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Star 2004 News Sail Information || Star News || Tuning Guide || Star FAQs ||Contact Star Experts || Order
SEE ALSO: 2003 Regatta Reports | 2001-2002 Regatta Reports
Report by Jonh MacCausland ANNAPOLIS FALL STAR REGATTA Saturday we had two races on a windward – leeward course, with five to ten knots of shifty north easterly winds. The racing was very challenging. Aaron Serinis with John Avis lead at each of the first two marks only to be passed by John MacCausland with Brian Sharp and Tom Price with Will Wagner on the last quarter of the second windward leg. On the run to the finish the top three places stayed the same. What looked like the end of the wind just at the start of the second race turned into the best breeze of the day. MacCausland and Sharp lead wire to wire on the six legged windward – leeward course. Serinis, Price and Kling had a good race for second thru fourth. By the finish Serinis prevailed with Tom Price third and Steve Kling fourth. Not only does Annapolis Yacht Club run good races they also put on a great dinner. The Star Fleet and the E-22 Fleet had dinner together. There were plenty of stories to go around. Sunday was a none-event like many of the regattas this past season. With fifty degree temperatures, light rain and no wind, this made for a cold tow out and a cold tow back in. Realistically the highlight of the regatta was Gary Jobson, as many of you know he has been fighting cancer for the past two years. He has made a wonderful recovery and not only was he sailing an E-22 but he won the regatta against a small but talented fleet. He is sure an inspiration for all of us. OVERALL RESULT:
For the full results checkout www.starclass.org. For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts! To order our Star sails, click here.
Report by Aaron Serinis, North Sails Oxford
October 9-10 St. Michaels, Maryland: 17 Star boats were in attendance for the first annual Harold Shuster Fall Series. The series consisted of five races, three Saturday and two on Sunday. It proved to be a great weekend for sailing with a steady 8-10 knot southerly breeze Saturday. This allowed the race committee to get off three great races in a row without having to reset any marks! This is very unusual for the shifty Miles River. Sunday was much breezier; the winds were out of the North West at 15-20 knots with a lot of shifts and big changes in velocity. Unfortunately, my crew Will and I had to sit out race one due to breaking our head stay while tuning up prior to the start. Race two started without a hitch, Will and I hooked into a great left shift at the start and crossed the fleet on port tack at the pin. We found the heavy breeze to our liking and extended our lead throughout the race. Using the North Max Roach main and the R-2 All Purpose jib, we were able to sail very fast in a wide range of conditions. Special thanks go to the Miles River Yacht Club, and all the race committee volunteers who made this first annual event a great success. We look forward to adding this new event to our Chesapeake Star Schedule for many years to come.
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Jonh MacCausland OXFORD FALL WINDUP Oxford is a great place to go in the fall, but one of the great attractions is the food at the Tred Avon Yacht Club. Again the club’s staff outdid themselves on Saturday night with a beef tenderloin and crab cake dinner. Sunday’s forecast was not much better. Arriving at the club it appeared that we could not have any racing. But just when we all thought that the regatta was over, a little wind started to come up the river. Richard got us all out on the water. We were able to get the race going with just enough wind. Hyde Perce and Rick Peters lead wire to wire in difficult conditions. Barbara Vosbury and Reid Beigel came on strong on the last run to finish second. Fotis Bellakis and Austin Sperry rounded out the top three. John MacCausland and Phil Trinter with a 1 – 2 on Saturday crossed the line fifth to secure the overall win. Henry Filter and Shane Zwingelberg followed one point behind in second. Hyde Perce and Rick Peters had to settle for third overall, losing the breaker with Henry and Shane. A good time was had by all. Next year our goal is to have thirty five boats in Oxford. So make some time to come on down and see it for yourself. I think you will really have a wonderful time with some good racing. OVERALL RESULTS
For complete results check out www.starclass.org For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Jonh MacCausland 2004 2nd. DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP Racing started Saturday morning with a light north easterly which held for most of the day. Racing was difficult with very light wind and very rough water for the first two races of the day. For the third and final race the wind picked up just a little and most of the crews were able to get over the side. By the days end we had three different race winners and some very close racing. Saturday night Eastport Yacht Club hosted a very nice dinner which many of the spouses attended. Sunday did not look good for the wind. We all towed out to the bay and caught up on our rest along with working on our tans. Three and a half hours later the Committee pulled the plug on the day of racing. With seventeen boats participating we had great weather minus the wind, good food Friday night at Bert Collin’s house and Saturday night at the Eastport Yacht Club. Our districts was a nice way to spend the weekend. OVERALL RESULTS
For complete results check out www.starclass.org For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Jonh MacCausland 2004 LIPTON CUP This year was the 73rd. running of the Tred Avon Yacht Club’s annual regatta. The event is a multi – class event which includes Stars, Lasers, Penguins, Opties, 420’s and Log Canoes. Also on Friday there is a big boat race from Annapolis to Oxford. Socially this is the big event for the summer on the Chesapeake with bands both Friday and Saturday nights with a formal trophy presentation on Sunday afternoon. To attend the presentation the ladies must wear a dress and the men a jacket and tie. It is very much like the old days. Hurricane Charley was approaching the Chesapeake for the weekend and was predicted to pass the racing area on Saturday night. Charley was all smoke and no fire. We had very little wind with some rain. The racing over the weekend was done in very light wind and flat seas. Even with the bad weather predicted we had a good turnout. Fourteen boats competed over the weekend in three races. Each race was sailed in the same conditions. John MacCausland with Bob Schofield came away with the overall victory followed by John Sherwood and Don Elliott rounding out the top three. Each fall Tred Avon Yacht Club runs the Oxford Fall Wind-up. This year it will be held on September 25-26. Everybody should try to attend. This is the very best sailing the Chesapeake Bay offers. It is by far my favorite place to sail. Please come and experience it for yourselves. OVERALL RESULTS For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Jonh MacCausland 2004 STAR NORTH AMERICANS The North Americans has been held annually since 1952. This year’s event was hosted by the Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Over the years the winners read like a who’s who of yacht racing. Past winners include North, Etchells, Buchan, Duplin, Blackaller, Bruder and Conners. Some of the more recent winners include Brun, Reynolds, Adams, Cayard, MacDonald, Doyle, Brady and Szabo. This year’s fleet was forty four boats deep with teams from the USA, Argentina, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Italy and the Ukraine. The sailing was held in Broad Sound near the entrance to Boston Harbor. The racing was in predominately light air with current playing a big factor in each race. The schedule was for a practice race on Saturday. Because of the threat of thunder storms and bad weather, the practice race was canceled. With the passage of the cold front on Saturday the upcoming week looked very promising, clear skies and nice weather. But along with the large high pressure also came along mostly very light breezes. Sunday was the start of the championship. On the schedule for the day were two races. The wind was very light and the committee had to postpone for an hour and a half. Once the racing started it was done in light spotty conditions. By the end of the first day Ben Cesare with Doug Brophy were in the lead followed by John MacCausland and Brian Fatih. To come away from today’s racing with two good races was a difficult job, which the top three boats did. Monday we had one race on the schedule which got away on time. The breeze came from the south today and had large oscillations along with big pressure differences. At the first mark the leaders were Jack Button with Todd Raynor followed by Jim Buckingham and Rick Peters. About three quarters of the way down the first run, the wind all but shut down in the middle of the course which caused a rather large mixing of the fleet. Rounding in front at the first leeward mark was George Szabo and Brian Sharp followed by John MacCausland and Brian Fatih. As the race progressed George and John had a good race around the course. At the finish it was MacCausland followed by Szabo and rounding out the top three was Brian Cramer and Len Delicaet. Day three of the event dawned just like the past two days, nice weather but very light wind. Once on the race course a light easterly breeze filled in and we were able to start on time. The first race of the day saw the leaders coming from deep in the left side of the course. This seemed to pay for the rest of this race. Past Class President Jack Rickard with Jeremy Davidson sailed a great last run to win the race easily. Hyde Perce and Chuck Nevel were quietly putting together a very good series and finished second. For the forth race in a row MacCausland and Fatih were able to stay in the top three with a third. The second race of the day was much different, a little more wind with a flood tide. This turned the course around and the right paid big, really big. Karl Anderson with Magnus Liljedahl lead at each mark never to have a serious challenge. Aaron Serinis with Will Wagner and Ron Sandstrom with Steve Braverman made it close at the finish. But Karl and Magnus kept them under control. Regatta leaders MacCausland and Fatih had their worst race to date with an eighth place. At the end of the days racing MacCausland was still in the lead but two teams were within four points. Considering the conditions it was going to be very interesting on the last day of racing. Wednesday was a beautiful morning but we didn’t have any wind. We all hoped that this would allow a nice sea breeze to fill in. The committee towed all the boats to the course and once we arrived we had a short postponement and then the breeze started to fill. The committee did an excellent job of waiting for the wind. For MacCausland to win the championship he and Brian needed a top four finish or Anderson and Perce to finish worst than fourth. At the first mark Karl Anderson and Magnus were in control of the championship. They were leading and MacCausland rounded seventh. Perce and Ben Cesare, who also had a chance to claim the title, were well back in the fleet. With a building breeze the fleet had the best conditions of the week. As the race progressed Anderson was passed by George Szabo and MacCausland was slowly passing boats. At the last leeward mark Anderson was in second with MacCausland in fourth. With the best breeze of the week on the final beat of the last race, Szabo held on for the win followed by karl Anderson. Having his best race of the week was Alberto Zanetti from Argentina finishing in third. MacCausland and Fatih crossed the line in fourth securing the 2004 Star North American Championship. As the week went on the Boston Harbor Star Fleet and Cottage Park Yacht Club put on a great show. Good challenging racing on the water and great hospitality off the water with a great social event each night. I have to give Gary MacDonald along with Joe Zambella and Pete Costa a big thanks for making the event run so well. I am sure they were not the only ones responsible. Everyone did a great job. But the biggest thanks go to Phil Marks. Phil’s company was the title sponsor of the event and it would not have been possible without his help. Thank you Phil. TOP 3: For full results checkout www.starclass.org For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Saint Michael’s Md. - Most Sailors know that the Chesapeake Bay in Mid summer can be a very unpredictable place to hold a sailboat race, and the Miles River, on the Bay’s Eastern Shore is certainly no exception. The weekend forecast was calling for a cold front to pass through the region on Friday night bringing with it cool temperatures and hopefully some good breeze! Saturday morning we were greeted with just that. Temperatures were unseasonably cool and we saw a great breeze out on the river from the North West. A fleet of Nineteen Stars hit the water early in hopes of getting a feel for the ever shifting river breezes. This would soon prove easier said then done as the breeze was all over the place with no one area of the course paying off twice. For the first race, North Sails customer Gunti Weissenburger and crew Chris Brown shot off the starting line first, held their lead throughout the whole race, winning it by a good margin. The following three races saw many place changes, close mark roundings and very close finishes. The ever changing wind direction helped to keep the fleet pretty level, no one sailor could master the Miles River shifty Northwest wind. Back at the club after racing, many sailors were quick to review the day’s results page, since for some, the finish orders got a little to mixed to calculate on the water. Some boats also had questions regarding there finish order, and race officials worked hard into the night to ensure all sailors were satisfied with their given order of finish. The big question however, was weather there was going to be any wind left for Sunday’s racing. Since this was to be a throw out regatta after five races, many fingers were crossed (including mine) in hopes of getting a fifth race Sunday. When I got to the club Sunday morning, the breeze seemed to be slowly building out of the Southwest, a very good sign! Since the Miles River is somewhat narrow (1 mile or so) from side to side, the Race committee was faced with the challenge of providing a long enough windward leg for the fleet of Nineteen. Once the race course was in place, we got off two very good races to conclude the six race regatta. With good boat speed and a little bit of luck, my crew, Will Wagner, and I won the regatta. In second place was North sails customer Tom Price, and rounding out the top three was long time Star sailor Elliot Oldak. Congratulations to Gunti Weissenburger and Chris Brown of the North Chesapeake Bay Fleet for winning the hard fought green Star! The MES award went to Bob Flower for best finish within the local Middle Eastern Shore Fleet. A special thanks to the Miles River Yacht Club for hosting a great event. North Sails were used by four of the top five finishers at the 2004 Miles River Regatta! Overall Results
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Each year this event is sailed at Gibson Island, MD. The first weekend after the fourth of July. This year we had eleven boats participating. Gibson Island is a private island north of the Bay Bridge on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. We launch on one side of the island and tow for about one hour out to the race course. On Saturday by the time we were out on the race course a light easterly started to fill in. This is not the best direction on the bay but it would have to do. Throughout the day the wind slowly increased and moved to the right. By the end of the third race we had seven to eight knots of wind. Racing was close throughout the fleet with many places changing hands on each leg. At the end of the day John MacCausland with Scott Leppert were in the lead with Tom Price and Will Wagner second followed by Aaron Serinis and Joe Balderson in third. We all enjoyed a great dinner Saturday night overlooking the Chesapeake Bay at the Gibson Island Yacht Club. Sunday’s forecast was not too promising. The race committee towed us out to the bay so we that we would be ready if any wind arrived. After two and a half hours of waiting, swimming, and sleeping the race committee towed us back to the club. As it turned out we never had any wind all day, good job by the committee. The Gibson Island Yacht Club treated us all to a nice barbecue Sunday afternoon at the trophy presentation. We all had a great time and I would encourage all Star Sailors to give this event a try next year. North Sails had a great event with sails on the top three boats and also winning the Masters and Novice divisions. Overall Results
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
June 19-20, 2004 - The Arms-White Regatta dates back to 1937 and is one of the premiere regattas on the East coast. The event usually attracts boats from many fleets from the Northeast. This year was no exemption with boats from ten different fleets. The format for this years regatta different from the past instead of the traditional three race no throw out format. One more race was added to allow a throw out, we sailed three races on Saturday and one on Sunday. The weather was spectacular for both days with very challenging winds. By the end of the two days of racing John MacCausland with Brian Fatih emerged the winners. Close second was Brian & Kevin Murphy and in a tie braker Ben Cesare and Serge Leonidov edged out Pet Cusick for third place. A very special person to the Mid-Connecticut Star Fleet Dion Brown celebrated her eightieth Birthday Many of the sailors were invited to her party on Friday night a good time was had by all. Her husband Marshall Brown was a life long member of the Mid-Connecticut Star Fleet. We all have a soft spot in our heart for both of them. This Is why I think that the Star class is so special, your are able to make friends that last a life time.
Report by Jonh MacCausland Having sailed in Annapolis for many years, one thing I have learned is to take the weather forecast with a grain of salt. Saturday was supposed to be the best day of the weekend and Sunday looked like we would be unable to race. As it turned out, the weather guru’s had it all wrong. Saturday we raced one race and coming to the finish line in very light conditions, the race committee abandoned the race. The time limit had expired. The first boat crossed the finish line forty five seconds later, close but no cigar. So Saturday was a bust with not much promise for Sunday. Sunday turned out to be a great day of sailing. We had twelve to eighteen knots of wind, nice but confused waves. Again it seemed like the weatherman did not have a clue. We sailed three great races about one hour each. With plenty of wind shifts thrown in for good measure it made racing very interesting. Having won the first two races, John MacCausland with Bob Schofield had a strong lead going into the last race. The battle for second was much closer with three boats within two points, so many places could change. Aaron Sorinis with John Avis took control of the last race at the first weather mark and held the lead throughout the race. John MacCausland and Bob Schofield were close behind. At the last weather mark Aaron and John were well ahead of the fleet and in a close finish John MacCausland was able to pass Aaron to win the race. Aaron’s second place was good enough to secure second overall. Tom Price with Will Wagner rounded out the top three.
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
Report by Jonh MacCausland This year’s Tomahawak, which is sailed on the largest lake in New Jersey, took place in a nice breeze but rainy conditions. This is very good for the sailors as it keeps all the pleasure boaters off the water and we had the lake to ourselves. The racing was close throughout the five race series, with many of the lead boats taking turns leading at different parts of each of the races. By the end of the weekend John MacCausland with Lloyd Kitchin & Brian Sharp held on for the win with Rick & Clark Dhein second and Kevin Murphy & Skinner rounding out the top three. With each of the top three boats winning a race, it kept things very interesting. At the Tomahawak, racing is just one part of the weekend. Friday night they have a rigging party and Saturday night they have hors d’oeuvres served by the club members followed by a wonderful dinner. They really know how to do things right. So, mark it down on your calendar for next year to attend the Tomahawak and Centennial Celebration of the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club. I am sure the parties will be unforgettable and there might be a few sail boat races also. RESULTS
For more information about the regatta check out www.starclass.org
Report by Aaron Serinis For the first time ever the Star class was added
the a very large list of classes competing in the 2004 Annapolis NOOD
regatta. With over three hundred boats sailing out of Annapolis harbor
on April 30th thru May 2nd we were certainly gearing up for a busy
three day's on the Chesapeake! On the Star course we were joined by
the eighty boat J-22 class, and the twenty boat J-24 class .These numbers
made the Star fleet of fifteen boats seem relatively small, but the
competition was big. Our biggest challenger for the series however, would turn out to
be US Sailing Center manager Jock Kohlhas from Miami FL, sailing
with long time Star sailor
Rick Burgess.
North Sails powered the winner on four out of six races series !!! Report by John MacCausland
The
77th Annual running of the Bacardi Cup attracted ninety-three teams
from around the world. With the Olympics
only months away many teams spent the winter training in Miami. For
the sailors from the USA this was the last racing before the US Olympic
Team Trials which start March 20th. With all this said the level of
competition for this years event was very high. For North Sails this was a very successful event, Afonso and Berardno used our sails to win overall, Ross MacDonald used our jib in many of the races on the way to a second place finish. Throughout the fleet North customers had success, Bob Van Wagnen and Eric Beckwith won the Grand Masters Division using North Sails. Along the way North won four of the six races capping off a very successful week. Top 7 - 94 boats, six races with one discard:
For more information on the North Star program, don't hesitate to contact our Star experts!
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All good things must come to an end. So the 2004 Star sailing season ended in Annapolis, Maryland with the fall Star/E-22 regatta. Annapolis Yacht Club traditionally runs very good events and they did not disappoint the sailors this weekend.
Too much wind last weekend, too little wind this weekend. Last weekend in Milford, CT. we had far too much wind from the remnants of hurricane Ivan and were unable to sail any races at the Nutmeg Regatta. This weekend it looked like we would have no wind. But somehow Richard Lippincott was able to run two races late in the day on Saturday. The wind was around three to five knots, very flat water. By the end of racing on Saturday the leader was Star Class newcomer Henry Filter and Shane Zwingelberg with a 2 – 1. Henry is far from a beginner, he has had success nationally in many classes such as Laser, Snipe, J-22 just to name a few. Henry will be a great addition to the Star fleet on the Chesapeake and beyond. 
With the 2004 World’s already completed early in the year we were able to have our districts in September. Just maybe this would give us a chance to have a little wind. After a summer of very light wind, this would be very welcomed. Seventeen boats arrived at the Severn Sailing Association to find another weekend with very light wind.
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