Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
The 6th annual Star Vintage Gold Cup was held from October 12-16, 2022 at Gull Lake Yacht Club in Richland, MI for a fleet of 24 wooden Star boats, none originally built after 1975, lovingly acquired, restored, and maintained by the local team of Don Parfet, Jon VanderMolen, and Mike Ward. Some of the boats have found individual owners, and the team members pour their hearts and souls into those as well as their own, as they all stay in Richland year-round. This year’s fleet included seven Star World Champions and two Olympians.
The opening ceremony Wednesday was held at Stoatin Brae Golf Club with a breathtaking vista over the nearby forest doing its colorful autumn best, albeit in a driving rainstorm that portended cooler and windier weather for the next day’s racing.
True to indications, Thursday dawned cloudy and threatening, with breeze settling in at the top end of the stated velocity range for the event. The Race Committee signaled the Star version of course WA3, putting the finish line near the clubhouse, and completed one of the three scheduled races of the day, won by the team of Arthur Anosov (an Ian survivor) and Dave Caesar, before the squalls started blowing through. To the dock the sailors went, allowing plenty of time for the evening’s social gathering at the famed Gilmore Car Museum.
The forecast for day two saw a window of opportunity of moderating breeze in the morning, so the RC moved the scheduled 1st Warning ahead 30 minutes. The scheduled three races were completed with the team of Ross MacDonald and Jon Klerk taking the gun twice and the Anosov/Caesar team the middle frame. One would think they would be 1-2 on the leaderboard, but past Star World Champ Lars Grael with Isao Toyama were at the top at the end of the day, with the defending VGC champs Paul and son Danny Cayard in hot pursuit going in to Day 3. Another spectacular social event ensued at the Off Brothers Barns, the home of another, private, collection of cars and other “collectibles”, with an auction held to benefit both the Ewenson Foundation and the Star Legacy Foundation.
Saturday’s forecast was for more of the same, steady breeze from a bit further north, steady at the upper end of the boat-age-inspired rules of the regatta with some gusts higher but settling back down. The first race was started after the regatta’s only general recall, as the RC had overcompensated for the fleet’s desire to head left. A minor line adjustment later and the fleet was off in a relatively stable westerly that started really building after Anosov and Caesar posted yet another bullet in the race.
One more race was planned to get the fleet into discard-land. A quick course and line shift to the right by the efficient RC and the fleet was off on a clear start. Around the top mark for lap number 1, and the next puff comes in. And then some more. And yet more. In the interests of safety, both of sailors and of boats, the decision was made to abandon the race and safely head to shore, no more racing today.
The annual Meet the Boats Display, where these classic wooden yachts are gingerly put to bed and offered for viewing by all comers, was held later that chilly afternoon. The awards dinner followed at the Yacht Club with the team of Lars Grael and Isao Toyama crowned as new VGC Champions. Barely off the pace (by 1 point) was the team of Ross MacDonald and Jon Klerk, with Paul and Danny Cayard filling out the podium.
Sunday was reserved for a golf tournament at the adjacent (and related) Gull Lake Country Club.
