2010 South American Championship

REGATTA REPORT

Photos and videos on the racing at http://southstarclass.blogspot.com/

Star South American Championship begins with seven World Champions Competing
By ESPBR Esporte Brasil, November 25, 2009

The presence of seven world champions at the 2010 Star South American Championship, being sailed at the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, makes it one of the strongest fleets in the history of this event. A total of 60 boats will be competing from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, United States, France, Greece, England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and Sweden. They are sailing eight races, two per day, with a drop race allowed after the fifth race.

“It is a preview for the 2010 Worlds,” said Torben Grael. The Star World Championship will be 12 January to the 23rd, also on Guanabara Bay and at the Yacht Club of Rio de Janeiro. The South American Champoinship is hosting the best Star sailors of Brazil, highlighting Lars Grael and Ronald Seifert, who were bronze medalist at the 2009 Worlds and winners of the Royal Thames, which ended on Sunday, results that qualify the partnership as a favorite.

Lars Grael is the current South American champion from January 2009, sailing with Marcelo Jordao. Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira, twice champions of the Olympic Star class, Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada, also medalists at the 2008 Olympics and world champions in Cascais / 2007, are reviving the Brazilian duels in the class. Among the foreign entrants are George Szabo and Rick Peters, world champions at Sweden in August 2009, and the Swiss Flavio Marazzi and Enrico De Maria, current leaders of the Star rankings worldwide.

Besides the Brazilian helmsmen Alan Adler, Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael, the other world champions who will be skippering at the South American are: George Szabo (USA), Xavier Rohart (FRA), Ross MacDonald (CAN) and Frederick Loof (SWE).

To Torben Grael, not having sailing in the Star with Marcelo Ferreira for two years because of his ocean sailing campaigns, the South American “is the opportunity for more training to to do well in the World Championship.” Torben said that, as there are be seven world champions skippering, this is a balanced competition and provides the luxury of high-level training for the Worlds.

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November 27, 28 and 30 reports by Lynn Fitzpatrick, worldregattas.com
Torben Grael (BRA) returned to Brazil after claiming his World Sailor of the Year Award in Korea and has taken an early lead at the Star South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro. Grael is teamed up with Marcello Ferreira. The pair has claimed a Star World Championship title and two Olympic Gold Medals together.

Poised one point behind the Brazilian superstars are Falvio Marazzi and Enrico De Maria (SUI). The Swiss are eager to win their first Star World Championship and are at the top of the ISAF rankings. They have been in Brazil training for the 2010 Star World Championship and the South American Championship is proving to be a good tune-up regatta. The Swiss trail the Brazilians in the regatta standings by one point after three races. They have 13 points.

The 70-boat fleet at the 2009 Star South American Championship, hosted by Iate Clube du Rio de Janeiro is an exceptional turnout (see above). The sailors are experiencing moderate to windy conditions.

Mark Mendelblatt and John Von Schwarz (USA) top the North American entries. They are in third place, with 25 points, following the completion of three races. Rick Merriman and Phil Trinter (USA) are in fifth with 33 points.

Lars Grael is teamed up again with Ronald Siefert (BRA). After taking third place in the 2009 Star World Championship in Varberg, Sweden, the pair sits in fourth place in this week’s championship.

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Nov. 28 - Marazzi/DeMaria Lead Star South American Championship
Results are provisional, and it looks as if Flavio Marazzi and Enrico De Maria (SUI) amassed a nearly unassailable lead today at the Star South American Championship. The ISAF ranked #1 team posted a 7, 2 to their score while Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira (BRA), who were ahead of them by one point going into the day, had two double-digit scores and slipped to third place overall.

Past Star World Champion skipper, Alan Adler, sailing with Guilherme Almeida (BRA) also passed Grael and Ferreira with their low point score for the day. They sailed a remarkable 3,4 in the 70-boat fleet.

By discarding a deep 23rd place, two-time Star World Champion, Freddy Loof, sailing with Johann Tillander (SWE) moved up to fourth. Fewer than 20 points separate 2nd through 10th place. Six Star world championship winning skippers are included in the lot.

Marrazzi and De Maria are the only team that has posted single digit scores in each race. Expect them to remain consistent.

If the final day of racing is in light air, watch out for Lars Grael and Ronald Seifert (BRA), who are sitting in fifth place, with 31 points following the discard. They are also on a roll after having placed third at the 2009 Star World Championship and winning last week

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Racing 26-29 November 2009. ENTRY DEADLINE: November 6, 2009.

Estimated costs of shipping to South America
Shipping instructions for 2010 South American Championship
Invoice form for shipping boat to 2010 South American Championship

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From Ricardo Ermel, Sept.5, 2009
The ICRJ sailing directory contact others two logistics companies to try to reduce the shipping price to the 2 previous events, such as the Royal Thames Regatta - November 20th to 22nd and the South American Championship - November 24th to 29th and the worlds.

They services include:
- Services at Origin: pick up the cargo, inland transport, Customs Clearance at origin, seafreight to Rio de Janeiro Port
- Services at Rio de Janeiro: Customs Clearance at Rio de Janeiro Port, transport to ICRJ
- All necessary services to re-export the cargo.

You can contact them directly:
Transportes Fink Ltda - Renata Vinhas - +55 21 3410 9737 / +55 21 3410 9721, (fax) - rvinhas@fink.com.br www.fink.com.br

or

DFX / Sax MՍrcia Marques (marciam@dfx.com.br) - + 55 21 3232 1995 / + 55 21 7812 7708
Fernando Campos (fcampos@dfx.com.br) - + 55 21 3232 1998 / + 55 21 7816 0683

We are at your disposal for any kind of question or request. Please don