2019 Star European Championship / SSL Breeze Grand Slam

May 11 - 19, 2019

DISTRICT: ISCYRA

HOST

Fraglia Vela Riva    
Fraglia Vela Riva Italy

CONTACT

Race Manager : Giuseppe de Mattia
tel: +39 0464 552460

EVENT INFORMATION

Author: Rachele Vitello - May 18, 2019

With only one day of racing remaining, Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Henry Boening (BRA) have lost the lead for the first time this week at the combined Star Sailors League Grand Slam Breeze and European Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy.

Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Frederico Melo (POR) sailed another impressive two races to secure their spot at the top of the leaderboard ahead of tomorrow’s ‘Super Sunday’, which will see the final race in the qualification series in the morning before an action-packed knockout finals in the afternoon.
 
“This is the third win of the championship, which is amazing,” exclaimed Kusznierewicz after the first race of the day. “This is a very important moment as we are now fighting for the top spot. Although we try not to think about the leaderboard during racing, for sure it is something we are considering now.”
 
Although the top ten all go through to the finals series starting with the quarters, the top qualifier gets a pass straight into the four-boat, single race final, whilesecond place in the series gets a pass to the six boat Semi-Final. Kusznierewicz and Melo’s 1,3 today now has them five points clear of Scheidt and Boening.
 
For the vast majority of the 92 boats in this fleet a 7, 4 scoreline would be cause for celebration, but for Scheidt it represents something of an ill-timed drop in form. Scheidt and Boening now sit 14 points ahead of Diego Negri (ITA) and Frithjof Kleen (GER) and it is hard to see anyone outside these top three finishing in the lead after the last qualification race tomorrow morning.

“We are in the top ten for the finals so that was the aim for the day,” Negri commented after racing. “It was not an easy day. On the first race we were expecting that it would pay on the right. I started in the middle of the line and played middle right, but we were out of the top group around the first mark, so it was a good recovery [up to eighth].”

An overcast day with light winds was forecast, but unexpectedly breezy and tactical racing made for a thrilling spectacle. After a week of sailing exclusively on the southerly Ora breeze, today’s racing took place on the Peler, which sees wind blowing from north to south down the lake and making for altogether shiftier weather.
 
After a short delay to racing, a decent 15 knots covered the race course. The startline was set down the lake and the windward mark in to northern sector, towards Riva and neighboring Torbole. This meant the wind softened and became shiftier as the fleet approached the top of the course with the potential for some decent gains and losses for those who could keep their head out of the boat and spot the shifts.
 
One team making the best of the tactical conditions was Paul Cayard (USA) and Arthur Lopes (BRA) who had seen a dip in form over the last few races, but came back strong today with a 3, 2 to leave them in fourth overall. Cayard has a big birthday tomorrow and will be hoping to do enough to celebrate it in style. “I think we are looking good for tomorrow and who knows, hopefully it will go well, but it is going to be tough for sure,” he said. “It was a better day for us today. It was shifty and the favoured side changed a couple of times so it paid to work the shifts a bit more.”

Although the fight for the top spot will be interesting tomorrow, many will be watching what happens further down the leaderboard, with a handful of positions likely to decide who picks up the last few coveted places in finals racing. TheIrish O’Leary brothers had an excellent day today and are just outside the top ten, 3 points behind Hubert Merkelbach (GER) and Markus Coy (GER) in 10th. Excellent day for the French duo, Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot, who won race eight of the series.

In fact only 19 points separate 9th to 14th overall which makes tomorrow morning’s race something of an all-or-nothing for many. The final qualifying race is set to take place at 08:30 tomorrow morning and will be raced on the Peler again, so big scores are entirely possible for all of those sitting in these precarious positions. This will be followed, at 1pm by the start of the highly anticipated knockout series to decide the winner of the SSL Breeze Grand Slam and European Championship – and who will take home the lion’s share of the $100,000 prize pot.
 

1POLMateusz KusznierewiczFrederico Melo

2BRARobert ScheidtHenry Boening

3ITADiego NegriFrithjof Kleen

4USAPaul CayardArthur Lopes

5USAEric DoylePayson Infelise

6FRAXavier RohartPierre-Alexis Ponsot

7ITARoberto BenamatiAlberto Ambrosini

8SWEFredrik LööfBrian Fatih

9NOREivind MellebyJoshua Revkin

10GERUbert MerkelbachMarkus Koy

...

Author: Rachele Vitello - April 26, 2019

20 days to go to the first ever Star European Championship and Star Sailors League Breeze Grand in Riva del Garda, Italy. 94 teams from 23 different countries have already signed up, but the International Star Class, the Star Sailors League and Fraglia Vela Riva del Garda are still aiming for the goal of 100 Star boats on the starting line on May the 15th!!

The level of the almost 200 enrolled athletes is outstanding. Among them at least 20 Star World Champions, 5 Olympic medalists and ten Olympians who will race and compete with professional sailors as well as amateurs who will join the class for the first time and will have the honor of sailing among some of the legends of our sport. Five times Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt (BRA), who lives and trains for his renewed Olympic Campaign in the Laser class right here on lake Garda, will sail with Brazilian crew Henry Boening; Paul Cayard (USA) one of the most eclectic sailors of all time, being the first American to win the Whitbread Round the World Race, claiming the Louis Vuitton Cup with an Italian syndicate and then just missing the podium at the 2004 Olympics, this Stars-and-Striped legend will sail with the young Brazilian Arthur ‘Tutu’ Lopes – and together they were third at the Star World Championship last year. The Olympic Bronze medalist and sport role model, Lars Grael (BRA) will end his international sailing career right here in Riva del Garda at the combined Europeans and SSL Grand Slam, a sad and at the same time epic moment for the sport of sailing. From the States with Cayard, other three World Champions, Augie Diaz with Olympic medalist Bruno Prada (BRA), George Szabo and the freshly crowned 2019 Bacardi Cup winner Eric Doyle with Payson Infelise. The competition will be fierce on the fresh waters of Northern Lake Garda, luckily ashore everything is set for making the competitors coming from all over the world feel at home and welcome by the products and hospitality of Trentino, the region of Riva del Garda.

“As Star Sailors League Sport Director for the Grand Slams and responsible of the SSL Training Centre right here in Riva del Garda – said German Star World Champion crew Frithjof Kleen – I am very  proud to see this event coming to reality, the first combined Star Class Championship with an SSL Grand Slam, it’s huge. This will launch the first step of the next eight years of challenges together, we are planning the next events way ahead merging the Star Class classic Silver or Gold event with the SSL Grand Slams, the Star Sailors League thankful that the Class agreed of doing this together. And it’s already proven to be successful: 94 entries is a record for the Star Class in post Olympic times. All the sailors are looking for events like this combining the tradition and the new SSL exciting format and live coverage, everybody in the sailing world will be watching our racing from May 15th to the 19th.

And now, with the SSL Global Ranking, sailors are looking to gain points to join their national team in the Gold Cup in 2021! The Star Europeans/SSL Breeze Grand Slam will run by himself, Fraglia Vela organizes international events every year and the wind here is always great, this is the best sailing gym in the world! And then we’ll have amazing after sail events thanks to the many partners that joined us, concerts and DJ sets are planned every evening and they’re not just for the sailors, but for the public: we want the spectators to join through extra events and then appreciate the sailing too on the big screen.”

Author: Rachele Vitello - May 19, 2019

The Brazilian pairing had been the dominant force for much of the week at the Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam and European Championship, but they did not have it all their own way

 

It was an incredibly tense final race at the end of a thrilling, and at times, heart stopping finals day in Riva del Garda, Italy. Victory came for the Brazilian in the last few meters of the last leg of the last race. “I was so tired at the end that [Henry] had to tell me that we had won I didn’t know we had. I was seeing black already, my heart rate was up that much,” explained an exhausted but elated Scheidt at the end of the day.

“We are really happy. It was a long week and after we were over the line in the week, it was quite tense from then on. Henry did great, he did a super job all through the week and he kept saying to me that we can still win and that gives you a lot of confidence.”

There is little that has not already been said about Schiedt’s mastery downwind, but when it mattered most today, in the closing stages, he was in another league turning a 30m deficit into victory through sheer skill and determination, it would not be hyperbole to call his performance sheer poetry.

It was an early start and a long day out on the water for some, with a single final qualifying race at 08:30 followed by two knockout races before the winner-takes-all final. Racing was once again held in the Peler wind, running from north to south down the lake and, as in the previous day, the cooler air funneling down two valleys created some significant shifts, particularly at the top end of the course where the breeze softened and the shifts increased in both size and frequency.

The qualifying series, quarter final, and semi final could scarcely have delivered a more mouthwatering final. Of those who made it through from the qualifying series, it was early showers for Eric Eric Doyle (USA) and Payson Infelise (USA), Fredrik Lööf (SWE) and Brian Fatih (USA), and Hubert Merkelbach (GER) and Markus Koy (GER). They were soon followed home by Roberto Benamati (ITA) and Alberto Ambrosini, and Eivind Melleby (NOR) and Joshua Revkin (USA) and Diego Negri (ITA) with Frithjof Kleen (GER).

This left four teams who had been standout performers all week and it was hard to call who might walk away with the title. Of: Scheidt and Boening; Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Frederico Melo (POR); Paul Cayard (USA) and Arthur Lopes (BRA); and Xavier Rohart (FRA) and Pierre Alexis Ponsot (FRA).  

Rohart and Ponsot in particular had found incredible form at the tail end of the event, winning the final race of the penultimate day, then the first race this morning, before picking up another win and a second in the knockout stages.

It was Kusznierewicz and Melo, however, who finished qualifying in top spot, earning a free pass to the four-boat final. They may well wonder whether this was a blessing or a curse as they appeared to struggle to get fired up in their single final race and never really challenged for the win.

For his part Cayard, celebrating his birthday out on the rainy Lake Garda, was also looking solid and his unparalled tactical skill was coming into its own as the fleet sizes reduced. “To win this, you will need a perfect start, be fast and then it will come down to some metres here or there at some point,” he predicted ahead of the start.

The American sailor, so revered here in Italy for skippering the Italian Il Moro di Venezia to Louis Vuitton Cup success back in 1992, barely put a foot wrong early on and led for the first lap of the final race. However, a split in the fleet saw Rohart and Scheidt, on the right of the second beat, sail past. By the final windward mark the French led Scheidt by a distance, with Cayard and Kusznierewicz further back still.

“We’ve tried really hard in the last few days to develop our downwind skills,” explained Rohart after racing. “And we said on that last upwind ‘okay, right we need to make a big gap here to prevent him coming back’, but Robert is such a specialist it was always going to be tough.”

With lighter winds and limited waves, Scheidt’s downwind speed advantage appeared reduced in the semi final, even with free pumping allowed and it was easy to believe the French had done enough by the final windward mark to take victory. What followed was a nail-biting race to the finish with Scheidt clawing in metres on the French team using all his skill to finally overhaul them right at the line. In winning, the Brazilian pairing claim the SSL Breeze Grand Slam title, European Championship title, and the biggest stake of the $100,000 prize purse. No doubt Scheidt will return to his home here in Garda a very tired, but happy man.

Despite a variable forecast and unusually wet weather, the first ever combined Star Sailor’s League Grand Slam Breeze and European Championship has been an outstanding success. Among the 92 boats competing where some of the finest sailors you will find anywhere in the world, but also taking part where any number of amateurs and weekend sailors going up against their heroes.

Most of the fleet will gather again in less than a month’s time in Porto Cervo, Italy, for the 2019 Star World Championship, where a fair amount of SSL Ranking points will be at stake and the World title, and then, the top 10 ranked with up to 15 VIPs will attend the SSL Finals 2019 in Nassau, The Bahamas, from December 2nd to the 7th.

Author: Rachele Vitello, SSL Media and Communication - May 10, 2019

There is now less than one week to go to the first ever combined Star European Championship and Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam in Riva del Garda, Italy. 96 teams from 23 countries are arriving these days on lake Garda, but the International Star Class, the Star Sailors League and Fraglia Vela Riva del Garda are still aiming for their goal of 100 Star boats on the start line on 15th May!

The entry list reads like a Who’s Who of the racing world, with at least 20 Star World Champions, five Olympic medallists and ten Olympians among the 200 sailors set to take part. Professional sailors as well as amateurs will join the class for the first time, alongside Star class stalwarts and other legends of our sport, all here to try to win the Star Class European title, the 2,500 SSL Ranking points and the lion share of the $ 100,000 prize pot.

Five time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt (BRA), who lives and trains for his renewed Olympic campaign in the Laser class right here on Lake Garda, will sail with Brazilian crew Henry Boening; Slovenian three time Olympic medallist Vasilij Zbogar, now coach of the Irish Olympic team, will get back on the tiller and race for the European title and SSL Ranking points; Paul Cayard (USA) one of the most successful sailors of all time having been first American to win the Whitbread Round the World Race, winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup and just missing out on the podium at the 2004 Olympics. This Stars-and-Striped legend will sail with young Brazilian Arthur ‘Tutu’ Lopes – together they finished third at the Star World Championship last year.

Olympic Bronze medallist and sport role model, Lars Grael (BRA) will conclude his international sailing career in Riva del Garda at the combined Europeans and SSL Grand Slam - a sad end but at the same time a joyful moment for the sport of sailing. From the USA alongside Cayard, three other World Champions will attend: Augie Diaz with Olympic medallist Bruno Prada (BRA), George Szabo plus the freshly crowned 2019 Bacardi Cup winner Eric Doyle sailing with Payson Infelise.

Competition will be fierce on the famed waters of northern Lake Garda. Ashore, everything is set to make the competitors coming from all over the world feel right at home and welcome by the produce and hospitality of Trentino, the region of Riva del Garda and the hosts at the Fraglia Vela Riva.

“As Star Sailors League Sport Director for the Grand Slams and responsible of the SSL Training Centre right here in Riva del Garda I am very proud to see this event coming to fruition - the first combined Star Class Championship and SSL Grand Slam, it’s going to be huge.” said German Star World Champion crew Frithjof Kleen. “This will launch the first step of the next eight years of challenges together. We are planning the next events well in advance, merging the Star Class classic Silver or Gold events with SSL Grand Slams. The Star Sailors League is pleased that the Star Class agreed to do this together. It’s already proven to be successful: 96 entries is a record for the Star Class in this post-Olympic period. All the sailors are looking for events like this, combining the tradition of the Star class and the exciting new SSL format with live coverage. Everybody in the sailing world will be watching our racing from 15-19th May.”

Kleen continues: "And now, with the SSL Ranking, sailors are looking to gain points to join their national team in the SSL Gold Cup in 2021! The Star Europeans/SSL Breeze Grand Slam is going to be great. Fraglia Vela Riva organises international events every year and the wind here is always great - this is the best sailing ‘gym’ in the world! Plus we’ll have amazing after-sailing events too. Thanks to the many partners that joined us, concerts and DJ sets are planned every evening and they’re not just for the sailors, but for the public too. We want spectators to join in through extra events and then to appreciate the sailing we’ll be showing on the big screen.”

The Opening Ceremony of the Star European Championship/Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam will take place on Thursday 14th May at 17:30, going from Fraglia Vela Riva to Piazza Garibaldi for the VIP sailors’ presentation. Then from Wednesday 15th May at 13:00 racing gets going and runs until Sunday 19th May, when, in the afternoon, the knock-out series will be on for the top ten sailors in the ranking. Later that day the winner of the first combined Star Class European and SSL Breeze Grand Slam champion will be crowned.

You can follow all the action live and for free, streamed on the internet with expert commentary from special studio guests. On the water, the latest in hi-tech camera technology, as well as 3D Graphics tracking, will provide thrilling viewing.

All on the Star Sailors League website:
http://www.starsailors.com/

Press enquiries to:

Rachele Vitello
SSL Media and Communication
rachele.vitello@starsailors.com
+39 328 21 40 680
Skype: rakvit99

Author: Rachele Vitello - June 14, 2019

It’s been about one month since the end of the SSL European Championship / SSL Breeze Grand Slam, one of the best and most attended Star Class event in the past few years.

It was the union of both the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association and the Star Sailors League that attracted so many sailors on the start line – 90 boats – but along that so many other successful details fell into place to make it an event that sailors will remember in a long time.

First we should start from the end, when Brazilian superhero Robert Scheidt with Henry Beoning won the European title by just one meter after the French duo Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot dominated the last downind, who took the lead off the hands of American legend Paul Cayard – who led all the way from the start to the second upwind mark – on the day of his 60th birthday.

 

More than 65,000 people wateched the live streaming on the SSL website and YouTube channel, and over 200,000 on Facebook. In Riva del Garda tourists, passers by and sailors followed the fantastic sailing closely on the mega screen right in the garden next to Fraglia Vela Riva, careless of the rain people joined the public viewing.

 

“The knock-out series are amazing – says Guido Falciola (ITA), a non professional skipper racing in Riva – we loved the new format even though we knew we wouldn’t make it with all of these champions. With my crew Luca Paloschi we were looking forward to this regatta and we are very pleased we attended, being on the startline with the heroes of our sports, tacking close to them, even learning from them, something like this would be impossible in any other classes or events.”

 

“Faultless organization but everyone involved – added Juergen Schoenherr, sixth last year at the Worlds in Oxford, USA – Garda always delivers spectacular conditions but it was Fraglia Vela, the Star Class, the SSL and Frithjof Kleen who made this possible!”

 

“Everyone here did a fantastic job with both the sport and social schedules – says double Olympic champion Lars Grael – the opening and closing ceremonies, the after sail party, the local dinner and that special surprise event for my farewell to international competitions, all amazing.”

 

Exclusive after sail parties, dinners, social events, an event village with little shops of technical and local goods, music and celebrations of our sailors and the interaction with the public at the mega screen, even though the weather didn’t help us this time. This is the SSL Breeze Grand Slam, this was the plan and this was delivered, thanks also to the cooperation of the sponsors, GardaTrentino, Negrinautica, Fritz-Segel, Sambonet, Sune Carlson Båtvarv, Villa Brunelli and Contender Sailcloth.

 

One of the goal of both the Star Sailors League and the ISCYRA, was to let everyone feel like a champ with the champs. 75 to 80 teams were sharing the racecourse with Olympic and World Champions but they shouldn’t feel threaten by it, they should enjoy and take the opportunity to get better.

 

“This is also what we do at the SSL Training Center in Riva del Garda – says Frithjof Kleen, SSL Grand Slam Sport Director and manager of the SSL Training Centers – we organize training sessions with the top champions and weekend sailors, giving them different opportunities so that they can both have a satisfying experience with our coaches. Everyday we tried to make something special, like we do during the trainings.”

 

And Frithjof, aka Frida, goes on:

“It was challenging for me as it was the first time I was ever in charge of an event this big. I have the feeling that everything went well, but I’ve learned a lot and we will improve many aspects for the next edition in two years’ time on the organization side.”

 

“As far as sailing is concerned, I think we had amazing races, the Race Committee and PRO Giancarlo Crevatin managed 13 terrific race in not an always easy scenarios. It was breeze but not too breeze, we had some damages, but mostly by the pros, because they were probably sailing a bit on the edge. Everyone had fun and everyone could do their best in the windy conditions that are a classic on the Northern Lake Garda.”

 

“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone. I could have never done this by myself. It is everybody’s success, from the staff of the SSL with the 40 people media team – that included two times Olympic champion Shirley Robertson and Olympic coach Maurice O’Connell – the Fraglia Vela Riva, the Star Class, all the volunteers, and my crew of the Training Center. But mostly everyone on the Organization Committee: Davide Leardini, Fabio Zeni, Fausto Maroni, Stefano Zanchi, Matteo Garniga, Giuseppe De Mattia, Luigi Bonora, Giancarlo Mirandola, Ciro Mercurio and all of the Riva council. We pushed a lot and they have helped me closely in the past 15 months, they were in since the day one and I am thankful for that.”

 

The combined event was appreciated by everyone and it will be likely replicated soon.

The attention will now shift to Sardegna, in Porto Cervo, for the 2019 Star World Championship, Frithjof Kleen and the whole crew are already planning the 2021 SSL Breeze Grand Slam in Riva del Garda, for another incredible week of great sailing!

Author: Rachele Vitello, SSL Media and Communication - May 14, 2019

The innovative Star Sailor’s League is, this week, stepping into a new phase of development with the first ever combined Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam and International Star Class Yacht Racing Association (ISCYRA) European Championships in Riva del Garda, Italy.

Both the Star Class and the Star Sailors League have long been revered for its ability to attract the best of the best from across the sport and this week looks set to deliver another fleet jam-packed with legends and top sailing talent. Here, unlike the SSL Finals in Nassau, in December, there will be the chance for amateurs to mix it up with some of the sport’s biggest legends too.

In all, just shy of 100 boats and 200 sailors from 22 nations will take to the famous waters of Lake Garda to compete for the title of both Star European Champion and SSL Breeze Grand Slam winner.

The event will consist of a Qualifying Series and a Finals Series. Regular fleet racing will make up the bulk of the series running from Wednesday 15th May until Sunday 19th May. Immediately after the final qualifying series race – set to be sailed early Sunday morning – the format moves into the knock-out series familiar to anyone who has watched SSL racing in the last six years.

The crew who tops the Qualifying Series will progress directly to the Final and second place will proceed direct to the Semi-Final. Boats placing from third to 10th in the Qualifying Series qualify for the Quarter-Final.

Once the single Quarter-Finals race has concluded, the top five teams move onto the semi-final and are joined by the runner up from the Qualifying Series. The top three teams from this single race then go on to join the winner of the qualifying series for a single-race Final.

The winner of that final race will take the title of both ISCYRA Star European Champion and SSL Breeze Grand Slam winner 2019 and the biggest share of the $100,000 prize pot split between the top 20.

With its imposing cliffs funneling thermal winds down the lake, Garda is often referred to as a Mecca for racing sailors and can usually be relied upon to deliver consistently windy conditions. However, the forecast for the week ahead looks like it could be rather more of a tactical battle than the straightline boatspeed race to the cliffs, which can be a feature of the venue when the thermally enhanced afternoon wind – the Ora coming from the south – has filled in.

The current forecast is for warm ambient temperatures but some rain and increasing cloud cover as the week progresses. Should this be the case, the wins are likely to go to the canniest sailors who are able to keep their heads out of the boat and spot the best shifts and pressure.

Despite being a Brazilian by birth and the country for whom he has won a stunning five Olympic medals, Robert Scheidt will be considered something of a local favourite for this event. Scheidt currently does his Olympic Laser training on Lake Garda and lives here for much of the year. As such if the conditions are as variable as they look to be for the week then he may well have something of a local advantage, to boost his already considerable talents. “It’s a great place to sail here, you get such good weather and it’s really beautiful. So yes, I’ve been doing a lot of my Laser training here lately,” he confirms. “We will have to see what happens with the weather for the week but that is true for sailing everywhere, the weather can always be different.

“It’s really great to see so many boats here and seeing the SSL coming in and boosting an event like this too. The Star is such a great boat to sail. It’s so technical and physical and tactical that you get so much out of it. And it will be great this week with big stars here like Paul [Cayard] and Olympic champion Freddie Loof and then regular sailors can be up against these really big names.

“I think there are a lot of people who can win it, and the thing with the format is that your aim has to be to make it into the top ten at the end of the week and then just see what happens from there. Really that’s the only way you can approach the event and for sure, that means sailing like a normal regatta for this size of fleet and just trying to reduce the number of big scores you might get – make sure you are close to the top 15 going round the first mark.”

Possibly less well-known, but hotly tipped to do well this week is American Eric Doyle, who arrives in Garda on top form with a string of impressive finishes to his name this season already. Doyle took victory at the recent Bacardi Cup and was second in the Star Mid-Winters in Miami, which directly preceded it. The question will be whether he can carry this form over into the almost 100 strong fleet out on the lake this week.

Looking to get one over on his fellow American sailor is Paul Cayard, veteran of seven America’s Cup campaigns, and who won his first Star World Championship back in 1998! Cayard is acutely aware of the challenges that the week could present: “When the breeze is up there are probably about 20 boats that are likely to be first around the top mark in the Star, but when it is lighter that grows to be probably about 70 per cent of the fleet,” he explains. “So I think there could be some pretty big scores this week.

“When we were out training yesterday we also saw that in the lighter weather then you could get boats that are only about 100 metres apart but one might be in wind that is 5 knots stronger and lifted 10 degrees, so there is going to be some risk management at play.”

Also hotly tipped will be the Polish Mateusz Kusznierewicz who’s second at the Bacardi Cup this year marks yet another top finish for the Polish sailor. Kusznierewicz rarely finishes outside the top ten at any Star events and has been ranked in the top ten in the overall rankings pretty consistently for several years, which should see him a likely candidate come the knock out series.

Other top names to keep an eye out for will be Diegro Negri (ITA), Xavier Rohart (FRA), Augie Diaz (USA), Lars Grael (BRA), Frederick Lööf (SWE), Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) and many more. It looks set to be a week of top action from some of the sports greatest sailors. But, as Cayard has pointed out, it would not be surprising to see some of the less well-known names having their day in front of the legends.

You can follow all the action live and for free every day of the event, streamed on the internet with expert commentary from double Olympic gold medallist, Shirley Robertson (GBR) and Star Olympic campaigner and coach, Maurice O’Connell (IRL). On the water, the latest in hi-tech camera technology, as well as 3D tracking Graphics, will provide thrilling viewing. If you have a website and are interested in embedding the live video stream please contact us.

All on the Star Class and Star Sailors League website:
https://starclass.org/
http://www.starsailors.com/


Press enquiries to:

Rachele Vitello
SSL Media and Communication
rachele.vitello@starsailors.com
+39 328 21 40 680
Skype: rakvit99

Author: Rachele Vitello - May 14, 2019

The innovative Star Sailor’s League is, this week, stepping into a new phase of development with the first ever combined Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam and International Star Class Yacht Racing Association (ISCYRA) European Championships in Riva del Garda, Italy.
 
Both the Star Class and the Star Sailors League have long been revered for its ability to attract the best of the best from across the sport and this week looks set to deliver another fleet jam-packed with legends and top sailing talent. Here, unlike the SSL Finals in Nassau, in December, there will be the chance for amateurs to mix it up with some of the sport’s biggest legends too.
 
In all, just shy of 100 boats and 200 sailors from 22 nations will take to the famous waters of Lake Garda to compete for the title of both Star European Champion and SSL Breeze Grand Slam winner.
 
The event will consist of a Qualifying Series and a Finals Series. Regular fleet racing will make up the bulk of the series running from Wednesday 15th May until Sunday 19th May. Immediately after the final qualifying series race – set to be sailed early Sunday morning – the format moves into the knock-out series familiar to anyone who has watched SSL racing in the last six years.
 
The crew who tops the Qualifying Series will progress directly to the Final and second place will proceed direct to the Semi-Final. Boats placing from third to 10th in the Qualifying Series qualify for the Quarter-Final.
 
Once the single Quarter-Finals race has concluded, the top five teams move onto the semi-final and are joined by the runner up from the Qualifying Series. The top three teams from this single race then go on to join the winner of the qualifying series for a single-race Final.
 
The winner of that final race will take the title of both ISCYRA Star European Champion and SSL Breeze Grand Slam winner 2019 and the biggest share of the $100,000 prize pot split between the top 20.
 
With its imposing cliffs funneling thermal winds down the lake, Garda is often referred to as a Mecca for racing sailors and can usually be relied upon to deliver consistently windy conditions. However, the forecast for the week ahead looks like it could be rather more of a tactical battle than the straightline boatspeed race to the cliffs, which can be a feature of the venue when the thermally enhanced afternoon wind – the Ora coming from the south – has filled in.
 
The current forecast is for warm ambient temperatures but some rain and increasing cloud cover as the week progresses. Should this be the case, the wins are likely to go to the canniest sailors who are able to keep their heads out of the boat and spot the best shifts and pressure.
 
Despite being a Brazilian by birth and the country for whom he has won a stunning five Olympic medals, Robert Scheidt will be considered something of a local favourite for this event. Scheidt currently does his Olympic Laser training on Lake Garda and lives here for much of the year. As such if the conditions are as variable as they look to be for the week then he may well have something of a local advantage, to boost his already considerable talents. “It’s a great place to sail here, you get such good weather and it’s really beautiful. So yes, I’ve been doing a lot of my Laser training here lately,” he confirms. “We will have to see what happens with the weather for the week but that is true for sailing everywhere, the weather can always be different.
 
“It’s really great to see so many boats here and seeing the SSL coming in and boosting an event like this too. The Star is such a great boat to sail. It’s so technical and physical and tactical that you get so much out of it. And it will be great this week with big stars here like Paul [Cayard] and Olympic champion Freddie Loof and then regular sailors can be up against these really big names.
 
“I think there are a lot of people who can win it, and the thing with the format is that your aim has to be to make it into the top ten at the end of the week and then just see what happens from there. Really that’s the only way you can approach the event and for sure, that means sailing like a normal regatta for this size of fleet and just trying to reduce the number of big scores you might get – make sure you are close to the top 15 going round the first mark.”
 
Possibly less well-known, but hotly tipped to do well this week is American Eric Doyle, who arrives in Garda on top form with a string of impressive finishes to his name this season already. Doyle took victory at the recent Bacardi Cup and was second in the Star Mid-Winters in Miami, which directly preceded it. The question will be whether he can carry this form over into the almost 100 strong fleet out on the lake this week.
 
Looking to get one over on his fellow American sailor is Paul Cayard, veteran of seven America’s Cup campaigns, and who won his first Star World Championship back in 1998! Cayard is acutely aware of the challenges that the week could present: “When the breeze is up there are probably about 20 boats that are likely to be first around the top mark in the Star, but when it is lighter that grows to be probably about 70 per cent of the fleet,” he explains. “So I think there could be some pretty big scores this week.
 
“When we were out training yesterday we also saw that in the lighter weather then you could get boats that are only about 100 metres apart but one might be in wind that is 5 knots stronger and lifted 10 degrees, so there is going to be some risk management at play.”
 
Also hotly tipped will be the Polish Mateusz Kusznierewicz who’s second at the Bacardi Cup this year marks yet another top finish for the Polish sailor. Kusznierewiczrarely finishes outside the top ten at any Star events and has been ranked in the top ten in the overall rankings pretty consistently for several years, which should see him a likely candidate come the knock out series.
 
Other top names to keep an eye out for will be Diegro Negri (ITA), Xavier Rohart (FRA), Augie Diaz (USA), Lars Grael (BRA), Frederick Lööf (SWE), Vasilij Zbogar (SLO) and many more. It looks set to be a week of top action from some of the sports greatest sailors. But, as Cayard has pointed out, it would not be surprising to see some of the less well-known names having their day in front of the legends.
 
You can follow all the action live and for free every day of the event, streamed on the internet with expert commentary from double Olympic gold medallist, Shirley Robertson (GBR) and Star Olympic campaigner and coach, Maurice O’Connell (IRL). On the water, the latest in hi-tech camera technology, as well as 3D tracking Graphics, will provide thrilling viewing. If you have a website and are interested in embedding the live video stream please contact us.

Author: Rachele Vitello - May 15, 2019

The opening day of the first ever combined Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam and Star European Championships dawned with a change in conditions from the blue skies and sunshine, which had filled the skies over Rival del Garda, Italy, for the practice race.
 
With little-to-no breeze in the morning, the reliable Ora wind dutifully arrived somewhat earlier than usual and was already blowing hard by the time some of the legends of the fleet had concluded a formal press conference at 11am.
 
With the cold breeze firmly in and grey skies covering the beautiful Lake Garda, it was a hesitant fleet who headed out to the race course with many choosing a last minute coffee in the Yacht Club bar before finally getting into their sailing kit and making their way to the race area.

Once onto the racecourse, however, it was a slightly different picture. With the Ora funneling up the lake and Riva del Garda located on the very northernmost shore, the wind was slightly more moderate when the sailors reached the startline – though it still looked like it was going to be a tough day at the office with the wind holding in the high teens.
 
With a few minutes to go until the first start, it became obvious that the right hand side of the course was favoured by most teams, with the majority of the fleet lining up at the committee boat end of the line jostling for space. Clearly this was going to be a classic Garda race with teams vying to get away from the startline in space and be the first to tack at the cliffs on the right of the course, where the pressure was greatest and the wind funnels down the edge of the lake.
 
During the morning’s press conference the sailors had been asked who they thought might win the event and all had replied in the expected humble tones, praising the quality of the competition and saying it was anyone’s game. One of those hotly tipped to take the title this week, Paul Cayard (USA), had replied that he was “just happy to be here sailing a Star” and that “was winning already.”
 
Cayard’s start to race one, however, told a different story, one of a man entirely more determined to take victory on the water this week. He, along with crew Arthur Lopes timed their run in to the committee boat end to perfection and hit the line at pace. Closest to the committee boat, they also had the space to tack off to the favoured side of the course as, and when, they chose.
 
Italy’s Diegro Negri sailing with Frithjof Kleen (GER), and Roberto Benamati and Alberto Ambrosini (ITA) both also had strong starts at the committee boat end and got away towards the cliffs in the leading bunch. Five-time Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt (BRA) was also in the running with this leading pack.
 
Garda, when the Ora is blowing, can be something of a one-way track and today was no exception. The biggest challenge for the sailors was spotting the layline for the windward mark from a long way out with many losing places by going too far and overstanding. Scheidt, long known for his downwind prowess was looking quick in these breezy conditions but the skies where starting to clear and the wind was moderating somewhat already. By the bottom mark the Brazilian had moved himself up to thirdand was hot on the heels of Cayard with Negri still holding on to the lead. With few passing opportunities these three held onto their positions to the end, with Scheidt pushing on the downwind but not quite having the legs to get away from Cayard ahead.
 
With the afternoon wearing on, it was a short turnaround to race two but already the breeze was feeling much softer and, at the time of the second start gun at around 15:00 the wind had reduced to the early teens and the sun was finally breaking though the heavy cloud layer.
 
Once again it was Cayard who nailed the start getting to the committee boat again at speed and showing his America’s Cup skills.
 
Despite the moderating wind and the funneling effect at the cliffs being much reduced, it was still a fight for the right hand side of the course. Though for this race, with the windward mark moved it was a case of short tacking up the shore with a great many calls for water and shouts of ‘starboard’ echoing off the cliff walls. One of these port/starboard incidents was, unfortunately very costly with Tom Lofstedt and Anders Ekstrom, and Gugliemo Danelon and Mattia Gazzetta coming together, resulting in the loss of the latter’s rig – something more often seen on Stars going downwind in big breeze!
 
Once again it was a battle between Scheidt and Cayard near the front of the fleet this time with polish Star hero, Mateusz Kusznierewicz with Frederico Melo leading the charge to the first windward mark. And again Scheidt was looking quick downwind and was working hard to try and make the most of his pace on a downwind, which was almost exclusively sailed on port gybe and so limiting the tactical possibilities.

If there was to be an overriding narrative of the day’s sailing then it would be that Cayard was looking particularly strong on the upwinds and Scheidt a force to be reckoned with on the downwinds. That being the case, it was little surprise to see the American at the front of the fleet at the final windward mark of the day, but Scheidt closely followed him with another American, Eric Doyle and his crew Payson Infelise, having worked their way into the top three. “On the last downwind we all gybed early and I went left, thinking I would protect that side,” explained Cayard after the finish“But Robert [Schedit] and Eric [Doyle] found a bit more pressure than us and just sailed round the outside.” So it was, that the Brazillian picked up the second race to add to his third, with Doyle in second and Cayard in third.
 
“I’d say that was a pretty good day at the office,” Cayard said when ashore. “We were really happy with that start in the first race and it was great to do it again in the second too. Sometimes Garda can be a bit one sided on days like today so you really have to fight to be where you want.
 
“Robert [Scheidt] is one of the greatest downwind sailors in the world but I feel like we had enough to hold him at bay today. And I’ve always been strong upwind so we were happy with our speed there. We’ll see what the rest of the week holds…”
 
It’s foolish to draw any conclusions at the end of the first day of racing. CertainlyCayard and Scheidt seem the form boats from today’s racing, but with the fleet this competitive, many have picked up some big scores already. In this fleet it only takes one off-day to drop out of the top ten overall and so miss out on the final elimination series, on Sunday May 19th, to be crowned Star European and Sailors League Grand Slam Breeze champion.
 

1 BRA Robert ScheidtHenry Boening

2 USA Paul CayardArthur Lopes

3 POL Mateusz KusznierewiczFrederico Melo

4 USA Eric DoylePayson Infelise

5 SWE Fredrik LööfBrian Fatih

6 FRA Xavier RohartPierre-Alexis Ponsot

7 NOR Eivind MellebyJoshua Revkin

8 USA Augie DiazBruno Prada

9 RUS Alexey ZhivotovskiyLev Shnyr

10 GBR Ante RazmilovicBrian Hammersley

...

Author: Rachele Vitello - May 16, 2019

Robert Scheidt and Henry Boening (BRA) delivered another masterclass on the second day of racing at the Star Sailors League Grand Slam Breeze and European Championship, leading the field after a big day of racing in Riva del Garda, Italy.

There will be plenty of weary sailors after an epic three-race day in winds that hovered around the high teens. But with variable winds predicted later in the week, the race committee wisely decided to take advantage of today’s weather to provide flexibility later in the series.
 
It was not just the breeze that was taking its toll on the teams, however, as the 1.5 mile beats consistently saw a drag race to the right hand side of the course, making it an effective conveyer belt towards the windward mark and a hiking contest to get there first.  
 
After day one, where tactics had been much the same as today, the race committee added some port bias to the startline to reduce the crowds at the committee boat end. It certainly saw a spread in the field with many fighting for the pin end and several teams coming unstuck in doing so. Scheidt’s day looked as though it would get off to a bad start when a port tacker managed to make a mess of the bunch of boats queuing at the pin in Race 1, of which the five-time Olympic medalist was one.
 
Scheidt showed his class, however, and by the first mark had miraculously hauled his way up to seventh picking off a few extra positions to finally end up third. Consistently fast, he was always near the front and was usually able to pick off a few spots downwind, showing once again why he is considered by many to be the best downwind sailor in the world. His 3, 5, 2 scoreline across the three races sees him lead the overall results by some six points, but there were plenty of other teams looking dangerous in these testing conditions.
 
Diego Negri (ITA), sailing with Frithjof Kleen (GER) also had a good day picking up a 1, 10, 3. With another win on their scorecard from day one and a discard in play after four races – allowing them to drop a UFD (over the startline) in yesterday’s second race – they now sit at 2nd overall and, like Scheidt, are looking consistently strong downwind. “I think downwind I have often been quick and I think that comes from sailing a Laser all those years,” Negri explained. “It has been a while for me since I sailed a Laser, but the years sailing that boat put you in touch with the waves and that was very important today. But Frithjof was also doing a great job working the boat today.”
 
Another sailor showing their form was 2012 Olympic star gold medalist, Freddie Lööf (SWE), who improved throughout the day to take the win in the final race by a country mile. Lööf was one of those who struggled near the raft of boats at the pin end in race one: “The first race was difficult as the left side of the startline was really biased, so it was hard to get out of that side. Then they changed things later on and it was great for the rest of the day. It was still hard to get off the line and get over to the cliffs in space but that is the same for everyone.” Lööf’s 11, 3, 1 is particularly impressive as his crew, Brian Fatih (USA), is nursing an injury after being hit in the back by another boat yesterday.

One of yesterday’s top performers, Paul Cayard (USA), looked set to continue his form, taking a second in the first race of the day. But bad starts in the second and third races saw him struggling to break into the very top placings. His 2, 24, 10 over the course of the day is hardly a disaster and he did extremely well to mitigate the damage, but he’ll expect better results tomorrow.
 
If the day cannot be categorized as a disaster for Cayard then the last race of the day will certainly be labelled such by Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Frederico Melo (POR) who were looking fast all day taking a sixth in race one and victory by a big margin in race two. “For us we have been really enjoying the downwind and I think we have been going really fast,” Mateusz said at the end of the second race. But fighting for a podium position on the final run of the day the Pole’s mast snapped in two leaving him to drift towards the finish ­– where he still managed to pick up a 27th for his drifting efforts.
 
Tomorrow looks set for more of the same with a 1pm start and two races scheduled, and will be streamed live on internet with expert commentary from double Olympic gold medallist, Shirley Robertson (GBR) and Star Olympic campaigner and coach, Maurice O’Connell (IRL). On the water, the latest in hi-tech camera technology, as well as 3D tracking Graphics, will provide thrilling viewing.
 

1 BRA Robert Scheidt Henry Boening

2 ITA Diego Negri Frithjof Kleen

3 POL Mateusz Kusznierewicz Frederico Melo

4 USA Paul Cayard Arthur Lopes

5 SWE Fredrik Lööf Brian Fatih

6 USA Eric Doyle Payson Infelise

7 FRA Xavier Rohart Pierre-Alexis Ponsot

8 ITA Roberto Benamati Alberto Ambrosini

9 GER Ubert Merkelbach Markus Koy

10 CRO Marin Misura Tonko Barac

...

Author: Rachele Vitello - May 17, 2019

The Race Committee briefly tried for a second race today, but with the wind slowly dropping from around 10 knots at the start of the only race, to 4 knots at the finish it was quickly called off and the fleet returned to the dock on glassy waters. Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Frederico Melo (POR) made up for their bad fortune yesterday, when they broke their mast, to take the win in today’s only race. But it will be one that many will wish to forget.

Kusznierewicz and Melo were delighted with their victory. This new pairing has been strong all week and despite their rig breakage yesterday, they started the day in third position, tied on points with second placed, Diego Negri (ITA) and Frithjof Kleen (GER). “It was especially stressful because we started at the [committee] boat end, but the pin was really favoured,” Kusznierewicz explained. “I’m not sure if I should really say this, but the plan was not to start at that end. We had gone a long way upwind [after a general recall] and by the time we were back at the startline there was not the time to get down to the pin. I said to Federico ‘just don’t look up’ because it looked pretty bad early on. But we did a good job of controlling and getting some gains on the right.” The pairing is now solidly up to second overall with Negri and Kleen third.

After a general recall, the Race officer elected to fly the U flag on the second attempt to get the start away, but many were still early on the heavily port-biased line, with fully seven boats picking up a UFD for being over at the start. Many of those caught were top names, including series leaders Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Henry Boening (BRA). Scheidt was sanguine about their misfortune, perhaps reflecting the impressive series he has put together so far, leaving him top of the leaderboard after he discards today. “It’s really tricky with this kind of line. We were in the middle with a bunch of boats and they sheeted in and went. If you don’t go with them then for sure you will have a bad race,” he reflected.

“It was such a difficult race and it was very easy to pick up a big score. I’m happy they didn’t try to do another race in this weather, but now we have a big drop too and so the regatta is really open.”

Also scoring a UFD were: George Szabo (USA); Eric Doyle (USA); Guido Gallinaro (ITA); Hubert Merkelbach (GER); Tibor Tenke (HUN); and Davide Leardini (ITA).

Even those who escaped the flag suffered, including another finish outside the top 20 for Paul Cayard (USA) and Arthur Lopez (BRA) whose 28th today sees them drop to sixth overall.

While the first two days had been dominated by strong breezes and a one-way track, the single race today saw some big holes and it was a case of staying calm and managing risk.

While many of the top names had a bad day, it was a moment to shine for some of the less well-known sailors competing alongside the legends at this first combined SSL Grand Slam Breeze and European Championship. The strength-in-depth in this fleet is impressive, so perhaps it was not a surprise to see Austrian lake sailors, Florian Raudaschl (AUT) and Michael Fischer (AUT) leading the fleet by a decent margin at the end of the first lap, reveling on the more familiar conditions.

They were certainly looking stronger today having picked up a 67, 35, 27, 40, DNC in the breezier weather to date. However, a single mistake, overstanding the final windward mark, saw them slip back and finish fourth – they will almost certainly be a happy team tonight, though and may well move up the rankings.  

The forecast is for cloudy, unstable conditions again tomorrow for the penultimate day of racing, but the waterfront in Riva will be brightened by the presence of a Fine Art Sails display, the painted Star sails parading along the waterfront. The charity raises money for the Andrew Simpsons Foundation, set up after the tragic loss of Star sailor, Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson during training for the 2013 America’s Cup.

Author: Rachele Vitello - January 09, 2019

Registration for the 2019 Star European Championship / SSL Breeze Grand Slam in Riva del Garda, Italy, is now open online, and you shouldn’t waste time and go to the International Star Class website and sign up for one of the best sailing event of 2019.

You don’t want to miss the first ever event that combines one of the oldest sport association, the Star Class, and one of the the most innovative movement in the sailing industry, the Star Sailors League. They will organize the regatta together for the first time and the traditional format of the Star Class Silver event will play as qualification round to the thrilling knock-out round of the final day, where the top ten team will start by sailing the quarter final, then the semi and the final during which the first team to cross the line will be crowned 2019 European Champion and winner of the first SSL Breeze Grand Slam, bringing home the biggest share of the 100,000$ prize pot.

The format is the one used by the Star Sailors League in the yearly SSL Finals in December, and previously adopted also in Grandson, Switzerland, for the Lake GS in 2015, then in Hamburg, Germany, for the City Grand in 2016 and this coming Spring for the Breeze Grand Slam. The sailors love it as you can never relax and after the qualification round the top ten teams are playing the game at the same level as no points are carried on.

The program will start on Saturday May the 11th with the opening of the registration in Fraglia Vela Riva, which will go on until Tuesday the 14th at 1pm with the start of the Practice Race.Racing will begin on Wednesday the 15th at 1pm with the qualification round/all teams races that will resume on Sunday May 19th in the morning with the last scheduled start. Then in the afternoon, the knock-out round will be on from 1pm, with the top 10 teams sailing very close to the shores of Riva del Garda: quarter final, semi final and the final, followed by the Podium Ceremony.

A great number of teams are expected to take part at the 2019 Star Europeans/SSL Breeze Grand Slam, and many VIPs have already confirmed their attendance, one of the reason being that 2,500 SSL points are at steak for the winner of the event, and they could make someone in or out the Star Sailors League Finals in December. Robert Scheidt (BRA), Paul Cayard (USA), Diego Negri (ITA) and many other champions will be on the starting line of the event and among them there could be you, just like it happened to almost 200 sailors in both Grandson and Hamburg, experiencing the excitement of challenging their all-time heroes on the same racecourse!

The Star Class, the Star Sailors League and Fraglia Vela Riva are well known for delivering great events, and in May, for the first time they will organize one together. Sign up here and hike your way up to the elimination round, don’t just watch the action from your sofa!