Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
Jane Pegel, a former employee of the Star class and later owner of three Star boats has died at the age of 92. In the mid-1980s Jane worked alongside Doris Jirka in the Star class office in Glenview, Illinois. At the end of the 1987 Star Worlds in Chicago Jane bought her first Star boat, #6860 originally owned by Bill Buchan. Jane bought the boat for her daughter Susie Pegel to race. Susie raced out of the Wilmette Harbor fleet. Then Susie talked Jane into buying a newer boat, #7325 from Steve Gould in San Francisco. Susie won the District 4 championship twice sailing out of Wilmette. Then in 1998 Susie began sailing her Star out of the San Diego Bay fleet, mentored by local icon Ed Sprague who got her into Southwestern Yacht Club. Jane bought her third and final Star #7982 for Susie to race in San Diego with hopes of qualifying for the 2002 Star Worlds in Marina del Rey. Susie did indeed qualify and found herself on the race course with the best Star sailors in the world. What a thrill!! Susie would like to say a special thank you to Mark Reynolds, John MacCausland and all those who helped make the Pegel Star boat campaign a memorable one. One more fun fact: Bill Buchan was Jane Pegel's sailing hero.
