Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
It is not unusual to find father and son both sailing in the International Star Class. But it is also possible to have three generations of Star sailors in the family. There are a few in the United States, where the Star Class was born, and there is a fantastic one in Argentina.
It is the Calegari family, Willy, 98 years old, Memo, 71 and Fede, 44. They are grandfather, father and son, all of them Star sailors, all of them deeply passionate about it and they helped growing the Class in Argentina and have traveled to follow regattas all over the world.
Willy, sailed last the Star at 81 years old, at the 2005 Worlds in Argentina “A vintage sailor sailed a vintage boat” said Fede Calegari during our chat referring to his ‘abuelo’. “That was a very windy championship, we had 18 knots average, and he sailed a wooden boat from Argentina that is now in the USA, 5235, Thomas Hornos sailed it last at the Vintage Gold Star on Gull Lake”. Willy started sailing in the sixties, and was one of the founder of the Argentinian Star Class. “Willy was a very good friend of German Frers, they started sailing as young kids al the local club. Yacht Club Argentino bought six Star wooden boats for the youngsters to start sailing on them, and so they did. They then moved to Club Nautico Olivos, and the Class got bigger and kept growing thanks to this group of passionate sailors”. His best sport achievement is qualifying for the Olympic Games in Kiel in 1972, after which he moved to bigger boats, like the Argentinian Navy boat, and got into offshore sailing, like Fastnet and Admiral’s Cup. He had then tried to race at the 1988 Worlds in Buenos Aires, but didn’t qualify. “Best time I crewed for Willy was in 1999, when he was 74, it was the Black Star Regatta, with all vintage boats. A fantastic event, a real show. It was fierce on the water but everyone was friend ashore. We had a tough battle with the F1 driver Bitito Mieres, he won and we finished second, but I was so happy, and it’s when I thought this is something I want to do, I am on the right track”.
Fede has sailed a lot with both of them, and Memo has also sailed often with his father, like that Rio Gold Cup, a Star regatta between Brazil and Argentina, among the best skippers of the countries. “It was then that my father got hooked!”, comments Fede.
“Memo is as steady as an oak, he doesn’t know stress, sailing with him and versus him it is a real gift for me”, continued Fede. “My dad doesn’t speak at all on the boat, moves smoothly and does everything gently. Then back ashore he is always smiling and talking to everyone, with a gin and tonic cooking asado. He is the one who thought me to be welcoming and help my competitors, the spirit of the Star Class, a family all around the world, he loves the Elvstrom saying: “You haven't won the race, if in winning the race you have lost the respect of your competitors”. This is one think he thought me, like never quitting”. Memo started sailing the Star in the mid seventies with regular crew Alberto Zanetti “Before he realized he was a much better skipper”, they were really close friends. They went to the Worlds in Marblehead in 1978 together but didn’t do too well “Sailing in Argentina back in those days was different from the rest of the World, it is that generation the put Argentina in the international sailing map. They granted the first Worlds in Argentina in 1988, 60 Stars attended it!” Memo’s best sailing years were the 90’s, he qualified to Barcelona 1992 but couldn’t not go as he was busy with work and so his friend Alberto Zanetti went, Memo’s turn was in 1996 in Atlanta, while winning many District Championships and National titles, and he was 2021 South Hemisphere Master Champion. He attended the 2022 South American last week, sailing at every race at 71 years old! “Memo is the owner of the pin, he always fights with Alberto for who will start at the pin!!”
Fede first event with his father was in 1996 in Buenos Aires, right after the Olympics. In 1997 he went as a 19 year old at the Worlds in Marblehead and he loved the spirit of that fleet and got into it to this day. They sailed a lot together until 2007, at South American Championship in Mar de Plata, but they were becoming too heavy, so they opted to buy a Star boat for Fede and he has started skippering then. “I like better helming, but the biggest events I attended to I was crewing”.
When Fede Calegari is at a Star regatta, you will not miss him, with his friendly presence, a warm smile and he is among the last ones to leave the after sailing parties, always surrounded by friends, Star friends made along the way. This is the legacy his father and grandfather left to him and this is what he would love his children to appreciate. “Families should sail together more” concludes Fede, and I think he is right and that it is beautiful.
