Honoring the Past, Leading the Future

President's Message

Dear Fellow Star Class members,
 
As I said two months ago, it is my honor and privilege to serve as President of the Star Class. The Star has remained at the center of my sailing heart thought out my career. For me, the Star is the best One Design sailboat ever designed, produces the best competition, and we, the members, are the greatest of fraternities. This greatness has been created by those who came before us.  Now it is our turn to keep the ship on course by adapting to current conditions and being innovative in our solutions.
 
After 60 days on the job, here are my Star Class priorities:

1. Improve financial health
2. Strengthen the fleets
3. Foster fraternity
4. Improve access

1. Please pay your dues to your fleet officer. A $3 charge will be added to dues that are paid by credit card. The Class is losing $8.000/year on credit card fees.
2. Sail royalties will be $75. Sail royalties have been $50 for 13 years. 
3. Hull royalties will be $500. Hull royalties have been $400 for 13 years.
4. Member dues will be: Active $130, Active Jr. $65, Associate $65, Jr. Associate $30.

1. On February 6^th and 7^th, 2024, following the Masters and before the Midwinter’s in Miami, Frithjof Kleen will run a clinic. “Frida” runs several clinics each year in Riva del Garda, Italy.  This is your chance to get Frida’s expertise in the USA. Show up early or stay on after the Masters and get some top coaching tips from the 2-time World Champion!  The clinic will start with drills and racing on the water followed by video debriefs after sailing.  Please RSVP here.
2. On March 2nd and 3^rd, 1700-1800, the class will hold two round table discussions with World Champion sailors discussing performance and tactical considerations in preparation for the Bacardi Cup.  Mateusz Kuszierewicz and Bruno Prada, (4 x Bacardi Champs), Eric Doyle and Payeson Infeliz (Bacardi Champs), Augie Diaz, Diego Negri (Bacardi Champ) George Szabo, Mark Strube, Phil Trinter, Pedro Trouche, and Frithjof Kleen be among our celebrity panelists. We are also planning on having some of these experts observing and coaching out on the water, those same days.  Make sure you have your VHF on channel 71 so we can communicate with you. 
3. Each U30 Team at Bacardi Cup will be assigned a mentor from the list of names in #2 above. While competing themselves, the mentor will be available to help U30 Teams in the mornings and evenings with tips and suggestions on tune, speed, maneuvers, and tactics.
4. As a generality, we are all willing to help a fellow Star sailor by answering a question, running the crane, moving a trailer, or lending some equipment.  Don’t hesitate to ask!

Star Education and Access (SEA)
Access is often prohibitive to sailing a Star. Therefore, the CMC is establishing a permanent fleet of Stars in South Florida. Currently, we are well along with a funding plan to be able to purchase, maintain and store, up to 10 high-quality boats in racing condition.  These boats will be available to sailors interested in trying out the Star with the intention of joining the class. The borrower will be expected to properly care for the boat while sailing and packing up. While the boats will obviously be used to race, part of the experience, especially for younger sailors, is educational. There will be a “user guide”.  These boats could travel, at the borrower’s expense. The borrower will have to buy insurance through the class, but this will not be a prohibitive cost. If desired, we can work to implement the same idea in other countries.  If you are interested in gaining access to one of our boats, please email SEA@starclass.org.
 
At the time of this writing, we will be able to provide a minimum of 8 boats to the U30 teams for Bacardi Cup. As we have 9 requests, we are working hard to find the remaining boat.  If you have a boat to donate, know of one, or would like to support this program, please reach out to me or the office. We would really appreciate your support!
 
Finally
Bylaw 10.5 states that class membership dues are payable in January. Let's all make this a priority please. Get it done! Also, in following bylaws 8.3-8.8, each fleet shall hold its annual meeting in the month of January, file its annual report and results of elections and fleet officers, by the end January of 2024.  The annual Fleet meeting should be looked at as the first Star event of the year and an opportunity to connect with your fellow Star sailors after the holidays and build that fraternity!  And it is an easy opportunity to aggregate those dues and save the class some fees!
 
Thank you for your passion and support!  I look forward to serving all of you. As always, please feel free to send your thoughts to me or to the office. 
 
Happy holidays to all and best wishes for 2024!
 



Paul Cayard
President, ISCYRA

LARS GRAEL WINS HIS SIXTH STAR SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP, THIS TIME WITH MAURICIO BUENOS

The 2023 Star Class South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro has come to an end, yesterday Sunday, December 3^rd. Seven races completed over four days at the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, from Thursday November 30^th until yesterday with 23 teams, mostly coming from Brazil, but also Argentina and The Netherlands. It was a great win by Lars Grael and Mauricio Buenos with double net points on the second classified, Antonio Moreira and Arcelio Moreira tied on points with Alan Adler and Arthur Lopes, who finished third. Grael and Buenos won four out of the six races they sailed and did not need to race on the last day. This is Lars Grael's sixth South American title in the Star Class.

In addition to the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, the championship was supported by Lyra Navegaçao Marítima and Cerveja Império, which ensured that competitors were hydrated throughout the event. On Saturday it was held the annual Star Class Brazil gala dinner, with the presence of big names for the Class both in Brazil and around the world, such as Harry Adler, Peter Siemsen, Gastao Brun and even Ross Macdonald

The teams from the Netherlands and Argentina joined the party, with 8 boats registered and the commitment to increase the participation of their flotillas at the end of 2024 in Rio De Janeiro, when the Brazilian Star class championship will be held.

2024 Major Regatta Calendar