2025 North American Championship – Pass Christian, Mississippi, USA
Regatta Report
Day One
The 2025 Star North American Championship got underway in Pass Christian, Mississippi, with two solid races completed in challenging but steadily improving conditions. Hosted by the Pass Christian Yacht Club, the regatta welcomed 21 teams from the USA and Canada to the Gulf Coast for the first Continental Championship of the Star Class season.
Despite a forecast calling for light and unstable winds, the racecourse delivered better-than-expected conditions. By the time the Race Committee set the line, a manageable breeze had settled in, with conditions gradually stabilizing throughout the day.
Race 1 saw the fleet compete on a 1.0 nautical mile leg course. The wind fluctuated between 160° and 180° at 5–7 knots. Three boats were called OCS by the Vakaros RaceSense system but all returned and restarted cleanly. The race was tight, but 2009 Star World Champion George Szabo with Guy Avellon, light and shifty breeze experts, claimed the win, followed by Arthur Asonov with Rob Scrivenor and Benjamin Sternberg with Will Christenson. The fourth is the U30 Quinton Gallon with Ryley Garvey.
For Race 2, the wind conditions improved, oscillating between 165° and 190° with speeds of 7–11 knots. Halfway through the final beat, the expected sea breeze filled in from 205°–210° at a steady 10–13 knots, giving the teams a strong finish to the day. All boats started cleanly, and the leaders were 1999 Star World Champion Eric Doyle with Payson Infelise, behind them George Szabo with Guy Avellon and Derek DeCouteau with Jamie Stewart.
Szabo and Avellon lead the provisional overall score table with the lowest number of points, while consistency paid off for Will Stout with Danny Cayard and Jack Jennings with Pedro Trouche, who, despite not even a podium finish, are respectively second and third at the end of Day One.
The forecast for day two looks promising, with stronger and more consistent sea breeze expected throughout the day, setting the stage for an exciting day of racing. Racing continues daily through Saturday, April 12, when the 2025 Star North American Champions will be crowned.
Day Two
An early sea breeze and steadily building conditions set the stage for two dynamic races on Day Two of the 2025 Star North American Championship, hosted by the Pass Christian Yacht Club. With 21 teams battling it out in the Gulf of Mexico, the racecourse delivered a fresh test of tactics and boat speed under increasingly lively conditions.
Race 3 got underway right on schedule at 12:35 p.m., with a 1.2nm upwind leg opened in 7–9 knots from 210, but pressure continued to build throughout the race, reaching 11–13 knots by the time the fleet approached the leeward gate. A course change was signaled at the gate, with the top mark moved to 220°. Jack Jennings and Pedro Trouche showed great form to take the win, followed by George Szabo and Guy Avellon in second, and Scott Barnard with Kilian Weise in third.
Race 4 followed shortly after, sailed on a longer 1.5nm course set at 225°. With the wind ranging from 12–15 knots and oscillating between 205° and 225°, teams faced a more complex tactical challenge. The left phase dominated on the first beat, at the gate another course change followed, this time shifting the axis to 215° as the breeze continued to build. Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise claimed the win in commanding style, ahead of the consistent Barnard/Weise duo in second, and Paul Cayard with Luke Lawrence in third.
After four races, the provisional overall standings are beginning to take shape:
Provisional Results after Day 2:
George Szabo / Guy Avellon
Jack Jennings / Pedro Trouche
Scott Barnard / Kilian Weise
With two more days of racing scheduled and more favorable breeze in the forecast, the battle for the 2025 North American title is heating up. Racing continues tomorrow, with another two races in Pass Christian, Mississippi.
Day Three
Day Three of the 2025 Star North American Championship tested every ounce of skill, patience, and endurance from both the competitors and the Race Committee, as the fleet battled through wildly oscillating winds and punchy gusts out on the Gulf.
With a forecast promising breeze from the northwest around 320°, the Race Committee ventured 2.5 miles offshore only to find an unpredictable and unstable wind pattern. Directional shifts spanned as much as 60 degrees and velocity swung from a mere 5 knots up to gusts of 25 knots.
Race 5 with a 1.5nm beat heading 315°, though the wind was already proving troublesome, oscillating between 305° and 345° - before swinging even further to 000°. After two general recalls, safety concerns took priority, and the Race Committee adjusted the course axis to 330° to reflect the prevailing conditions. On the third attempt, the fleet got away cleanly, though most boats were quick to tack onto port. Mid-race, the top mark was shifted once again, this time to 320°, as the breeze continued its erratic dance. Through the chaos, Paul Cayard and Luke Lawrence delivered a commanding performance to take the win, followed by Jack Jennings and Pedro Trouche, with John Kostecki and Austin Sperry rounding out the top three.
Race 6 brought no relief, with even more dramatic shifts and pressure changes. A five-leg Course 3 was set with an axis of 330° and a 1.2nm beat. Just one minute before the start, a 22-knot puff rolled through, but the fleet launched cleanly. The breeze ranged from 7 to 26 knots, while directionally swinging between 285° and 005°- a full 80-degree range. Despite the chaos, Jennings and Trouche proved their consistency with a race win, followed closely by Kostecki and Sperry, and Szabo with Avellon in third.
With six races now completed and the discard coming into effect, the overall leaderboard remains tight heading into the final day of racing.
Provisional Overall Standings – After Six Races (One Discard):
George Szabo / Guy Avellon
Jack Jennings / Pedro Trouche
Paul Cayard / Luke Lawrence
With the title still very much up for grabs and one final day to go, anticipation is building for a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 Star North American Championship in Pass Christian.
Day Four
After four thrilling and challenging days of racing, Jack Jennings (USA) and Pedro Trouche (BRA) have been crowned the 2025 Star North American Champions in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The duo delivered a remarkably consistent performance across a variety of conditions to secure the title, holding off fierce competition from George Szabo and Guy Avellon (USA) and Paul Cayard with Luke Lawrence (USA), the top three boats separated by just three points after seven completed races.
The final day on the Mississippi Sound delivered one last weather puzzle for the sailors and Race Committee. What began with a hint of northerly breeze quickly turned into a full-blown chess match with the wind – alternating between sea breeze and northerly puffs in a battle for dominance. In a span of just 45 minutes, the wind shifted from due north to 210°, backed to 140°, then suddenly roared in at 328°, before settling around 010°. The instability made race management incredibly complex – and the sailors had their hands full on the water.
Race 7 got underway bearing 335° with a 1.5nm weather leg, in winds ranging from 5 to 12 knots, and gusts up to 18. Shifty conditions and strong current near the top mark created a tactical minefield. After a long upwind leg and an equally tricky downwind, the Race Committee shortened the course to 1.1nm for the final lap. Emerging victorious in the chaos were Will Stout and Danny Cayard, with Paul Cayard and Luke Lawrence finishing second, and Scott Barnard and Kilian Weise taking third.
Despite determined efforts, Race 8 proved impossible to run. The breeze oscillated wildly between 285° and 345°, forcing the Race Committee to make multiple adjustments to both the signal vessel and course marks – each time narrowly avoiding nearby reefs. With the drop-dead time fast approaching and the breeze continuing to shift left, the Race Committee made the tough but correct call to abandon racing for the day.
With shifting winds, tactical racing, and top-class competition, Pass Christian Yacht Club delivered an unforgettable championship. Special thanks to the dedicated Race Committee and volunteers of Pass Christian Yacht Club who made the event possible, even under demanding conditions.
The International Star Class now looks ahead to the next major events on the 2025 calendar with the European Championship and the Western Hemisphere Championship quickly approaching in June.
Results
