Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
September 05, 2023
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 19, 2023For the first time in 24 years, the Star World Championship comes back to Tuscany, Italy. In 1999 the event was held in Punta Ala, a few kilometres south of the modern port of Marina di Scarlino, where the regatta is taking place this year from September 17th to the 24th. With the official Opening Ceremony just finished, the 2023 Star World Championship is officially underway and the 100 boat-fleet will hit the water tomorrow for the first warning signal going off at 1200 CET (GMT +2).
100 entries is a big achievement for a Class that is more than 96 years old and that has last held its Olympic status at the 2012 games, 200 sailors will be racing the 2 mile long racecourse for one race per day for the next six days, following the traditional format. 25 nations are represented here in Tuscany, with eight teams in the U30 group, the youth sailors, the future of the Class.
Alongside the under 30, a look around at the Opening Ceremony attendees sees multiple World Champions, Star Continental Champions, Bacardi Cup winners and other famous names set for some super competitive racing. Over 10 Star World Champions will be among the fleet, starting side-by-side with the youngsters.
Every Star World Championship is a battle of legends, and for title holder, Diego Negri (ITA), the challenge for him will be to defend it for the third time in a row. Eric Doyle (USA), the winner of the 1999 Championship in Tuscany, hoisted the flag at the Opening Ceremony, two other Italians are sporting the gold star, Enrico Chieffi, Roberto Benamati, and Norwegian Eivind Melleby with American Josh Revkin.
The 100 year-old Star World Championship Trophy will be presented to the winning Star World Championship team on Sunday September the 24th after the very last race of the series, with prizes to the top five overall, along with trophies to top placing teams in the Under 30, Seniors, Masters, Grand Masters and Exalted Grand Master divisions, as well as daily and series prizes.
Results, reports, photos and video will be available throughout the Star World Championship on https://worlds.starchampionships.org/ as well as updates on Facebook and Instagram. The official hashtags for the Championship are: #2023StarWorldChampionsip #StarSailing #StarSailo
September 06, 2023
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 20, 2023Day Two of the 2023 Star World Championship presented itself with the same calm conditions over Scarlino, Tuscany, as the 100-boat fleet eagerly set sail, hoping for the wind tofill in. However, rather than the much-awaited breeze, nature had a different plan in store – a gentle drizzle began to fall, casting a temporary veil of rain over the gulf.
Despite the absence of favorable wind conditions, the determination of the sailors remained unwavering. They patiently bided their time, knowing that the unpredictable nature of sailing often requires a blend of skill, strategy, and the whims of the elements. Everyone's hopes are now on the third day of the 2023 Star World Championship, tomorrow, the forecast seem to be favorable to get two (much awaited) races in.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 24, 2023Dreams come true when you work hard for them. Max Kohlhoff and Ole Burzinski won the 2023 Star World Championship today in Marina di Scarlino, Tuscany, after three years of dedication, training, and passion for sailing and for the Star boat. They started the Championship with a bullet and ended it with a golden star affixed to their mainsail, a lifelong dream for the 200+ Star sailors in Scarlino. For some, this was their 20th attempt. This year, it was Max and Ole's turn to win.
"Since we started three years ago, our goal was always to win the gold star to put on the mainsail. We believed it was possible, but it was definitely hard work... and doing it here, on our second attempt, is unbelievable!" commented Max Kohlhoff right after coming off the water. "It's hard to find words for this special moment, achieved here in Scarlino. We had some great regattas this year, always finishing second, but finally, this time it clicked, and it was the reward for our hard work."
The final day of the 2023 Star World Championship started with a different breeze from the north. The first race of the day started around 11:15 AM with 7/8 knots of wind speed, but it varied throughout the four legs, with a gentle but constant shift to the right. The 30-year-old German team Max Kohlhoff and Ole Burzinshi and the Belgian/Dutch team Manu Hens and Joost Houweling had a great start and rounded first and second at the top mark. Kohlhoff / Burzinski took over Hens / Houweling on the last downwind leg, won the race, and became the provisional overall leaders due to a poor race by the Swiss Pete Eckerd with the Portuguese crew Frederico Melo and an even worse one by Diego Negri and Alessandro Sodano (ITA). After Race Five, the discard rule came into play, so all three teams were still in the hunt for the title ahead of Race Six.
For the last race, the wind came even more from the right, 050 degrees, and the wind speed varied from as little as 5 knots to as much as 13. The best at reading it were the Irish Peter O’Leary and Steve Milne, even though the first at both the top mark and the gate were the Americans Doug Smith and Brian O’Mahony. Negri / Sodano and Eckert / Melo finished eighth and 12th, respectively, which was enough to keep them both on the podium: the Swiss/Portuguese team won silver, and the Italians took bronze.
"We had a terrific week, we sailed really well, very consistently, but today was our worst day, a very difficult day, very shifty. It always looked good, I never had bad feelings, but it was either no wind or gusts coming from the other direction. We just had something missing, so yes, it's bittersweet, but also so good!" said Piet Eckert. "It's a tricky day, a little disappointing, of course, after starting the day as leaders, but our goal was to make the top 10. We had never made the top 10 in our previous three World Championships, so finishing second is fantastic, even though we came out today to win. Congratulations to Max and Ole; they did amazing today!" added Frederico Melo.
"Last year, I started the World Championship without sails, this time without my crew... Sergio Lambertenghi had a little accident to his foot, and the day before coming here, he called it off. Luckily, Alessandro was ready to step in after just a couple of days of training together this summer. This week was racing but also training at the same time, as I was teaching him how to do things for the first time on the boat. So, finishing third feels even more amazing, and it makes me think that I really know this boat well!" commented Diego Negri. "Many thanks to Diego for giving me this opportunity. It came at the very last minute, and I was so excited to join him and join the Star Class," added Alessandro Sodano.
With the prize-giving at the Yacht Club Isole di Toscana, the 2023 Star World Championship comes to a close. It will be remembered for the crazy weather, the long waits, the frustration, and the fear of not making it. Still, it will also be remembered for the excitement of having two new young Star World Champions, emerging from a successful U30 program run by Arnd Glunde in the North of Germany. This is a sign of hope for a Class that's more than 100 years old, which has seen great legends of the sport raise the 100-year-old trophy and can continue to produce champions.
February 28, 2023
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 23, 2023Day Five of the 2023 Star World Championship started with another couple of hours' wait ashore. The 200 sailors feared the morning would follow the same dreaded pattern of the previous days. The Race Committee went out early on the water to monitor the wind. The easterly breeze was expected to shift to allow the anticipated and more reliable northerly breeze on the racecourse, and indeed, it did.
The fleet was called out at about 1 PM with the wind blowing at 13 knots from 310 degrees. Race three of the Championship started with one general recall followed by a Black Flag start. At the first top mark, it was again the U30 German team with Max Kohlhoff / Ole Burzinski in the lead, followed by Eivind Melleby / Joshua Revkin (NOR/USA) and Hubert Merkelbach / Kilian Weise (GER), with the Norwegian team later disqualified as one of the eight BFDs. The Grand Master skipper and former ISCYRA president went on to be the first to round the downwind gate with a comfortable margin that increased by the finish line. Merkelbach / Weise won race three, Kohlhoff / Burzinski were second, followed by yet another U30 German team, Jan Borbet and Jesper Spehr, then Diego Negri / Alessandro Sodano (ITA) and Piet Eckert / Frederico Melo (SUI/POR). The last two teams were closely matched on points at the top after three races.
"With 96 boats, we have many friends here, and it was nice to catch up with all of them in the past few days. Great facilities, good services—it was all great. But we were delighted to go sailing today after a few days of no racing and a bad first day for us. It was even better to claim the win; it was my first one at a World Championship, so it makes it even more special!" commented a very satisfied Kilian Weise. "I like it windy, and it was about time to win another race at the Worlds for me. It feels very good! We had a very good start, we went full speed on the right side, the boat was fast, so we kept the lead and got the bullet," added skipper Hubert Merkelbach.
Shortly after the end of race three, PRO Giancarlo Crevatin began the race four starting procedure, with a breeze of up to 15 knots from 330 degrees and choppy seas. The eager fleet ended up in yet another general recall, leading the Committee to another Black Flag start. Melleby / Revkin were the first at the weather mark, followed by another World Champion and Bacardi Cup winner, Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise (USA), then the Swiss/Portuguese duo Eckert / Melo. The first two teams maintained their positions at the gate, with Manu Hens / Joost Houweling (BEL/NED) coming in third. The finishing order saw Doyle / Infelise claiming the bullet and climbing to fourth overall, followed by Melleby / Revkin, who were stuck in 33rd overall due to the BFD and a 40th place in race two, and Hens / Houweling.
"We liked the last race because it was windy; we like it when it is windy!! We finally had the conditions we hoped for here; we know the place has it. We had nice waves; waves are fun downwind. It was a little bit shifty, and we like that too. We worked hard for it, and we are happy we were able to pull it off. It is great," commented Eric Doyle. "The bigger the waves, the better! We were kind of hoping we could get at least a race in yesterday. Today it was just fun; we had a good shot at the weather mark in the first race, we didn't quite make it, and we ended up sixth, so we are happy to have won the last one. It felt like the boat was fast, and we tuned it really well," added crew Payson Infelise.
Piet Eckert with Frederico Melo finished Race Four in fourth position, and their solid scorecard allows them to be the overall leader before the final two races tomorrow and the discard. Max Kohlhoff with Ole Burzinski are second, and Diego Negri with Alessandro Sodano fell to third with a 15th place in the last race.
The plan for tomorrow is to have two more races with the first start scheduled at 10:30 AM. The forecast calls for a north breeze of up to 15 knots.
For those wishing to have sails or equipment shipped to the venue, please follow these instructions:
Sailors name
Star + Sail #
c/o Yacht Club Isole di Toscana
Marina di Scarlino
Torre di Controllo
Loc. Puntore
58020 Scarlino (GR) Italia
Contact Number: +39 335 1920703
Please NOTE: we are unable to manage customs clearance or anticipate money so TEAMS NEED TO MANAGE IT IN ADVANCE
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 22, 2023It is On and OFF the 2023 Star World Championship in Marina di Scarlino, Italy. No breeze for the first two days, two amazing races yesterday and too much wind today. The 96 boat fleet went out on the water around noon and had a taste of what the race would feel like. The expression on the competitors' faces says it all - some are having a blast and some others are just frightened!! 22+ knots with over a meter waves..
The photos were taken on the way back in.
Tomorrow two more races are scheduled!
Author: Central Office - August 17, 2023The organizers of the 2023 Worlds have reached the maximum capacity to accept any additional entries.
Author: Rachele Vitello - September 22, 2023After two windless days, it was finally time to get going at the 2023 Star World Championship at the Marina di Scarlino, Tuscany. The frustration that had accumulated in the past two days for the 96 teams, representing 25 different countries in Italy, was finally released thanks to a 10-knot southerly wind blowing on the racecourse since the morning. The fleet was soon on the water in the Gulf of Follonica, and the first race started as planned.
Race One began at around 11:15 with a 9-knot southerly breeze. The first start attempt ended in a general recall, and a second start was more successful after the Race Committee, led by PRO Giancarlo Crevatin, hoisted a U flag. At the top mark, the German former Finn Sailor Max Kohlhoff, along with Ole Burzinski, rounded first, followed by current Star World title holder Diego Negri with his new young crew member Alessandro Soldano (ITA), then Doug Smith/Brian O’Mahony (USA), Enrico Chieffi/Nando Colaninno (ITA), and in fifth place were Piet Eckert and Frederico Melo (SUI). The mark rounding at the weather mark was very busy, crowded and intense, and the fleet started the downwind leg with the wind increasing slightly and the waves getting bigger. The positions remained very similar at the gate, with the Germans in the lead, Chieffi / Colaninno in second, and the Belgians Manu Hens and Joost Houweling making their way into the top group in third. After another long upwind leg and a quicker downwind leg, the Germans claimed the first race of the 2023 Star World Championship, followed by Negri/Soldano, Eckert/Melo, Enrico Chieffi (1996 star world champion), with Nando Colaninno, and the Irish duo of Peter O’Leary/Steve Milne in fifth. Among the top four teams, two golden stars are present, showcasing the high level of competition.
“This is our second Star World Championship; we participated in Kiel in 2021. However, we were really looking forward to this venue because we love it here and we thought it would be good sailing for us. In the first race, we just had a pretty good start; I guess when you think you're over, it's always a good start. We played the shifts really nicely. I think we had good speed, and we’re well set up. In Kiel, we finished 14th, so it's good to have won the first race here,” commented Max Kohlhoff. Max is part of the successful U30 program that Arnd Glunde has been running in northern Germany for the past few years, lending them his and other owners' boats and showing them how it's done. “I've arrived here from the Under 30 program that Arnd initiated with the Heinz Nixdorf Pokal Trophy in Germany, and we now have a lot of young sailors attending. He kind of recruited me after I stopped my Finn career, and since then, the learning curve was really steep. This year we even have a new boat, which is going much faster than the previous one, and we're just really happy.”
After a short wait, race two got underway with the same nice breeze, following three general recalls. The PRO opted for a black flag, which had everyone paying more attention to the line. The start remained very tight, with most of the fleet fighting for the Committee side. At the top mark, another U30 sailor making his way in the Class, Matthew Rajacich with Eric Wagner (USA), rounded comfortably in first, followed by Eugenio Cingolani/Juan Francisco Carrasquet, Jurg Wittich/Christian Trachsel, and Paolo Nazzaro/Alessandro Vongher. However, the latter team was subsequently disqualified with a black flag (BFD), taking them out of the race. The wind gradually diminished on the downwind but picked up a little on the fourth and final leg. Some of the big names that rounded the weather mark in the middle of the fleet had recovered a bit, and Italian America’s Cup skipper Flavio Favini, participating in his first Star World Championship, won the second race with local crew Nicolas Seravalle.
“They say that when the water is dirty, there’s better fishing… Yes, we had a good one, finally, as in the first race, we struggled. We went left, and it was not a good idea; the right paid off big. The second race followed more the usual path, and the breeze played a little on the left. This is our first Star World Championship; Nicolas and I started with the Star a couple of years ago, but we had never attended the Worlds as they were too far away. This place is close to home, and we are thrilled to be here", declared Flavio Favini.
Piet Eckert and Frederico Melo's consistency paid off, and they are the current leaders in the overall ranking. However, the winner of the last two Star World titles is only one point behind them, and American Scott Barnard, with World Champion crew Phil Trinter, are not too far behind in third place. Tonight, the Mid-Week Award Ceremony will take place at the Marina di Scarlino, along with the presentation of the Harry Gale Nye Trophy, which recognizes an individual's outstanding contribution to the ISCYRA.
September 05, 2023
September 19, 2023
