Photo Credit: Photo Credit: FRIED ELLIOTT / friedbits.com


1962 World Championship - Cascais, Portugal

1962 World Championship - Cascais, Portugal

The following results are from the Star Logs. In common with the early Logs from 1950 through 1976 both yacht numbers and names were given but starting with 1977 frequently only yacht numbers were given. The last time both yacht numbers and yacht names were given was 1989. In later years sometimes fleet designations were omitted. In these cases, some of the more obvious fleet designations were supplied. Also, from time to time only last names were supplied. First names, where known, were added.

1962 WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP - CASCAIS, PORTUGAL 

No.   Yacht		Skipper	         Crew		Fleet		Daily Places		Pts.

4241  Glider		Richard Stearns	Lynn Williams	WH		 4   3   4   6   6	347

3870  Faneca		Duarte Bello	Fernando Bello	CP		 3   5   1  12  10	339

4525  Shanty		E. W. Etchells	R. M. Allan III	CLIS		16   9  11   2   1	331

4260  Frolic		Bill Buchan Jr	Douglas Knight	PS		14   1  14   9   9	323

4545  Cyrano		Joseph Burbeck	Donald Dowd    	WLIS		 2   2  30   5  14	317

4489  Big Daddy		Don K. Edler	Kent D. Edler	NH		 5   4  26   7  13	315

3925  Espadarte		Joaquim Fiuza	Jose Reis    	FdeL		 7  12   3  11  22	315

3802  Tornado		Timir Pinegin	Feodor Shutkov	Mosc		 1  30  39   1   3	296

4589  Cirrus		H. Lippincott	W. Mason Shehan	ES		11   8  41   8   7	295

3954  Ma' Lindo		Mario Quina	Francisco Quina	Lag		35  10  23  15   2	285

4207  Dingo		Ding SchoonmakerJohn Boyer	BisB		29  14  31  13   4	279

4588  Razor		R. Lippincott	Robert Halperin	WJ		 9  31  35   3  17	275

4395  Illusion		Paul Fischer	Kai Krueger    	HF		 6  38  34  17   8	267

4499  Mystere		Edwin Bernet	J. Peter Schmid	Rap		 8  40   6  26  24	266

4231  Gale    		Harry G. Nye	John Lechner	SLM		12  16  37  10  31	264

4161  Flying Star V	Lars Berg	Goran Tell    	Sand		22  19   2  35  30	262

4269  Vagspel		Borge Larsson	Goran Dahl    	ST		27  27   7  19  28	262

4420  North Star IV	Lowell North	Kim Fletcher	SDB		15  11  10  wdr 12	248

4072  Tantrum		Samuel S. Beard	James Black    	GSB		21  25  wdr  4  11	235

4265  Evergreen II	Bengt G. Elfvin	Holger SundstromKat		30  42  15  18  32	233

4112  Flamingo IV	Paul Woodbury	Joseph Duplin	CA		31  23   8  dsa  5	229

4597  Tijuca		C. W. Lyon Jr	Frank Lyon    	AH		41  29  25  27  21	227

3896  Brise		Angelo Marino	Arnaldo Panico	FdiF		18  20  47  14  45	226

3332  Caprice		Carlo Rolandi	Alfonso Marino	FdCA		39  32  12  47  20	220

3810  Merope III		Franco Cavallo	Vincenso Fania	CPI		40  44  28  16  23	219

4295  Cam III		Phil. Chancerel	Michel Parent	SGS		13   7  32  25  dsq	219

4602  Alvo II		Charles H. Dole	Everett Temme	W		33  33  45  23  19	217

4484  Umberta V		Luigi Croce	Luigi Saidelli  FdiG		19  52  16  31  41	211

4511  Pimm		W. von HütschlerGerd Fisher	RdJ		37   6  20  52  44	211

4225  Mechtild		Josef Pankofer	Eckart Wagner	Chi		17  18  21  dsq 35	205

4325  Frip		Georges Pisani	Noel DesaubliauxFdAN		50  46   5  44  34	191

4196  Pakaria		Robert J. Smith	K. Mumford   	Pit		46  24  64  20  27	189

4195  Malabar		Jorge Pontual	Cid Nascimento	VII		23  15  57  dnf 15	186

3365  Katia II		Michel Gautier	Fernand Thieck	S		28  55  36  40  26	185

4236  Merry		Erich Schrauder	Gubi Leemann	TB		dsq 21  19  32  40	184

4070  Cetus		Bonar Davis	Charles RickardEB		45  34  27  42  43	179

4573  Petrea VII		Peter Hansohm	Duwald Dotzer	KF		56  47  18  22  48	179

4378  Gipsy		Lars-J. Nygren	C-J. Fogelholm	Fin		10  43  49  wdr 16	178

3070  Noni	     	A. M. Correia	Antonio Rocha	XV		32  39  17  36  dsq	172

4215  Juvelen		Hakan Carlsson	Jan Good	Ons		43  60  48  30  18	171

3372  Damoiselle II	Andre Chaudoye	D. de Rolland	FdV		34  37  70  34  29	166

4348  Fram III		Ernst Gauschi	Emil Widmer    	Bod		42  56  42  29  38	163

3489  Aloha		Roger Bourdon	Simone Gallesio	MO		24  63  22  53  47	161

4147  Clambambes		Jurgen Adolff	F. Inselkammer	Sta		20  35  58  48  49	160

3042  Audaz		A. de Menezes	F. L. Bello	 VF		25  13  52  49  dnf	157

4460  Posillipo IV	A. Cosentino	M. Florenzano	Pon		36  26  40  37  dnf	157

3831  Larico		Joao M. Tito	J. Crombrugghe	Ben		51  50  24  38  51	156

4461  T. de Tarascon	Urs Bucher	Rolfe Amrein  	LUV		44  22  43  33  dnf	154

4253  Titila		Roberto Mieres	Eduardo Bruno	SOL		63  28  56  41  39	143

4351  Gemini		Richard Hahn	J. E. Munroe	LAH		65  17  51  21  dnf	142

4356  May Be		Harald Musil	Peter Schaup	TR		26  53   9  dnf dnf	134

4084  Pasodoble		Enrique Urrutia	Emil Gurruchaga	FdSS		dsq 36  63  39  25	133

4262  Grola III		Luigi Viacava	Giorgio Falk	Tig		49  45  60  45  53	118

3385  Lenou V		Louis Mouret	M. Gaubert   	Pro		58  54  29  dsa 37	118

3898  Astrid		Chr. Buguel	Arnold Mabille	Tou		38  57  62  28  dnf	111

4503  Monique		K. A. Rydqvist	Sune Carlsson	AR		dnf dsq 13  24  dnf	111

4259  Rocinante		G. de SouzaRamosPierre deMattos	GuB		52  51  33  dnf 50	110

4599  Ali Baba		Hans Bryner   	Fredy Portier	LL		57  61  65  50  33	104

4606  Espuma del Mar	Daniel Camejo	Robert Bruce	LMF		54  62  61  55  42	 96

4323  Tifourki		Francois Ecot	Gisele Ecot   	NI		53  65  69  43  46	 94

3342  Egir	      	Jan Anderson	Bo Wickstrom	RS		47  41  46  dnf dnf	 88

4592  Clambambes		Peter Adolff	Bernhard Frey	ZuW		48  48  38  dsa dnf	 88

4268  Rena		Hannes Schwarz	Fritz Kocourek	And		64  58  59  54  54	 81

4405  Zouz	      	Andre Lillo   	Lars Lanke   	FdCAS		66  49  68  56  55	 76

4490  Orsa II		Mario Rivelli	Neri Stella   	FdiI		60  dsq 44  46  dnf	 72

4437  Ninotchka		Peter D. SiemsenHenrique Hall	Gua		59  64  66  dsq 36	 71

4360  Whisky		Jakob Itten	Peter Erzberger	Int		dsq 59  53  51  dnf	 59

4418  Disparate		C. de Zubiria	Luis Aguirre	Bil		68  66  54  dnf 52	 56

4350  Raja III		Ulrich Pieschel	Horst Krohne	BF		62  67  50  dnf dns	 43

3043  Luti		Luiz Roboredo	Joaquim FerreiraPor		61  dsq 67  dns dns	 20

3227  Coringa II		Cyril Milbourne	C. V. Reade   	FD		55  dsa dns dns dns	 19

2358  Mexilhao		M. Ricciardi	Miguel Castanha	Set		dsq dsq 55  dsa dns	 19

2702  Flamingo II	Ramon Canosa	Adolfo NavaretteLar		67  68  dns dns dns	 13

1962 WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP Cascais - Introduction by Paul H. Smart
Regatta Report From the 1963 Star Class Log

The air of excitement, which permeated the Star Class in the last week of August 1962, was particularly evident around Cascais as skippers and crews converged to Portugal from all points of the compass. Something great, something fantastic was happening, and something a little frightening. The record was not merely being broken - it was being shattered! First it had been bruited about that perhaps the 1956 record of 59 boats at Naples would fall. Then this was confirmed as 60 entries were in hand, and the list continued to grow. All over Europe, where the Executive President was travelling during the summer, the question asked in awed tones whenever we met Star people, "Can it be true?"

It was true. At Cascais rumor became fact. From 19 nations of five continents 73 boats arrived. Far away Australia was there; the West Coast of Canada, and of the U.S.A., and the maximum allowable contingent from Brazil; and notably, for the first time there was a Russian entry in the World's. And such caliber World's Champions as far back as perennial Walter von Hütschler (1938-39), Harry Nye, Bob Lippincott, Skip Etchells, triple champion Lowell North and defending champion Bill Buchan, as well as current Olympic Gold Medalist Timir Pinegin. And not one of these won it. It was the old story: in the Star Class there is no king.

The previous week Portugal had hosted a record-breaking European Championship and Duarte and Faneca Bello had become national heroes by a dramatic win. Everyone was asking, "Would they make it a double?" And then there would be a shaking of heads; impossible with 73 boats; you just can't be on top of two such crowds of potential champions, certainly not in the same season. How nearly wrong we were!

But along with the excitement and the exhilaration was the sobering thought that perhaps it was too much and we couldn't carry it off, and that it might turn into a dreadful mess. No amount of discussion, no amount of planning, no amount of orders from officials could have done it-only the Star skippers and crews could do it.

And that was how it was done, and almost without exception done cheerfully. Understanding the problems involved, the skippers co-operated in the many solutions. Launching alone was a gigantic task. Getting out to the boats, and then to the starting line, staying out for double-headers, waiting during long postponements for wind or because of fog, late afternoon races, the cancellation of one race before the completion of the first leg-all this was accepted without untoward complaint.

In the European Championship they had turned marks to starboard because otherwise the triangular mark would be out in the open ocean where heavy winds and seas might make jibing hazardous. This same procedure was advocated (almost to the point of insistence) for the World's. The Race Committee was adamant, sticking to the regular Star course and procedure and relying on the skill of the contestants to handle the situation. The I.R.C. had not misjudged the ability of the competitors. There were no catastrophes, even with more than 70 boats in each race. Again, in the European there had been general recalls, in one race five of them.

The I.R.C. emphatically warned all and sundry not to expect anything of the sort. They announced that they were against general recalls and would go to extremes to avoid them. Only in the first race was it necessary to resort to this questionable practice, and this was because the fleet under-estimated the strength of the current sweeping them over the line. On the re-start a dozen boats were over which did not return.

The numbers of those disqualified for this reason were posted on the bulletin board (luckily for them the race was called off for fog), together with the warning that in the future they could expect this practice to be continued. This procedure was most salutary not a single general recall for the rest of the series. Here and there an individual boat was hailed back or returned from a premature start of its own accord. The starts were an unforgettable sight, many of them almost perfect and drawing exclamations of delight from the spectators.

Surprisingly, there were not very many close finishes. The I.R.C. had anticipated some difficulties, but never once were they presented with an insoluble finish. One of the nearest questions was the arrival of Shanty at the finish line to win the last race from Ma' Lindo by a scant few inches. Down through the fleet there were overlapped situations sometimes involving three or four boats, but in every case the judges at the line were able to spot the respective places.

Protests by contestants were outnumbered by protests initiated by the I.R.C. or its officials in the stake boats; but altogether these were not numerous considering how many boats were trying to be in the same place at the same time. Perhaps never before has such a high level of sailing competence been displayed in any yachting event. It should not come as a surprise that this was coupled with an equally high level of sportsmanship.

Enough cannot be said for the fine co-operation and entertainment arranged by our hosts. Those who organized the series, those who helped in conducting it and the Club Navale and its officers and members made a success of a memorable and historic occasion which, with lesser ability, enthusiasm and tolerance, might have been- well, you guess. We only hope our hosts were not so worn out by it all that they will be unwilling to repeat when, in the course of events, this series rolls around to them again. Cascais already holds the record of hosting four World's Championships: 1948, 1952, 1954 and 1962. Those of us who were there last year are already awaiting another chance to return to Cascais.

It would not be fitting if we failed to mention the splendid performance of Duarte and Faneca Bello under the most trying circumstances, and the splendid loyalty to the Star Class that they displayed. Although little was said, there was deep appreciation of the manner in which they carried on, being helpful wherever possible, and while on the water racing their boat like the champions they are. The loss of their father on the eve of the series might have deterred or at least blunted the fine edge of lesser champions.

The Races
One cannot hope to cover in any detail a regatta of five races with 73 boats. The following is only a brief description of what seemed to be happening among some of the leaders.

The customary tension, which precedes a big series, was accentuated by the fact that a freighter carrying nine Stars from South and North America to Lisbon had failed to put in an appearance by the time the series was scheduled to start. It was decided to postpone the first race for one day only, on the wireless report that the ship would be in on Monday, and begin racing on Tuesday. All arrangements were made for speedy transportation of the boats from Lisbon to Cascais; the ship did arrive, the boats were hastily rigged and launched, and everything was in readiness for racing on Tuesday, everything, that is, except the wind. The big fleet drifted around all day in a flat calm and came home again without even having been able to attempt a start, and now the series was two days behind schedule instead of one.

On Wednesday the situation looked better: a fine breeze blew from the northwest, the direction, which was to prevail throughout the series. A start was made, only to be called back, and a second start was allowed to stand, as described above. Joe Burbeck's Cyrano worked into a nice lead half way up the windward leg as the fleet sailed into a fog bank so dense that there was actual danger of collision between boats approaching each other on opposite tacks. Needless to say everyone lost all track of the exact position of the weather mark. It was not long before the race was cancelled and the contestants squared off to return to where they thought the harbor might be. Was this series never to get started?

As the fleet neared the anchorage, the fog lifted and guns were fired from the committee boat. Although it was now late in the day, the weather appeared to have made up its mind to stay clear, and the I.R.C. decided to try again. This time, at last, the first race was successfully sailed.

In his description of the starting line President Smart, who chaired the Race Committee, modestly omitted the major part, which he played in getting the big fleet away so successfully day after day. As every racing man knows, good starts, with the fleet evenly spread Out across the whole line, mean one and only one thing: somebody has set excellent starting lines. Paul Smart's lines were long- long enough to accommodate 73 boats without crowding, and this means a four or five minute line, at least a quarter of a mile in length, usually longer. When so long a line is even slightly favorable to one end, a frightful jam occurs there.

That there were no jams is a tribute to the fact that Mr. Smart accomplished the impossible: he set five perfect lines. In order to do this, he canted the outboard or offshore end slightly to windward- just enough to offset the advantage gained by tacking shoreward from the in-shore end. The shore tack vas usually the one to take, for reasons of local wind and current; but there was that flag out there at the other end of the line, inviting you to start there because it was substantially to windward. The result was an even distribution of the fleet all along the line, with only a slight "sagging" to leeward in the middle due to uncertainty about being recalled.

Burbeck again took Cyrano away to windward in the first (completed) race, but was nicked by the Russian Pinegin at the weather mark as Cyrano overstood by a few yards. They rounded almost overlapped, but Pinegin kept Tornado in the lead the rest of the way around. After Cyrano came the Bellos in Faneca and then Stearns and Williams with Glider. The handwriting was already on the wall, but most people failed to interpret it.

The next day a double header was scheduled and completed, so that with three races accomplished and rest-day eliminated the series was back on schedule, and in fact it finished on time. Bill Buchan, the defending champion, had been 14th in the opener; but in the morning race of the double header he took Frolic away to a fine first start and led all the way. It was true that a start in the first rank was all-important; to get buried below the middle of the fleet was doom. It also happened that the boat, which got away to an early lead, usually went on to win. This speaks well for the steadiness of the wind in general. Although there were local small shifts, no major upsets were caused by windshifts, if one excepts the fact, well-known to all the contestants ahead of time, that the inshore tack was supposed to be heavily favored over the offshore tack.

Burbeck's Cyrano was again second in the morning race and Glider third. Pinegin went somewhere and got lost, and Tornadocame in 30th. Even though Dick Stearns never finished above third, it already was becoming apparent that Glider was one of the two or three potentially best contenders there.

The third race was won by the Bellos, transferring the series lead from Cyrano to Faneca. As the fleet sailed home wearily after four attempted and three completed races in two clays, all eyes were turned toward Duarte Bello in amazement and admiration. Was he really going to accomplish the "impossible"? He already held the coveted Vanderveer Trophy, which goes to the series leader at the end of the third race. Could he stand the pace for the remaining two?

Stearns was only two points back in Glider. Cyrano had hit the skids for a 30th in the third race, and Edler's Big Daddy, a strong contender till then, likewise with a 26th. Etchells' Shanty had an undistinguished showing so far and did not look like a serious threat. Etchells had other ideas, which he proved in the last two races. Joaquim Fiuza's Espadarte actually stood third at this point, but she was 13 points behind Faneca, so that it looked like a possible battle to the end between Stearns and Bello.
Second place in that third race went to Lars Berg's Flying Star from Sweden, a relative outsider to World's Championship competition but well known as one of the foremost skippers of Scandinavia. Third was Fiuza, which combined with a 7th and 12th gave him the standing mentioned above.

In the fourth race, the wind struck harder, and so did the Tornado. It must fairly be said, without detracting in the least from the magnificent showing of the new World's Champion, that Timir Pinegin was the flash skipper of the two weeks' racing if one combines the records he piled up in the European and World's Championships. In the ten races he took four firsts, yet he placed only eighth in the World's and tenth in the European. That tells the story; in series like these you have to be consistent and brilliant to come out on top.

Incidentally it is interesting to note that Tornado and Faneca were in their sixth year of racing; that two-thirds of their competitors were sailing in newer boats did not seem to bother Messrs. Pinegin and Bello. Pinegin likes heavy weather, and Tornado won the fourth race in a breeze that varied from 20 to as much as 30 or more knots at times. But some other skippers like air too - among them E. W. Etchells, who came to life for it close second in this race, and Bob Lippincott, whose third was by far his best showing of the week in Razor.

Sam Beard's Tantrum also put in an appearance for the first time, to finish fourth. But by taking sixth, Stearns and Williams nailed down a four point lead over the Bellos- not enough, perhaps, for a secure night's sleep on the eve of the last race, but still something to be thankful for. Furthermore they now held a 16-point lead over the third boat, Espadarte.

Photo: 1963 Star Class Log
The World's Champion returns home in triumph: Richard I. Stearns in Chicago. The banner is inscribed "Always a bridesmaind, finally a bride."

A fog greeted the fleet on the last day, causing a three-hour postponement. Oddly enough the wind blew very hard despite the fog, then at times lightened. When the fog finally lifted, the wind steadied off to somewhere around Force 5, plenty to handle in the open ocean. After four days of conservative starts, Dick Stearns hit the line on the gun in the last race and was able to keep Faneca under cover all the way around the course for a final eight-point lead in the series. Fiuza forfeited his place with a 22nd. Just to show that they had not been lucky yesterday, Etchells and Allan won the race, with Mario Quina alongside for second and Timir Pinegin a short distance back in third place.

Dick Stearns received a victor's welcome at the yacht club, and another one in Chicago when he arrived home. Sonic 150 friends and admirers greeted him at O'Hare International Airport with a brass band and banners.

A summary of Stearns' racing record would fill many paragraphs and would doubtless be embarrassing to him. There is not a major event of the Fourth District, which he has not won, most of them many times. He has won four Silver Stars in two years, a feat accomplished by no one else in the Class. He has raced in many World's Championships and done well every time, his closest previous bid being in 1951 when he lost the Gold Star by a scant one point.

richard stearns world championship