2008 Star Class World Championships

"We made a great decision on the downwind leg and used every opportunity to stay close to the Italians," he said. According to his crew Zycki they have dreamed of putting a gold star on their sails. "One of our dreams came true today," he said.

Second place went to Diego Negri/Luigi Viale (ITA) who crossed the finish line 18 seconds behind the leader with a total of 23 points. Both Kusznierewicz and Negri started at the signal boat end of the line and went after the start. Unfortunately, the wind went left and they got hosed. With 100 boats racing, they rounded mid-fleet at the first weather mark.

Third place went to Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada (BRA) who finished the Star Worlds in fourth with 33 points.

Today's sixth race was won by the Irish team of Patrick O'Leary and Stephen Milne who could be deemed the comeback kids of the series. They were a solid candidate for a top five finish in race four but they lost their mast on the second downwind run.

"We never gave up at any time during the race today or during the entire week," said O'Leary. "We chipped away at every opportunity after an awful start and we are absolutely delighted to have won today's race," he said.

Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria (SUI) not only finished in second place today, but qualified Switzerland for one of the four remaining Olympic slots in the Star Class event. The three other countries qualifying today were Croatia, Ireland and Austria.

Marazzi and De Maria sailed together in the Athens Olympics and placed fourth. They were also fourth in the 2007 European Championships. Said Marazzi, "We're always fourth but we hope to change that at the 2008 Olympics."

Rick Merriman/Brian Sharp (USA) took third place today, their best finish in the series. "Being at the top of fleet today felt great the last couple of days," said Merriman. "We had a good start mid-line and we stayed high around the weather mark and went left. We had great pressure and clear air around three quarters of the way down where we got ahead of the fleet," he said.

Today's final race got off in 10 knot winds with seven boats black flagged. Carl Buchan/Jamie Buchan (USA) were leading with Mark Mendelblatt/Mark Strube (USA), Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL) and Marc Pickel/Ingo Borkowski (GER) just behind them at the first weather mark.

At the first leeward gate, Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria (SUI) jumped to first place followed by Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prado (BRA). O'Leary/Milne moved up to third place followed by Rick Merriman/Brian Sharp (USA). Joining the top 10 were the two teams holding first and second overall, Kusznierewicz/Zycki and Negri/Viale.

O'Leary/Milne grabbed the lead at the second weather mark and never let it go. Marazzi/De Maria stuck to the leader from the second gate to the finish.

Final Results - top ten

 1. POL Kusznierewicz, Mateusz/Zycki, Dominik  1-1-[44]-3-4-5        14.00 points
 2. ITA Negri, Diego/Viale, Luigi              3-3-[25]-9-2-6        23.00
 3. BRA Scheidt, Robert/Prada, Bruno         [37]-12-2-1-14-4        33.00
 4. SUI Marazzi, Flavio/De Maria, Enrico     6-14-[47]-10-8-2        40.00
 5. GER Pickel, Marc/Borkowski, Ingo         5[105/BFD]6-18-5-11     45.00
 6. NZL Pepper, Hamish/Williams, Carl        12[105/BFD]3-2-15-19    51.00
 7. USA Mendelblatt, Mark/Strube, Mark        2-6-[32]-17-11-20      56.00
 8. AUS Murray, Iain/Palfrey, Andrew         11-11-5-24-[31]-18      69.00
 9. FRA Rohart, Xavier/Rambeau, Pascal       26-21-1-4-20-[27]       72.00
10. USA Merriman, Rick/Sharp, Brian         [58]-20-29-19-6-3        77.00

Wednesday: John Dane/Austin Sperry
Photo: Fried Elliott/friedbits.com

Mimai April 16, 2008. Wednesday - Big wind shifts from the Northwest to the East with winds ranging from 8 to 20 knots were accommodated with two start line resets and a change on the course after the second weather mark today in the 2008 Star World Championships at Coral Reef Yacht Club.

Iain Percy and crew Andrew Simpson (GBR) took first place and sailed like the world champions they are. However, their black flag in race two and a disqualification in race four, put them out of the running for anything but a mid-fleet finish overall. Diego Negri/Luigi Viale (ITA) finished second and John Dane/Austin Sperry (USA) came in third.

"We had a good race today and sailed like we should have sailed the rest of the week," said Percy. "It was tricky with no wind and big shifts all the way around the course, but we got the right side on the first shift and did better than our disasters earlier this week." Simpson added, "We finally got it right."

The Polish team of Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Dominik Zycki, current holders of the number one ISAF ranking for the Star Class, finished fourth today and moved into first place overall after the fifth race in the six race series. "Everyone near us on the start got a black flag," said Kusznierewicz. łIt was a difficult beginning and we started late, but safe."

Deep in fleet rounding the first weather mark, the Poles picked up great speed, changed their tuning three or more times, and made their way to the top of the fleet. "The communication between me and Dominik was great. When I didnšt know what to do, he did and when he didnšt know, I did," explained Kusznierewicz.

By the second leeward gate, the Poles had passed almost 30 boats and were in 10th and striking distance for the beat to the finish line.

Diego Negri and crew Luigi Viale (ITA) took second place in today's fifth race in the series and moved into second place overall. "This was the best birthday present, I couldn't have asked for better," said the now 37-year-old.

The very first time Negri and Viale sailed together was the 2006 European Star Championships where they came in fourth. Their boat was old and literally taped together and they said they actually had to call some friends to figure out the rigging. That's when they decided to name their boat "Lady Mianda," Mianda, which literally means old underwear, but in their Ligurian dialect means old sails or not very good sails.

Negri has been to the Olympics twice for Lasers and was at one time ranked 4th in the world. He decided to switch to Stars when he wasn't having fun anymore. "Racing Stars was like going home for me," he said. "At our first competition I saw Hamish Pepper, Robert Scheidt, Mark Mendelblatt, guys I used to race against in Laser."

The Japanese team of Kunio Suzuki/Daichi Wada, which is trying to qualify its country for the Olympics, finished 19th today and jumped from 23rd to 11th overall. "There was a lot of wind and it changed all the time. It was very difficult for us," said Zuzuki. Other countries still racing for the four available Olympic slots are Austria, Ireland, Croatia and Switzerland.

Dane/Sperry had a solid day today sailing in the top 10 for the entire race. Marc Pickel/Ingo Borkowski (GER) moved into the top 10 at the second weather mark and finshed in fifth place.

Mark Mendelblatt/Mark Strube (USA) moved up two slots to sixth overall. At the first leeward mark the team moved into the top 10 and dropped down to an 11th place finish at the second leeward gate.

Day Five Overall Top 10 Standing after five races and lowest score discarded:
1. Kusznierewicz, Mateusz/Zycki, Dominik (POL)  1-1-(44)-3-4         9.00 points
2. Negri, Diego/Viale, Luigi             (ITA)  3-3-(25)-9-2        17.00
3. Scheidt, Robert/Prada, Bruno          (BRA) (37)-12-2-1-14       29.00
4. Pepper, Hamish/Williams, Carl         (NZL) 12(105/BFD)3-2-15    32.00
5. Pickel, Marc/Borkowski, Ingo          (GER) 5-(105/BFD)6-18-5    34.00
6. Mendelblatt, Mark/Strube,Mark         (USA)  2-6-(32)-17-11      36.00
7.  Marazzi, Flavio/De Maria, Enrico     (SUI)  6-14-(47)-10-8      38.00
8. Rohart, Xavier/Rambeau, Pascal        (FRA) (26)-21-1-4-20       46.00
9. Loof, Fredrik/Ekdstrom,Anders         (SWE)  27-8-9-5-(49)       49.00
9. Murray, Iain/Palfrey, Andrew          (AUS)  11-11-5-24-(31)     51.00

Tuesday at the Star Worlds
Photo: Marco Oquendo

Defending World Champion Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada grabbed the lead and crossed the finish line five boat lengths ahead of everyone else. At the last mark we were in 6th position and decided to go to port where there were fewer waves, said Scheidt. A 30 knot wind hit just behind us and put us back in the race, he said.

Second place Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL) and third place Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Domink Zycki (POL) were neck and neck to the finish. According to Kusznierewicz, who had been in the lead since the first weather mark, we made a very tight tack behind the Committee boat and I missed my hiking strap. Dominikks reflexes were brilliant; he grabbed me and we only lost a few seconds.

The Italian team of Diego Negri and crew Luigi Viale finished in ninth place and moved up to first place overall with 40 points. The Poles moved into second overall with 49 points and the Swedish team of Frederik Loof/Anders Ekstrom finished fifth and moved up to third

Rounding the first weather mark was Kusznierewicz/Dominik Zycki, followed by the Irish team of Peter Oleary/Stephan Milne, Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL), John Dane/Austin Sperry (USA), and OConnell/Cooke (IRL). Not far behind the first pack were Mendelblatt/Strube (USA) and Percy/Simpson (GBR).

After the triangle, at the leeward mark Kusznierewicz/Zycki was still leading. Rounding the mark behind him were Pepper/Williams gaining a spot, followed by OLeary/Milne, Dane/Sperry (USA), and yesterdays winner Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau (FRA).

At the second weather mark, the Polish team continued to lead by 10 seconds with the Kiwis close behind. Next around the mark were Rohart/Rambeau, OLeary/Milne, Alan Adler/Ronald Seifert (BRA), Dane/Sperry, and Mendelblatt/Strube. Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prado (BRA), Maurice OConnell/Ben Cooke (IRL), Luca Modena/Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) and Flavio Marazzi/Enrico De Maria (ITA) were in the next pack.

This last downwind run is when all hell broke loose. The gusts and lulls were coming fast and for a few teams who didn't respond quick enough, their masts snapped in two. Steve Mitchell, crew with Ross Macdonald of Canada said he saw broken masts on at least six boats including Peter OLeary/Stephen Milne (IRL) who were running a great race in the top five from the first weather mark to the rounding of the windward mark and looked like they would make it to a solid finish.

Luigi Viale confirmed that masts were falling everywhere on the last downwind run. Peter Bromby lost his mast just 50 meters in front of us, he said.

The top three leaders cleared the leeward gate in the same positions with Scheidt/Prada moving into the fifth slot.

The winds were from the NW at 18 knots with gusts up to 30 knots on the downwind run. As crew Bob Carlson from one of the USA teams described it, there were streaks of white foam running down from the tops of six foot waves, and our cockpit filled with water twice.

Skipper Mark Mendelblatt (USA), in eighth place overall with a 17th place finish today, said he and his crew Mark Strube were doing okay until their pole broke during their gybe. It was windy as hell out there, he said.

Day Four Top 10 Standings:
 1. Negri/Viale        (ITA)   3-3-25-9     40 points
 2. Kusnierewicz/Zycki (POL)   1-1-44-3     49
 3. Loof/Ekstrom       (SWE)  27-8-9-5      49
 4. Murray/Palfrey     (AUS)  11-11-5-25    51
 5. Scheidt/Prada      (BRA)  37-12-2-1     52
 6. Rohart/Rambeau     (FRA)  26-21-1-4     52
 7. MacCausland/Murphy (USA)  15-4-8-28     55
 8. Mendelblatt/Strube (USA)  2-6-32-17     57
 9. Buchan/Buchan      (USA)  31-7-12-16    66
10. Suzuki/Wada        (JPN)  9-15-10-33    67

Miami Monday, April 14, 2008. The lay day was laying on the beach at Nikki Beach Club for many of the 208 Star sailors at the 2008 Star World Championships. While temperatures hit the 80s, the 150 Coral Reef Yacht Club (CRYC) volunteers and Race Committee were busy prepping for the next three days of the regatta.

Last nights Tropical Night at Shake-A-Leg Miami (SALM) had junkanoo dancers on stilts, parrots, food and beverages. CRYCs own Star World Champion, Magnus Liljedahl, who won in 2000 with Mark Reynolds and is the founder of Team Paradise, helped present the Mid-Week Awards.

The regattas Heineken Poolside Pubs have been hubs of post sailing activity especially with their co-hosts (Sperry Top-Sider, Harken, New England Ropes, SLAM and Fiji Water). There will be more fun to come with cocktails hosted by Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and our Awards Dinner at CRYC.

The racing is even more exciting. At this point in the regatta, there is no real leader but many superb sailors who still have a chance to win the Gold Star. Of the nations who have not yet qualified for the four remaining Olympics slots, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, and Switzerland are all coming on strong. Japans t

eam of Kunio Suzuki and Daichi Wada are sailing very well with there three finishes better than 15th place.

For those of you up in the frozen north who cannot come down to sunny Miami to watch the regatta in person, check out the videos from Sailing-TV and the racecourse Live Update on www.starworlds2008.com

John MacCausland and Kevin Murphy Sunday
Photo: Marco Oquendo

Both John MacCausland/Kevin Murphy (USA), who finished eighth, and Iain Murray/Andrew Palfrey (AUS), who took a fifth place, ended the day with 27 points each. Yesterday's fourth place finish by MacCausland broke the tie.

"I feel wonderful!" said MacCausland. "We've sailed a lot this winter with reasonable finishes in several events, but nothing great." He explained that he and Kevin made some changes in their sails and in other areas and can now "race the race with the other guys."

In third place overall is the Italian team of Diego Negri and crew Luigi Viale despite a 25th place finish today. Kostya Datsenko/Olexandr Yevseyenko (UKR) were first to round the weather mark followed by defending Star Worlds Champions Robert Scheidt and crew Bruno Prada (BRA), Star World Champion Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL), Xavier Rohart/Pascal Rambeau (FRA) and Gastao Brun/Fabio Kraiczyk (BRA)l.

The Race Committee made a course change on the downwind leg when the wind shifted to the right. At the first leeward gate, Scheidt/Bruno grabbed the lead from the Ukranians and Iain Murray/Andrew Palfrey (AUS) and Marc Pickel/Ingo Borkowski (GER) moved ahead of Brun/Kraiczyk and Rohart/Rambeau.

The course was changed again on the fourth leg with another wind shift to the right. Two-time Star Worlds champions Rohart/Rambeau rounded the second windwark mark in first position with Pepper/Williams behind them and Murray/Palfrey in third followed by Scheidt/Bruno and Benny Anderson/Mogens Just (DEN).

At the second leeward gate, Rohart/Rambeau was still leading with Scheidt/Bruno and Pepper/Williams close behind and Murray/Palfrey overtaken by Carl Buchan/Jamie Buchan (USA).

Rohart/Rambeau and Scheidt/Prada were only eight seconds apart as they crossed the finish line. Pepper/Williams finished a minute later.

"Today we had good clean air with a start right near the Committee Boat and we used our magic speed especially on the second upwind leg," Rohart explained. "It was just like always, Scheidt on one side, Pepper on another, but we were happy that they were behind us," he said.

According to Scheidt, "The French team sailed well and protected themselves once they got the lead. It will be a mixed up series," he said, "and the game is still open." Scheidt thought the right shift would come and it did and he had good speed coming around the first mark and the second leg. "Biscayne Bay is hard to predict - sometimes you'll be right."

Day Three Standings:
 1. MacCausland, John/Murphy               (USA) 15,  4,  8   27.00 points
 2. Murray, Iain/Palfrey, Andrew           (AUS) 11, 11,  5   27.00
 3.  Negri, Diego/Viale, Luigi             (ITA)  3,  3, 25   31.00
 4. Suzuki, Kunio/Wada, Daichi             (JPN)  9, 15, 10   34.00
 5. Mendelblatt, Mark/Strube,Mark          (USA)  2,  6, 32   40.00
 6. Macdonald, Ross/Mitchell, Steve        (CAN) 25,  9,  7   41.00
 7. Loof, Fredrik/Ekstrom, Anders          (SWE) 27,  8,  7   44.00
 8. Kusznierewicz, Mateeusz/Zycki, Dominik (POL)  1,  1, 44   46.00
 9. Rohart, Xavier/Rambeau, Pascal         (FRA) 26, 21,  1   48.00
10. Buchan, Carl/Buchan Jamie              (USA) 31,  7, 12   50.00

Photo: Marco Oquendo

Miami Saturday, April 12, 2008. The top ranked Star Class sailing team of Mateusz Kusznierewicz and crew Dominik Zycki made it two bullets in a row today, the second race of the 2008 Star Class World Championships at Coral Reef Yacht Club.

We are smiling today,, said Kusznierewicz. Sometimes people have just a good couple of days. He and Zycki crossed the finish line one minute and 20 seconds ahead of second place finishers Marin Lovrovic Jr., and crew Sinsa Mikulici who move up from 29th place to 9th overall.

Kusznierewicz/Zycki were second around the first mark, passed the Croatian team before the leeward gate, and continued to increase their spread on the next two beats. Dominik and I were talking about everything but sailing on that last beat, said Kusznierewicz.

The Italians, Diego Negri and crew Luigi Viale, ranked second in the world, took another third place finish moving them up to 2nd place overall. We decided to be more conservative at the start line then we went left looking for the first big shift and found it, said Negri. Being in front in the top 10 on the course gave us an opportunity to improve our position at each mark, he explained.

Mark Mendelblatt and crew Mark Strube [US] move to 3rd place overall with a sixth place finish today behind the Irish team of Peter OLeary/Stephen Milne, who are now in 7th overall.

OLeary and Milne, sailing in only their third Star Class event, are giving the Irish a strong chance of earning one of the four Olympic berths still open. We still have four races to go, but will certainly take take todays finish, said OLeary.

The wind on Biscayne Bay picked up with 14 knots and choppy water. Squalls in the west and uneven wind caused several gang ups of competitors at several points on the line resulting in two race postponements with a subsequent line adjustment.

More than 80 percent of the 104-boat fleet started to the left, a solid choice as this group included the top three finishers in yesterdays race - Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Dominik Zycki (POL), Mark Mendelblatt/Mark Strube (USA) and Diego Negri/Luigi Viale (ITA).

Almost half of the initial two dozen boats rounding the first upwind mark were notified that they were black-flagged at the start line. In total, 25 boats were black-flagged including several Star World champions and Olympians.

Day Two Standings:
 1. Kusznierewicz, Mateusz/Zycki, Dominik (POL)  1 -  1   2.00 points
 2. Negri, Diego/Viale, Luigi             (ITA)  3 -  3   6.00
 3. Mendelblatt, Mark/Strube,Mark         (USA)  2 -  6   8.00
 4. MacCausland, John/Murphy, Mark        (USA) 15 -  4  19.00
 5. Marazzi, Flavio/De Maria, Enrico      (SUI)  6 - 14  20.00 
 6. Murray, Iain/Palfrey, Andrew          (AUS) 11 - 11  22.00
 7. Oleary, Peter/Milne, Stephen          (IRL) 19 -  5  24.00
 8. Suzuki, Kunio/Wada, Daichi            (JPN)  9 - 15  24.00
 9. Lovrovic Jr., Marin/Mikulicic         (CRO) 29 -  2  31.00
10. Domingos, Afonso/Santos               (POR) 21 - 10  31.00