Star World Championship - Intense battle on day 2

by Star Class World Championship on 2 Jul 2014

Bow n: 04, Sail n: BRA 8474, Skipper: Lars Grael, Crew: Samuel Goncalves - 2014 Star World Championship - Day 2 Carlo Borlenghi http://www.carloborlenghi.com

Race day two of the 2014 International Star Class World Championship came to a thrilling end today after an intense battle between the top three boats and a near photo finish where only five seconds separated first and second place. The beauty, sophistication, and power of the Star Boats racing on Lake Garda this afternoon was only matched by the lake's breathtaking scenery. The 87 boat fleet completed today's race with great success beginning with a clean start, where Croatians Mate Arapov and crew Ante Sitic in CRO 7287 lead the fleet across the line at the pin end.

During leg one of the five leg course, Italians Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi in ITA 8491 secured the second place position behind Arapov and Sitic and were closely followed by two Brazilian teams: BRA 8398 Marcelo Fuchs with crew Ronald Seifert, and International Star Class Yacht Racing Association President in BRA 8474 Lars Grael with crew Samuel Goncalves. Former International Star Class World Champions Mark Reynolds (USA 8335) with crew Beppe Oggioni and George Szabo (USA 8320) with crew Edoardo Natucci also pushed hard off the line into leading positions in the top ten.

Similar to yesterday in Race 1, the Star fleet largely favored the left hand side of the race course. Shortly after the start, the Brazilian team BRA 8474 Grael/Goncalves, with great boat speed and confidence in their strategy, crossed below the Croatian team CRO 7287 Arapov/Sitic on a mission to find a clear lane on the left side and easily took the lead.

Fleet - 2014 Star World Championship - Day 2 © Carlo Borlenghi http://www.carloborlenghi.com

At a very crowded first mark rounding, Brazilian team BRA 8474 Grael/Goncalves dug in deep to secure their first place position and began their fight to both maintain their place in the fleet and try to extend their lead. During the first downwind leg the top three teams, BRA 8474 Grael/Gonvalves, CRO 7287 Arapov/Sitic, and ITA 8491 Negri/Lambertenghi, quickly pulled away from the rest of the fleet.

Brazilians Lars Grael and crew Samuel Goncalves held their nerve as they rounded the bottom mark in first place with a 60 second lead, holding off CRO 7287 Arapov/Sitic and ITA 8491 Negri/Lambertenghi who were putting up a tough fight to top the podium in today's race. Brazilian team BRA 8398 Fuchs/Seifert was the first of the chasing pack, 35 seconds off third place.

Fleet - 2014 Star World Championship - Day 2 © Carlo Borlenghi http://www.carloborlenghi.com

The top three boats maintained their positions for the remainder of leg 3, through leg 4, and on into the beginning of leg 5, but as they approached the last 1/3 of the race ITA 8491 Negri/Lambertenghi began closing in on BRA 8474 Grael/Gonvalves and CRO 7287 Arapov/Sitic. ITA 8491 Negri/Lambertenghi caught up 100 meters to the top two teams but at the final seconds of the race as all three approached the finish line, BRA 8474 Grael/Gonvalves crossed in first and received the winning gun. ITA 8491 Negri/Lambertenghi managed to edge out by a mere two meters to finish second leaving CRO 7287 Arapov/Sitic to finish third.

Quotes of the day from Lars Grael: 'We firmly believed that the left would pay well because that happened yesterday when the current was on the opposite direction so even more so today. So that was our strategy and it worked very well. We got a big lift on the left to put us in a strong position, top three, and we stayed closer to the shore, where the current was very affective. So we rounded the mark in first and the Croatian boat was always close. But in the end Diego Negri came with amazing speed and it was very hard to control him on the last upwind leg. In the end we managed to win by just a little. It is just a pity we have the Black Flag from yesterday in the race that had more than 40 boats over the line by the GPS and the Race Committee didn’t do a General recall but it happens. We have to look forward, that’s the way it is.'

Race 2

No	Numero	Nome	Punti	2
1	BRA 8474	Grael Lars Schmidt, 02-Set-1964, Samuel Goncalves, Iate Clube de Brasilia	1,0	1
2	ITA 8491	Negri Diego, 16-Apr-1971, Sergio Lambertenghi	2,0	2
3	CRO 7287	Arapov Mate, 25-Feb-1976, Ante Sitic, JK Mornar Split	3,0	3
4	BRA 8398	Fuchs Marcelo, 24-Giu-1961, Ronald Seifert, YC Santo Amaro	4,0	4
5	USA 8335	Reynolds Mark, 11-Feb-1955, Beppe Oggioni, San Diego Yacht Club	5,0	5
6	GER 8340	Stanjek Robert, 05-Lug-1981, Frithjof Kleen	6,0	6
7	USA 8320	Szabo George, 07-Giu-1970, Edouardo Natucci, San Diego Yacht Club	7,0	7
8	GER 8442	Polgar Johannes, 25-Ago-1977, Markus Koy, Norddeutscher	8,0	8
9	BRA 8390	Pascolato Alessandro, 16-Mag-1943, Henry Boening, Iate Clube de Rio de Janeiro	9,0	9
10	USA 8465	Diaz Augie, 06-Giu-1954, Arnis Baltins, Coral Reef YC	10,0	10
11	NOR 8317	Melleby Eivind, 19-Apr-1972, Bruno Prada, Royal Norwegian, KNS	11,0	11
12	FRA 8237	Rohart Xavier, 07-Gen-1968, Serge Pulfer, Centre Fosseen de Voile	12,0	12
13	CRO 8339	Lovrovic Jr Marin, 16-Giu-1973, Marin Lovrovic Sr, YC Galeb	13,0	13
14	ITA 8197	Fravezzi Albino, 03-Mar-1946, Fabio Fravezzi, Fraglia vela Malcesine	14,0	14
15	GER 8450	Merkelbach Hubert, 18-Giu-1963, Gerrit Bartel, Bodensee YC Ueberlingen	15,0	15
16	ITA 7988	Benamati Michele, 08-Mag-1994, Luca Maffezzoli	16,0	16
17	HUN 8386	Tenke Tibor, 13-Gen-1953, Miklos Bezereti, Spartacus	17,0	17
18	SWE 8446	Lofstedt Tom, 18-Mag-1954, Jesper Sundman	18,0	18
19	BRA 8210	Grael Torben Schmidt, 22-Lug-1960, Guilherme de Almeida, Rio Yacht Club	19,0	19
20	SWE 8108	Dahlen Erik, 28-Mar-1969, Lars Kangasniemi	20,0	20
21	AUT 8423	Nehammer Christian, 26-Mag-1976, Florian Urban	21,0	21
22	ITA 7488	Benamati Roberto, 27-Giu-1960, Dan Lovrovic, Fraglia vela Malcesine	22,0	22
23	AUT 8487	Scheinecker Christian, 31-Dic-1955, Gebhard Wallinger, Union Yacht Club Attersee	23,0	23
24	GRE 8434	Papathanasiou Emilios, 05-Ago-1973, Antonis Tsotras, Olympiacos	24,0	24
25	SUI 8409	Gautschi Christoph, 17-Mar-1960, Dominik Schenk, Bregenz	25,0	25
26	SUI 7829	Niklaus Michel, 09-Set-1962, Mark Strube	26,0	26
27	SWE 8352	Edwall Lars, 08-Giu-1959, Hakan Lundgren, Lerkil BS	27,0	27
28	ITA 8290	Borroi Mario, 14-Ott-1967, Davide Bortoletto, Circolo vela Torbole	28,0	28
29	GER 8427	Schmidt Reinhard, 18-Ott-1964, Seeberger, MYC	29,0	29
30	BRA 8172	Bellotti Marcelo, 22-Nov-1985, Arthur Lopes	30,0	30
31	GER 8308	Girr Fritz, 10-Mar-1963, Bernhard Schaefer, Herrschinger Segel Club	31,0	31
32	RUS 8359	Berezhnoy Andrei, 09-Mag-1968, Sergey Masalov, SPPS	32,0	32
33	SUI 8364	Marazzi Flavio, 02-Lug-1978, Anouk Marazzi, TYC/GYC	33,0	33
34	DEN 8492	Svendsen Jorgen, 18-Mag-1964, Jens Chr. Jurlander, Hellerup Sejckluy	34,0	34
35	SUI 8476	Ryffel Juerg, 05-Giu-1958, Alex Gouda, YCR	35,0	35
36	SUI 8479	Chatagny Jean-Pascal, 25-Ott-1962, Patrick Ducommun, Matelote Yverdon My	36,0	36
37	RUS 8281	Zhivotovskiy Alexey, 17-Giu-1981, Lev Shnyr, Vodnik	37,0	37
38	SUI 7947	Kulpe Boris, 01-Ott-1961, Ronald Roeseler	38,0	38
39	BRA 8477	Gonzaga Neto Admar, 25-Lug-1960, Alexandre Freitas, iate Clube de Brasilia	39,0	39
40	SUI 7252	Guidoux Vincent, 09-Apr-1986, Sebastien Guidoux, Cercle de la Voile Grandson	40,0	40
41	GER 8093	Hagan Alex, 01-Gen-1955, Marko Hasche, Luebecker/NRV	41,0	41
42	NED 8263	Jorissen Sander, 02-Ago-1962, Erik Veldhuizen, KWVL	42,0	42
43	UKR 8205	Khashina Denis, 14-Mag-1970, Dmitriy Mechetin	43,0	43
44	GER 8154	Schott Tobias, 30-Mar-1968, Peter Linke	44,0	44
45	GER 8407	Soellner Walter, 03-Ago-1939, Xaver Soellner, Chiemsee Yacht Club	45,0	45
46	HUN 8071	Forintos Robert, 25-Mar-1965, Csaba Polgar, Spartacus Vitorlas Egylet	46,0	46
47	ITA 8399	Canali Massimo, 23-Mar-1969, Dario Noseda, LNI Mandello	47,0	47
48	BRA 8287	Reis Luiz Andre, 15-Ott-1951, Antonio Moreira, iate Clube de Brasilia	48,0	48
49	SUI 7854	Juchli Roman, 05-Mar-1974, Philipp Juchli, Yatch Club Arbon	49,0	49
50	ITA 8155	Poggi Giampiero, 18-Nov-1964, Manlio Corsi, AVB	50,0	50
51	GER 8355	Paucksch Christian, 21-Ott-1964, Christian Knoll, Bayerischer Yacht Club	51,0	51
52	GER 8483	Helmsing John, 13-Nov-1941, Manfred Joppich, NRV	52,0	52
53	ITA 8373	Falciola Guido, 03-Mag-1955, Luca Paloschi, LNI Mandello Lario	53,0	53
54	ITA 8452	Leardini Davide, 10-Nov-1978, Sebastian Mazzarol	54,0	54
55	GER 7747	Spehr Helge, 08-Lug-1964, Jesper Spehr	55,0	55
56	GER 8384	Thurner Frank, 23-Gen-1963, Michael Ziller, Muenchner	56,0	56
57	ITA 8242	Boggi Lucio, 19-Nov-1968, Vongher Alessandro, CN Marina di Carrara	57,0	57
58	GER 7727	Kohler Thomas, 23-Mar-1959, Wolfgang Kuttner	58,0	58
59	GER 7686	Nolte Robin, ?, Andree Nolte	59,0	59
60	GER 8055	Diercks Jochen, 28-Giu-1947, Herbert Braasch	60,0	60
61	SUI 8133	Infanger Urs, 26-Apr-1974, Oleg Chtchetinine, Segelklub Stansstad	61,0	61
62	FRA 8196	Dabry Raoul, 15-Dic-1960, Tristan Cotte	62,0	62
63	GER 8198	Mellis Joerg, 20-Lug-1965, Simon Follais, YRCE	63,0	63
64	GER 8416	Rauch Hubert, 17-Feb-1958, Killian Weise, Diessner Segel Club	64,0	64
65	ITA 8202	Nazzaro Paolo, 31-Dic-1958, Leone Rocca, Club Nautico di Roma	65,0	65
66	GER 8419	Von Linde Florian, 13-Nov-1964, Tobias Steffens, Muenchner	66,0	66
67	FIN 8004	Leskinen Petri, 09-Giu-1966, Niklas Wulff, HSK	67,0	67
68	ITA 8064	Moschioni Vito, 19-Giu-1966, Gianni Sopini, Circolo Nautico Portese	68,0	68
69	SWE 8338	Muller Jan, 24-Nov-1944, Ragnar Santesson, KSSS	69,0	69
70	SWE 7978	Krook Ingvar J, 29-Gen-1947, Christoffer Lundgren, KSSS	70,0	70
71	POL 8417	Stawiany Ireneusz, 20-Set-1955, Jakub Stawiany, UKZ	71,0	71
72	GER 8122	Kappes Klaus, 08-Gen-1936, Steffen Rutz, Radolfzell	72,0	72
73	GER 8147	Stoll Bernd, 14-Feb-1969, Konrad Sipple	73,0	73
74	ITA 8485	Insom Paolo, 29-Mag-1955, Silvio Dell'Innocenti, SocietÃ velica Viareggiana	74,0	74
75	ITA 8057	Balderi Antonio, 15-Nov-1953, Amerigo Anguillesi, SocietÃ velica Viareggiana	75,0	75
76	ITA 8180	Irrera Renato, 22-Lug-1958, Manuele La Porta, YC Italiano Genova	76,0	76
77	BRA 8403	Viegas Frederico, 07-Dic-1963, Renato Moura, ICRJ	77,0	77
78	ITA 8040	De Bernardi Stefano, 09-Apr-1962, De Bernardi Francesco, Circolo vela Orta	78,0	78
79	ITA 7276	Battistin Gabriele, 11-Feb-1971, MicheleLusetti, YC Adriatico	79,0	79
80	ITA 7908	Avancini Fabiano, 26-Gen-1969, Andrea Gagliardi, FVR	80,0	80
81	AUT 8436	Koechert Wolfgang, 28-Ott-1964, Bernhard Rottner, Union Traunsee	81,0	81
82	ITA 7632	Angiolini Marco, 16-Mag-1957, Italo Oddone, Fraglia vela Peschiera	82,0	82
83	ITA 7339	Papini Filippo, 14-Gen-1955, Riccardo Berni, Soc. Velica Viareggina	83,0	83
84	AUT 8486	Wirth Harald, 03-Nov-1947, Ian Berg, KYCO	88,0	dns
84	ITA 8328	Gallone Claudio, 29-Mar-1955, Mauro Fragiacomo, LNI Mandello	88,0	dns
84	ITA 8081	Mazzeo Giovanni, 19-Apr-1962, Antonio Barbera	88,0	dns
84	GER 8321	Glunde Arnd, 16-Apr-1966, Marcel Beltz, Flensburg	88,0	dns