Photos by Fried Elliott

The 2010 Star World Championship fleet made history by rigging up to sail in the most venerable regatta in South American history. The Taca Darke de Mattos Regatta is the oldest continuously held sailing regatta in South America. It dates back to 1945.

According to past Star Class President, Peter Dirk Siemsen, who has won the Taca seven times, “The regatta was started to promote sailing in the Star Class and sailing in Brazil. According to Siemsen, whose book entitled "Vela do Brasil", which traces Brazil's sailing history and will be published later this year, “The race is traditionally sailed on a Sunday in late February or early March and has long legs that run past Ipanema Beach, because the beach is usually crowded with people on Sunday." The other reason that it is sailed a bit later in the year than it was scheduled this year is that it marks the beginning of the local sailing season. In Rio, they reserve December and January for the large international championships when sailors from the northern hemisphere are eager to visit and enjoy the heat of the Brazilian summer.

Thanks to the Star Class and very energetic members of Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club, one-design racing in Brazil started just after World War II, when the clubÂ's commodore brought a large sailing yacht and plans for the Star to Rio. Since then, Brazil has won more Olympic medals in sailing than in any other sport. Torben Grael and Robert Scheidt, who are sailing at the 2010 Star World Championship, are at the very top of the elite group of sailors who have accumulated Olympic medals, world championship titles and World Sailor of the year titles. Grael has five and Scheidt has four Olympic medals.

Siemsen shared his winning strategy for the Taca Darke de Mattos, "A good start helps because it is important to be first or second out of the Bay. The next part is tricky and your performance depends on the wind, which is usually light, and the tides." If you are leading at the Copacabana Fort mark rounding you are almost assured of being the parade leader all the way back to the inner harbor.

The 2009 Taca Darke de Mattos winners were Daniel Wilcox and Affonso Abreu. The Brazilian Star skippers sailing in the 2010 Star world Championship who are also past winners are: Alessandro Pascolato, Lars Grael, Torben Grael, John King, Gastao Brun and Alan Adler.

This year's winners, Gastao Brun and Gustavo Kunze, played the last wind shifts in the mooring field and crossed the finish line inside the clubÂ’s basin at about 4:30.This is the second time that Gastao Brun, Regatta Chairman of the 2010 Star World Championship, has won the Taca Darke de Mattos. The first time was in 2001.