Fifth Day Report:
Having opted to sail exclusively in the Star in 2006, the Olympic Laser two-time gold medalist Robert Scheidt won the 2006 South American Championship with crew Bruno Prada. With a third place in the first race of the day, the pair had their first place. Second in this event in 2005, Robert and Bruno still raced the last race of the championship and again had a 3rd place. They finished with 17 points, against 21 for Alan Adler and Ronaldo Seifert (2nd) and 32 for John Albert King and Luiz Carlos Simão (3rd). Scheidt was very happy with the championship, as Alan and Ronaldo were sailing very well. “We are motivated for the remainder of the season," affirmed Scheidt, 32 years old.

The South American Championship had 26 boats participating, including two Chileans, an Argentine and a North American. In nine regattas, the São Paulo pair won one race, had five seconds, two thirds and a fourth, which was discarded. Crew Bruno Prada (34 years, former Finn sailor) commented. “ We had very consistent finishes, with the right tactical choices made the majority of the time. To sail in the Rio da Janeiro is complicated because of the force of the currents, but we had an excellent performance.” Before the South Americans, Robert and Bruno had competed in the United States and finished sixth in the Biscayne Bay Trophy and 19th at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. In 2005, they were 2nd in the South Americans, sixth in the World Championship, third in the Week Pré-Olímpica, 2nd of the Sailing Week of Rio De Janeiro and champion of the Sailing Week of São Paulo. The next challenge to the South American champion pair will be the Bacardi Cup.

Fourth Day Report:
Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada won the only race of the day which was held in extremely difficult conditions. "It was a very difficult race with an ebbing tide and little wind," said Scheidt. He and Prada established a narrow lead and then held on for the duration of the race, with their closest rivals, Adler/Seifert finishing fifth.

Chief Race Official Bruno Marques said, "The wind came late. During the early part of the race it varied between eight and ten knots and then dropped further, making the competition even more difficult. By the finish the wind had increased making a large variety of conditions." Two final races are planned for Feb. 23.

Third Day Report:
In today’s first race, the J24 World Champion and Star novice, Mauricio Santa Cruz with his crew Andres Doublé , won the first regatta. “We started well and we managed to stay in the front of the fleet. In the second race we had a breakdown. But, we are having a good regatta measured by points,” said Santa Cruz. The current South American champion Lars Grael, sailing with Marcelo Jordão, won the second race of the day and are in third overall. Of the foreign boats, the top one is Argentines Alejandro Chometowski and Nicolas Chemobilsky in 13th place.

Second Day Report:

Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada Photo by Thomas Scheidt click for larger image

Two victories place Alan Adler and Ronald Seifert in the lead after four races. Their first win today was close with Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada with Adler taking the victory by the width of a hand. “It was a pretty race. I was happy for the victory,” said Adler. “Robert had a better start, but he got caught in the fleet and lost positions. With this, I became the regatta leader. He made a good recovery, but I was successful at the end,” said Adler, a Star sailor for 20 years.

Adler/Seifert have 7 points, followed by Scheidt/Prada (8 points) who were second in both races today, as they were yesterday. In the 2005 championship, Scheidt/Prada finished 2nd overall, behind Lars Grael and Marco Lagoa.

John King/Luiz Carlos Simão are in third, with 23 points. The Argentines Alejandro Chometowski and Nicolas Chermobilsky are in 13th position, first of the international teams.

First Day Report:
Eight-time Laser World Champion and double Olympic gold medallist Robert Scheidt got off to an impressive start with crew Bruno Prada, racking up two second place finishes to be in 1st place at the end of day one. In the opening race they followed winners John King/Luiz Carlos Simao, and in the 2nd race they were behind 1989 Star World Champion Alan Adler and crew Ronaldo Seifert. With a fourth in the opening race, Adler/Seifert are second overall, just a point behind the leaders.

Adler found that he lacks training. “I sailed on Brazil 1 in the Volvo Ocean Race and in the J24 Worlds here, but I am without the rhythm of Star training, where you rapidly gain an evaluation of the adjustments needed.”

Race Start Photo by Angela Siemsen, ICRJ click for larger image

Scheidt explained, "The first race was of recovery from seventh or eighth place, but in the shifty wind we succeeded in getting back to second, behind John King. In the second race, we started well, and we kept our place.” Scheidt admitted that he has been racing the Star more. In his last competition in Miami, U.S.A., they sailed against seven world champions. The pair has been training intensely since October and in the beginning of the year they participated in two Star international championships. “We were sailing in the US fifteen days, beginning at the end of January” said Scheidt.

Peter Eduardo Siemsen/Manfredo Florice are third, a further six points back. J/24 World Champion skipper Mauricio Santa Cruz/André Lersyzcki is in fifth, and the defending Star South American Champion Lars Grael, sailing with Marcelo Jordao, is seventh.

Practice race report:
A nautical superstition exists that the winner of the practice race does not win the championship. Honoring this idea, only nine of the 27 crews, with representatives of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and U.S.A., crossed the finish line at the opening of the South American Championship of the Star Class, that started Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Yacht Club of Rio De Janeiro.

The current champion Lars Grael and his crew Marcelo Jordão seemed not to fear the superstition. They fought with world champion Alan Adler duringthe race butAlan did not cross the finish line and Lars did. It are the místico side of the opening regatta, it has a very important paper for the sailer who initiates a championship. The main objective of the practice race for the participants is that during it sailors can make necessary adjustments and guage the competition explained Jorge Bhering, national ex-secretary of the class.

With southeast winds varying between 12 and 15 knots some participants had problems with their equipment in the practice race. The Olímpic champion Robert Scheidt and crew Bruno Prada, while in 3d place behind Alan Adler/Ronald Seifert and the winners Lars Grael/Marcelo Jordão, broke a part of the mast and opted to go back to the club. “We were in third place when the handspike of the mast broke. Then we decided to come back toward the land so not to do more damage,” said Scheidt.

Other sailors also had bad luck during the competition. The boat of Sergio Goretkin/Miguel Fialho broke their mast. The J/24 World champion Mauricio Santa Cruz had the hull of his boat damaged in a buoy dispute with Peter Ficker/Manuel Bunge. The worst incident was the collision between the boats of Carlos Dohnert/Fernando Ilha and Marcelo Fucks/Fabio Kraiczyk, ending up with a perforated hull needing repairs.