior World Championship. About 35 skippers 30 and under will be racing starting tomorrow February 4th through Wednesday the 6th on the blue waters of Biscayne Bay to win the title of Star Junior World Champion. Fifteen Nations are represented in Miami and many newbies will helm one of the oldest and most traditional boats, the Star. Designed in 1911 and still holding very popular regattas around the world in which some of the heroes of our sport race.