Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
My dad passed away last week. He loved sailing Stars and I grew up going to Star regattas while he crewed for Malin Burnham and Dennis Conner. We also occasionally sailed together over the years.
My dad, Jim, was born in 1928 and raised along with his older two brothers by his mom in Ocean Beach, the lower-class side of Point Loma. Dad's brother Milt had learned how to sail and dad soon followed. When dad married my mom in 1953 they were given a membership at SDYC as a wedding present. Milt started racing Stars in 1956 on San Diego Bay and dad soon followed. One day dad was sailing his brother’s boat and broke the tiller. He took it to Driscoll’s boat yard but couldn’t afford to have them fix it. When he was walking back to the boat, he ran into Lowell North who suggested Carl Eichenlaub. Carl fixed it for $5. Soon after dad started sailing with Carl on the Lightning and Star. He crewed for Carl in all the local races and even in the Spring Championships in New Orleans. Carl had a new Star called the “Flimsy”. At that time there was no class minimum weight so Carl was building boats well lighter than the boats today but at least some where a bit “flimsy”. Dad became SDB fleet secretary in 1957.
At that time, the only way to qualify for the Worlds was to be your fleet champion. The San Diego fleet was tough and they lost the fleet championship so, for the 1958 Worlds in San Diego my dad got to crew for World Champion Walter von Hütschler! My grandfather worked for a Buick dealer, and they put an ad in the Worlds program with the car towing a Star and my parents and me (at 2yrs old) in the car.
In 1959 dad started sailing with Malin Burnham and they finished 4th in the Worlds that year in Newport Beach.
In 1961 my dad bought “Flimsy” from Carl and skippered that season winning a Newport Beach Regatta over Tom Blackaller, Barton Beek and Skip Allan. The Worlds came to San Diego again in 1961 and Lowell won the fleet championships, so dad had the opportunity to crew for World Champion Charlie de Cardenas. For the rest of the 60’s dad crewed for Malin winning regattas up and down the California coast. In 1963 they could have easily won the Worlds in Chicago, but they hit a windward mark. My dad didn’t even see it and wondered why Malin continued to sail up wind toward the harbor. No penalty turn in those days and no throw outs either!
In the late 50’s and 60’s during the time dad was sailing Stars he also crewed for former Star sailor Ash Bown on his 40’ boat the Carousel. In 1964, along with Malin and a kid named Dennis Conner, they won the Acapulco Race.
In 1965 Malin and dad came very close again to winning the Worlds going into the last race in a three-way tie with Bever and Buchan. They were able to stay ahead of (1961 world champ) Buchan but lost to Bever. My dad and Malin also came 2nd in the 1964 and 1968 US Olympic trials. In 1970 Malin’s son started crewing for him so my dad started crewing for Dennis. In their first Worlds, 1971 in Seattle, they won! I was out watching with Carl Buchan on his grandfather’s boat.
During the 70’s my dad had a Star called the “Economy Model” which he would skipper locally and crew for me occasionally. In 1975 when I was 19, he chartered Robbie Haines Star and we sailed it in my first Worlds in Chicago. We were even leading after two races, but my inexperience when the wind was very light and very strong, was practically nil and we ended up 13th. Dad crewed for me a few more times after that, in a Springs in New Orleans where he got to use a harness for the first time and then the last time at the age of 71. After a 3 race day he said he was done crewing.
My mom and dad and have enjoyed the lifelong friends from around the world they met from sailing Stars. They went to all the Olympics I competed in. I, of course, have them and Malin and Dennis to thank for raising me in the Star Class.
