Star Class celebrates centennial in USA

The 2022 Star World Championship is shaping up to be an event to remember as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary Championship with over 15 past Star World Champions and a good representation of the new generation with 15 under-30 teams.

It was 1922, and the boat was about 10 years old when the USA hosted the first ever Star World Championship in Long Island, NY. One hundred years later, and not far from that first edition, 90 entries from 14 nations will compete September 11-17 in Marblehead, MA.

Designed in 1910 by Francis Sweisguth, the Star had been used as an Olympic event for 80 years, from 1932 to 2012, more than any other boat, but adjusting to its latest chapter has taken time. However, the 2022 event is shaping up to be a record turnout for this post-Olympic era.

A long list of sailing legends have won a title in the Star Class, from Lowell North to Dennis Conner, from Paul Elvstrom to Mark Reynolds, from Valentin Mankin to Torben Grael, Paul Cayard, Robert Scheidt, and Iain Percy.

These are the sailors who have contributed to sailing’s history, and to them and all of the Star World Champions is dedicated ‘100 Years of Gold Stars’, the book written by Carol Newman Cronin in which she interviews most of the living Champions and captures the best memories of a century of global events.

To celebrate the Star World Champions, each team at the 2022 Worlds will have a sail number representing a year of their choice. Past World Champions will have the year in which they won, and other competitors have picked a memorable one for them.

Bobby Lippincott chose 1950, when his grandfather Robert won the title in Chicago, and so did Danny Cayard by picking 1960, year in which his grandfather Pelle Petterson won in San Diego, and Larry Whipple 1922, the year of the first World Championship.

Six races are scheduled for September 11-17 (layday on 14th), with one two-hour long race planned for each day as per tradition.

Event information – Entry list – Facebook

Source: Rachele Vitello