Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
Author: Rachele Vitello - August 20, 2021Newport Beach put on a nice show on day two of the North American Championship 2021. The wind was blowing from 10-12 knots during both beautiful races for the 30-boat-fleet, all from the USA.
It was a very eager fleet, so eager that the first start ended up in a general recall and consequently a U flag was hoisted on the Race Committee. That penalized four teams, among whom Danny and Paul Cayard who were tie for third yesterday and have drastically dropped to 11th on day two.
It is still half-way through the event, and with the fifth race coming into place on day three, the ‘throw-out’ will change things in the overall ranking, but for now Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise are securely leading it, with a win in the first race and a fourth in the second – their worst result so far. The provisional runner-up, Brian Ledbetter with Ben Wilkinson won the second race of the day while Jim Buckingham and Phil Toth’s consistency is granting them the third spot.
A few valuable individual recalls at the second start, three gold stars had to come back being over the line early. George Szabo with Guy Avellon, finishing 25th and 9th overall, John MacCausland with Brian Terhaar, who finished 19th and are 10th overall, and Augie Diaz with Bruno Prada who recovered the best from the bad start finishing 5th and are fifth at the end of the day.
The best of three Junior attending the North Americans after two days is Roberto Ayala with Hendirk Reidel, while the best Exalted Grand Master is still Andy MacDonald with Brad Nichol, fourth in the general.
On Friday 20th two more races before the final two on Saturday August 21st, when the names of the 2021 North American Champions will be known.
Author: Rachele Vitello - August 21, 2021Another 8-10 knots of breeze day in Newport Beach, California, for the 2021 North American Championship. And another two races sailed in great conditions for the 30-boat fleet of very passionate and talented Star sailors from all areas of the United States of America.
Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise did not have their best performance so far, but they are still defending the lead with a decent five point-margin over the second overall thanks to the ‘throw-out’ of their 11th place in race five. Exalted Grand Master Andy MacDonald with Brad Nichol climbed up to second, after a bullet in race six, with Brian Ledbetter and Ben Wilkinson chasing one point behind on the third step of the podium – even if tied on points with Erik Lidecis and Greg Smith in fourth.
The winners of race five are 2016 Star World Champions Augie Diaz and Bruno Prada, sixth overall due to a mild start of the event on day one. They are the best Grand Master, with the best Junior still being Roberto Ayala with Hendrik Reidel in 23rd spot overall.
On Saturday August 21st the final two races will be crucial to determine the top five spots in the ranking. Augie Diaz in sixth could still defend his 2019 North American title, won with yet another terrific Brazilian crew, Henry Boening, though the math after three-day racing leans with Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise, but in sport is not over till it’s over.
Author: Rachele Vitello - August 17, 2021A successful season for the International Star Class in 2021 continues this week with the North American Championship in Newport Beach, California, after two strong championships in Split, Croatia, for the Europeans and in Miami for the Western Hemisphere in the spring.
30 teams, 100% made in USA will be on the starting line tomorrow at 12:30pm local time for the first two races of the event. The level of competition is sky high with six Star world champions in the fleet, four at the helm and two as crew. One of the crew is world renowned skipper Paul Cayard acting as crew in California to sail with his son Daniel, a third generation Star sailor as his grandfather is 1969 Star World Champion and 1964 Olympic Bronze Medalist Pelle Petterson (SWE). The other crew is none other than Bruno Prada (BRA), winner of five Star World Championships, three with stellar skipper Robert Scheidt, one at the last sailed event in Porto Cervo in 2019 with Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and one with Augie Diaz (USA), his skipper this week and defender of the North American title. The other world champions are Eric Doyle, John McCausland and George Szabo, sailing in Newport Beach respectively with Payson Infelise, Brian Terhaar and Guy Avellon.
Bruno Prada is also a double Olympic medalist, and he is not the only one in the fleet. Finn Bronze medalist in Rio 2016, Caleb Paine (USA), will crew for Doug Smith.
The winners of the Baxter Bowl Reggata, warm-up event organized by Newport Harbour Yacht Club, Carl and Jamie Buchan will race as favorite this week. 24 of the 30 teams competing at the North Americans raced in the Baxter Bowl last weekend. Augie Diaz and Bruno Prada finished second and San Diego skipper George Szabo with Guy Avellon, were third.
Racing starts tomorrow, August 18th with a 12,30 warning. Two races per day are scheduled every day until Saturday, when the winners of the 2021 North American Championship will succeed to Augie Diaz and Henry Boening (BRA), title holders since the last edition in 2019.
Author: Rachele Vitello - August 19, 2021A light breeze day kicked off the 2021 Star North American Championship in Newport Beach, California. 7-9 knots from the south made it possible for the 30-boat fleet to finish the two races scheduled for the day, with two different winners, but an undisputed leader of the day.
Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise, close the first day of the North Americans in the top spot of the ranking with a second place and a bullet. The first win of the day went to George Szabo and Guy Avellon, in second overall after a fifth in the second race. In third we see Jim Buckingham and Phil Toth, making the best out of their extensive local knowledge, but at this very early stage there are two other teams tied for third: Danny and Paul Cayard – with the world-renowned skipper crewing for his son – and John MacCausland with Brian Terhaar.
The winners of the warm-up regatta, one of the four family team racing this week, constituted by Star World Champion Carl Buchan and son Jamie, had an mild start with a seventh and a thirteen and will approach day two in seventh position. The other ‘golden star team’, made of both Worlds winners, is tenth, a 12 and a nine for Augie Diaz and Bruno Prada, so far, the lowest among the seven Star World Champions competing in Newport Beach.
18-year-old Marleigh Henehan, sailing with junior crew Kole Kammerer are the best Under 30 team – 20th overall – just ahead of Chas Beek, with his father Chuck crewing – and Roberto Ayala with Hendrik Reidel. Best Exalted Grand Master of the day is Andy McDonald with Brad Nichol in 11th position.
Day two, August 19th, will start with a warning at 12:30 and two more races are planned, hopefully with a little more wind for the 30 teams – some of whom are using this event as a training for the 2021 Star World Championship in Kiel, Germany, where the conditions are usually much less gentle.
