Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
Looking Forward to 2022
President's Message
Thank you.
Thank you, Hubert Merkelbach for your years of service to our Class. Your term has ended but your service to the Class continues; just ask our friend Lars Grael.
Thank you, Enrico Chieffi for raising your hand and offering your time and effort to help move our Class forward. You are a gentleman and a tremendous sailor.
And, thank you fellow members of the Star Class for entrusting me for the next four years. I am humbled. I promise one thing. I will give the job my best effort.
We will have many specific issues to address, and I look forward to your opinions and robust discussions. But today, I want to emphasize one thing. Our Class and its 110 years of success reflects all of us. Our future success rests upon all of us as well.
We all know what drives new boat owners and new crews to join. It requires strong efforts from many people in our Class, sailors at all levels. These people are special. They are catalysts who forge ahead regardless of the hurdles. In Ukraine, the name “Koval” means blacksmith, like “Smith” in English. In Yiddish, Koval has further meaning. It means someone who “forges ahead.” We need to support the Kovals.
We know these people. They are our friends. We can each be a Koval or we can support them in our own way.
You know the local fleet member that finds boats, fixes them up, and recruits local sailors; the fleet member that plucks potential crews and trains them from scratch. Raise your hand and find your role in this effort. Ask yourself, “how can I help.”
We have Kovals working hard on developing U-30 sailors in Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia. We need more. This takes a generous contribution of time and equipment.
We have Kovals in Argentina that put every boat in Argentina on the starting line last month, no boat in Argentina was dry that week. They need more, …maybe just more boats.
We have a special Koval, wearing an orange puffy jacket, training new and current sailors on Lake Garda. He is effectively creating new boat owners by making that initial transition into our unique boat easy and enjoyable. We need more operations like this in places like Miami, Croatia, and or France.
We have a Koval in Sweden trying to find unique ways to make our boat more affordable through creative financing.
We have sailors raising money and supporting events and ideas at the Legacy Foundation. This Foundation will continue to grow and flourish and support our efforts to grow the Class. We need to encourage more giving to the Foundation. No donation is too small.
We have a very special Koval in Michel Niklaus. Michel has plowed resources, time, and passion into the SSL for the last several years at a level that no one could imagine. Michel has helped our Class remain the pinnacle of the sport of sailing. Michel has produced the most beautiful footage of One Design racing ever created and it features our beloved boat. We can never properly express our gratitude Michel. Thank you.
We have Kovals working tirelessly restoring and racing vintage Star boats. If you haven’t raced at one of these events, then you are really missing the full spectrum of our Star sailing experience.
No one effort will be the “keys to the castle”. They all are important. Please ask yourself, “what is my role?” “Who can I encourage to sail our boat?”
I know these are generalities. The details will come soon. We might need tweaks to the rules, thoughtful scheduling, select top venues, and boost our special celebrations in Marblehead and Kiel, etc…
We have a tremendous boat, we have outstanding builders and sailmakers, we have the best competitors in the world… let’s drag some new blood into the water.
Raise your hand, share your stories. This is OUR Class.
Tom Londrigan, Jr.
President ISCYRA
From The Commodore
Dear Fellow Sailors and Friends,
Though 2021 was again an unusual year for all of us, we were fortunate to have been able to hold a number of regattas. Thank you to the organizers who did an outstanding job in keeping everyone as safe as possible. I would also like to thank our hard working officers and committees and a special thanks to Hubert for leading us through some challenging times. And congratulations to our newly elected Class officers who have pledged to support our mission by Honoring the Past and Leading into the Future. A special congratulations to our new Class President, Tom Londrigan, who is committed to our mission and I look forward to his leadership.
I would also like to thank you for allowing me to serve as Class Commodore for another term and I will fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my abilities.
Unfortunately, 2021 was a year marked by the loss of too many of our fellow sailors and friends who have enriched our lives in numerous ways. I know that you’ll join me in supporting the families of those we’ve lost.
Looking ahead to 2022, we have a very full sailing schedule. Please see the Star Class website to review the schedule. One highlight is the World Championship to be held in Marblehead, Massachusetts, which will mark the 100th year celebration of the Class. Many former World Champion skippers and crews plan to be in attendance.
I wish all of you a very happy and healthy 2022.
Best Wishes,
John Chiarella
International Star Class Commodore
Continental Vice Presidents
North America
1st VP: Dave Caesar
2nd VP: Phil Trinter
Europe
1st VP: Diego Negri
2nd VP: Christian Nehammer
South America
1st VP: Alberto Zanetti
2nd VP: Guilherme de Almeida
Australia
1st VP: Jason Antill
2nd VP: James Mayjor
DISTRICT OFFICERS
Secretary, Asst. Secretary
1-Dwight Escalara, Jim Revkin
2-Alan Campbell, Matt Rajacich
4-Terry Gibney, Jon VanderMolen
5-Nick Madigan, Rick Peters
6-Bruce Long, Dave Watt
7-Marco Szili
9-Phillip Rotermund, JF Puissegur
10-Lars Nordling, HP Hylander
11-Jason Antill, James Mayjor
12-Tom Flinn, Rich Dhein
13-Helge Spehr, Pieter Bas Hendriks
14-Cicio Canali, Marco Viti
17-Christian Nehammer, Xaver Soellner
18-JP Engelhard,Lucas Altolaguirre
20-Nicolaus Pro, Zach Hansman
21-Hans Bucher
