Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams Take NZ’s First Gold Star

by Michelle Slade/Richard Gladwell on 7 Oct 2006
In a classic nail biting finish where one small wave would have made a difference to the points standing between those fighting to take home a gold star today, New Zealand won its first Star World Championship.

The trophy went to skipper Hamish Pepper and crew Carl Williams, with 19 points on the board. Racing started just after noon in cold, gray and cloudy conditions, with the breeze a steady westerly of 10-12, with occasional puffs to 15 knots.

Peter Szasz, St Francis Yacht Club Regatta Chairman, commented, 'We’re thrilled to congratulate Hamish and Carl on their victory today. It’s been an extremely demanding week on the water and our accolades go out to every competitor.'

Peter continued, 'With the 2008 Olympics just around the corner, this has been one of the most exciting events ever hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.

With the unusual weather delivered to us this week, the Berkeley Olympic Circle proved it’s worth as a world-class course location, providing demanding conditions that have kept this international fleet of sailors focused and challenged throughout this 6-day series. We know that this is an excellent sailing venue to host a future summer Olympics event.'

As the Blue Angels practiced over the Berkeley Circle for the Air Show, the two Kiwi crews must have felt an angel on their respective shoulders as they picked their way through the toughest of the Olympic classes, containing some 20 World Champions and ten Olympic medalists.

The race today was a very close run thing with on the water observers reporting that just one point separated Pepper/Williams from the title with Xavier Rohart (FRA) and Robert Scheidt (BRA) all very much in contention.

Going up the final beat, Pepper and Williams sailed a very smart tactical race, although trailing Robert Scheidt and crew Bruno Prada. The New Zealanders stayed in close contact with the Brazilians mindful that there was just a seven point margin to be spent.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]On the line Freddie Loof and Anders Ekstrom (SWE) were first, with Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell (GBR) making amends for a mare of a regatta by taking second place. Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau (FRA), finished third and were the first home of the two competitors that were a serious threat to the Kiwi title.

Brazilians Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada were next home in fourth and then began the nervous wait for Pepper and Williams to cross the line. To cut a long story short, the Kiwis came in eighth, which gave them just three places to spare to avoid the tiebreaker, which they would have won on the basis of having two race wins.

Scheidt and Bruno took second place (22 points), while defending champions Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau (FRA), took third place (23 points), Andy Horton and Brad Nichol (USA), took fourth (30 points), and Fredrik Loof and Ander Ekstrom (SWE), took fifth place (40 points).

Britain's Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell finished 24th overall, a second in the final race finishing a difficult week for them - two start line infringements wrecked their series.

For a country that hasn’t won a world championship in an Olympic class since 2002, today’s win was a huge victory for New Zealand. Dockside at the St Francis Yacht Club, the Blue Angels buzzing the club overhead with ceremonious good timing, an ecstatic Pepper said,

'We’re absolutely excited, it’s fantastic! It’s been our week and we’re fortunate that it’s the world champs. They are great boats – an old design that have come through the years well and are challenging to sail. The people involved in the fleet are fantastic to be with and it’s a great atmosphere.'

Pepper is a relative newcomer to this fleet deep in talent and has only been sailing the Star since January. Williams has had a grand total of 35 days in the class but with Australian David Giles coaching the team they’ve come a long way in a short time.

The other Kiwi team Rohan Lord and Addy Miles, also relatively new to the class, performed tremendously taking sixth place overall in the 66-strong highly qualified fleet.

The venerable Mark Reynolds, two-time Olympic gold medalist in the Star, and competitor of well over 20 Star World Championship events, had a somewhat different ending to the regatta as his crew Hal Haenel left at 4am to join his wife who gave birth to a 9lb baby boy this morning.

Stepping in for Haenel today was Magnus Liljedahal, with whom Reynolds won the Olympic gold in 2000.

'We were doing great this morning, crossing tacks with Iain Percy at the top of the fleet when three quarters of the way up the first beat we broke our headstay and so were done for the day. We were looking forward to a top 10 finish but you win some and lose some, that’s why we sail so many of these!

Like other Olympic sports it’s getting tougher and tougher to do well in this fleet but we’ve been lucky with the Star in that we have talented people coming in from other classes – the Finn, the Laser, the 49’er – and they are all champions in those classes so the depth just keeps on going.'

For St Francis Yacht Club members Steve Gould and Greg Sieck, this wasn’t the week where local knowledge paid off out on the race course. Commented Sieck, 'We had fun up but our performance has been up and down as it’s been tough, not the usual San Francisco conditions. We’ve been at this a long time, our boat’s wonderful but we don’t have a full program. We did make the first mark in first position on the first day which was great, we improved daily with today being our best. It was fantastic to be close to home and the club did a great job.'

2006 Wells Fargo Star Worlds, San Francisco
Provisional Results - Day 6

Star

Place	Boat	Skipper	Crew	Sail #:	Fleet	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	NZL 8187	Hamish Pepper	Carl Williams	NZL 8187	Isol	1.0	20.0	4.0	1.0	5.0	8	19
2	BRA 8127	Robert Scheidt	Bruno Prada	BRA 8127	GuB	6.0	4.0	13.0	5.0	3.0	4	22
3	FRA 8107	Xavier Rohart	Pascal Rambeau	FRA 8107	NI	14.0	5.0	5.0	2.0	8.0	3	23
4	USA 8156	Andy Horton	Brad Nichol	USA 8156	NB	2.0	9.0	1.0	32.0 [ZFP]	9.0	9	30
5	SWE 8256	Fredrik Loof	Anders Ekstrom	SWE 8256	SCF	33.0	13.0	12.0	13.0	1.0	1	40
6	NZL 8061	Rohan Lord	Miles Addy	NZL 8061	Isol	3.0	2.0	10.0	11.0	46.0	14	40
7	SUI 8138	Flavio Marazzi	Martin Kozaczek	SUI 8138	TB	4.0	1.0	14.0	15.0	12.0	15	46
8	POL 8252	Mateusz Kusznierewicz	Dominik Zycki	POL 8252	Isol	17.0	10.0	67.0 [OCS]	21.0 [ZFP]	4.0	7	59
9	USA 8207	Jim Buckingham	Mike Dorgan	USA 8207	NH	13.0	23.0	19.0	4.0	2.0	49	61
10	GER 8213	Marc Pickel	Ingo Borkowski	GER 8213	Brm	43.0	35.0	2.0	9.0	20.0	5	71
11	USA 8267	Mark Mendelblatt	Mark Strube	USA 8267	TaB	25.0	8.0	16.0	34.0 [ZFP]	10.0	13	72
12	ITA 8266	Diego Negri	Luigi Viale	ITA 8266	VE	62.0	14.0	7.0	37.0	11.0	6	75
13	ITA 8224	Luca Modena	Michele Marchesini	ITA 8224	NG	51.0	12.0	6.0	14.0	26.0	19	77
14	AUS 7836	Iain Murray	Andrew Palfrey	AUS 7836	LMac	7.0	30.0	17.0	23.0	21.0	11	79
15	SUI 7990	Daniel Stegmeier	Beat Stegmeier	SUI 7990	TB	18.0	3.0	18.0	30.0 [ZFP]	19.0	41	88
16	POR 8253	Afonso Domingo	Bernardo Santos	POR 8253	CP	29.0	7.0	29.0	6.0	47.0	17	88
17	BRA 8240	Torben Grael	Marcelo Ferreina	BRA 8240	Gua	15.0	31.0	15.0	42.0	17.0	10	88
18	USA 8268	John Dane III	Austin Sperry	USA 8268	MoB	34.0	17.0	9.0	16.0	24.0	24	90
19	ITA 8076	Luca Simeone	Ferdinando Colaninno	ITA 8076	Rom	39.0	22.0	24.0	12.0	13.0	20	91
20	USA 8273	George Szabo	Eric Monroe	USA 8273	SDB	23.0	28.0	8.0	26.0	31.0	18	103
21	USA 8239	Mark Reynolds	Hal Haenel	USA 8239	SDB	44.0	26.0	3.0	10.0	22.0	67/DNF	105
22	ITA 8180	Francesco Bruni	Gilberto Nobili	ITA 8180	Pal	42.0	21.0	34.0	20.0 [ZFP]	14.0	16	105
23	ARG 7907	Fabian Mac Gowan	Federico Engelhard	ARG 7907	OL	10.0	33.0	28.0	20.0	18.0	34	109
24	GBR 8144	Iain Percy	Steve Mitchell	GBR 8144	SO	36.0	16.0	67.0 [OCS]	16.0 [ZFP]	42.0	2	112
25	USA 8222	Rick Merriman	Rick Peters	USA 8222	SDB	35.0	24.0	21.0	29.0	32.0	12	118
26	USA 8260	Bill Buchan	Erik Bentzen	USA 8260	PS	26.0	6.0	67.0 [DSQ]	22.0	40.0	26	120
27	USA 8195	John Maccausland	Bob Schofield	USA 8195	CR	54.0	32.0	22.0	24.0	7.0	37	122
28	UKR 8157	Arthur Anosov	David Caesar	UKR 8157	CLIS	30.0	27.0	20.0	60.0	25.0	25	127
29	ARG 8212	Juan Kouyoumdjian	Nicolas Rosas	ARG 8212	Lar	55.0	46.0	22.0 [RDG, 22.0]	28.0	6.0	27	129
30	CRO 7955	Marin Lovrovic Jr	Marin Lovrovic Sr	CRO 7955	Isol	19.0	18.0	25.0	65.0	45.0	23	130
31	ITA 8014	ALBERTO BAROVIER	Umberto Coppola	ITA 8014	SG	22.0	39.0	35.0	38.0	23.0	29	147
32	SUI 8232	Henrik Dannesboe	Igor Kaptourovitch	SUI 8232	BSL	67.0 [DNF]	29.0	32.0	18.0	36.0	35	150
33	USA 8059	Peter Vessella	J Darin Jensen	USA 8059	WSFB	31.0	45.0	11.0	52.0	16.0	67/DNF	155
34	AUS 8234	Peter Conde	Andrew Hunn	AUS 8234	Isol	40.0	19.0	30.0	58.0	44.0	22	155
35	BAH 8265	Steven Kelly	William Holowesko	BAH 8265	N	21.0	40.0	36.0	61.0	27.0	32	156
36	USA 8176	Erik Lidecis	Michael Marzahl	USA 8176	NH	28.0	25.0	23.0	55.0	53.0	31	160
37	USA 8250	Andrew Macdonald	Brian Fatih	USA 8250	NH	49.0	28.0 [ZFP,MAN, 28.0]	67.0 [OCS]	48.0	15.0	21	161
38	USA 8088	Steve Gould	Greg Sieck	USA 8088	WSFB	5.0	44.0	45.0	40.0	50.0	30	164
39	IRL 8028	Maurice O'Connell	Edmund Peel	IRL 8028	Isol	11.0	11.0	67.0 [OCS]	50.0	59.0	33	164
40	SUI 8009	Christoph Gautschi	Jurg Konig	SUI 8009	Bod	9.0	42.0	42.0	51.0	38.0	45	176
41	JPN 7979	Kunio Suzuki	Daichi Wada	JPN 7979	Isol	20.0	41.0	67.0 [OCS]	36.0	52.0	28	177
42	SWE 7978	Ingvar Krook	Andreas Fuerer	SWE 7978	AR	57.0	43.0	26.0	25.0	29.0	57	180
43	CAN 8143	Brian Cramer	Tyler Bjorn	CAN 8143	LOC	37.0	36.0	38.0	45.0 [ZFP]	28.0	44	183
44	USA 8177	Karl Anderson	Edward Morey	USA 8177	BH	46.0	37.0	37.0	44.0	30.0	43	191
45	CAN 7899	Alex Fox	Dunnery Best	CAN 7899	LOC	12.0	55.0	52.0	33.0	41.0	67/DNF	193
46	NED 8263	Erik Broekhof	Erik Veldhuizen	NED 8263		24.0	49.0	67.0 [OCS]	43.0	43.0	38	197
47	USA 8215	Bill Allen	Brad Lichter	USA 8215	WH	61.0	51.0	33.0	40.0 [ZFP]	37.0	36	197
48	USA 8189	William Fields	Richard Burgess	USA 8189	SMB	8.0	38.0	46.0	62.0 [ZFP]	58.0	52	202
48	HUN 8166	Tibor Tenke	Jozsef Bendicsek	HUN 8166	Ore	32.0	34.0	31.0	67.0 [ZFP]	67.0 [OCS]	39	203
50	USA 8246	Philippe Kahn	Joe Londrigan	USA 8246	SCF	41.0	47.0	67.0 [OCS]	30.0	39.0	48	205
51	USA 7844	Foss Miller	Greg Newhall	USA 7844	PS	16.0	48.0	40.0	59.0	55.0	50	209
52	USA 7531	Richard Pearce	Paul Manning	USA 7531		47.0	54.0	48.0	34.0	35.0	54	218
53	CHI 8181	Rodrigo Zuazola	Marcos Fuentes	CHI 8181	Chile	56.0	67.0 [OCS]	41.0	46.0	34.0	55	232
54	HUN 7900	Robert Forintos	Andras Komm	HUN 7900		27.0	58.0	53.0	41.0	57.0	56	234
55	LAT 813	Eizens Cepurnieks	Aleksander Muzicenko	LAT 813	Isol	58.0	52.0	43.0	35.0	62.0	46	234
56	BUL 7437	Nedko Vassilev	Paul Erikson	BUL 7437	Isol	60.0	53.0	44.0	39.0	51.0	47	234
57	ITA 8183	Antonio Tamburini	Renzo Ricci	ITA 8183	SI	38.0	57.0	67.0 [OCS]	67.0 [ZFP]	33.0	42	237
58	CAN 6890	Brian Huse	Scott Killam	CAN 6890	VI	48.0	56.0	47.0	44.0 [ZFP]	49.0	51	238
59	USA 8043	Jock Kohlhas	David Bolles	USA 8043	BisB	52.0	50.0	39.0	56.0	61.0	49	246
60	AUT 8216	Roberto Tomasini Grinover	Walter Passegger	AUT 8216	AU	45.0	62.0	50.0	47.0	60.0	59	261
61	CHI 7972	Vicente Gimeno	Luis Felipe Herman	CHI 7972	Chile	53.0	59.0	51.0	45.0	54.0	58	261
62	NZL 7609	Steve Johnson	Stephan Cohen	NZL 7609	Isol	59.0	64.0	55.0	67.0 [ZFP]	48.0	61	277
63	USA 8041	Brian O'Mahoney	David Pleman	USA 8041	LB	50.0	61.0	54.0	67.0 [ZFP]	56.0	60	281
64	USA 7254	Derek Decouteau	Joseph Donnette	USA 7254		64.0	60.0	49.0	66.0 [ZFP]	67.0 [OCS]	53	292
65	CAN 7451	Dennis Burgess	Dave Kershaw	CAN 7451	EB	63.0	63.0	56.0	67.0 [BFD]	63.0	62	307
66	USA 4103	Scot Merrick	Crystine Lee	USA 4103	WSFB	65.0	65.0	57.0	63.0	64.0	63	312

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About the St. Francis Yacht Club
Founded in 1927, the St. Francis Yacht Club is steeped in over 75 years of yachting and racing traditions. From the start, the St. Francis Yacht Club's membership roster has included many of the Bay Area's most prominent citizens and greatest sailors. Early racers for the St. Francis included such champions as L.A. Norris, Mark Fontana, Myron Spaulding, Arthur Rousseau, Painless Parker and Lester Stone. Today, it is names like Paul Cayard, John Kostecki, John Bertrand, Stan Honey, Morgan Larson, and Russ Silvestri who continue to keep the St. Francis name in the forefront of world-class sailing. The annual regatta schedule at the St. Francis is one of the most aggressive regatta calendars in the world. Part of the attraction of racing at St. Francis Yacht Club is the excellent and challenging racing conditions unique to San Francisco Bay. With the skyline of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop, the St. Francis Yacht Club prides itself on being able to provide all visitors with every comfort and amenity while dazzling them with their surroundings.

For full information visit www.stfyc.com