Star Worlds- Scheidt/Prada win drama packed R4

by Janet Maizner on 16 Apr 2008 It was a wild and windy day on Biscayne Bay for the 102 boats racing the fourth of a six race series in the 2008 Star World Championships at Coral Reef Yacht Club. The race start was delayed almost an hour and three boats were black flagged at the start after a postponement and a general recall. Some 27 boats did not finish, more than eight masts were lost, one boat capsized, and one of the top three finishers fell out of his boat just seconds before the finish line. What a day!

Defending World Champion Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada grabbed the lead and crossed the finish line five boat lengths ahead of everyone else. 'It 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. Dominik's 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 O'Leary/Stephan Milne, Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL), John Dane/Austin Sperry (USA), and O'Connell/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 O'Leary/Milne, Dane/Sperry (USA), and Race 3's 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, O'Leary/Milne, Alan Adler/Ronald Seifert (BRA), Dane/Sperry, and Mendelblatt/Strube. Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prado (BRA), Maurice O'Connell/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 O'Leary/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.

2008 Star Class World Championship
Series Standing - 4 races scored
Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results saved: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:16:07 PM EDT
Division: Star (104 boats)
Pos	Bow/Sail	Club	Skipper/Crew	1	2	3	4	Total  Points	Pos
1	25/ 8266	ITA	Negri, Diego/Viale, Luigi	3	3	25	9	40.00	1
2	09/ 8170	POL	Kusznierewicz, Mateusz/Zycki, Dominik	1	1	44	3	49.00	2
3	31/ 8331	SWE	Loof, Fredrik/Ekstrom, Anders	27	8	9	5	49.00	3
4	14/ 7836	AUS	Murray, Iain/Palfrey, Andrew	11	11	5	24	51.00	4
5	55/ 8255	BRA	Scheidt, Robert/Prada, Bruno	37	12	2	1	52.00	5
6	47/ 8107	FRA	Rohart, Xavier/Rambeau, Pascal	26	21	1	4	52.00	6
7	95/ 8195	USA	MacCausland, John/Murphy, Kevin	15	4	8	28	55.00	7
8	67/ 8267	USA	Mendelblatt, Mark/Strube, Mark	2	6	32	17	57.00	8
9	60/ 8260	USA	Buchan, Carl/Buchan, Jamie	31	7	12	16	66.00	9
10	42/ 8144	JPN	Suzuki, Kunio/Wada,Daichi	9	15	10	33	67.00	10
11	96/ 8296	SUI	Marazzi, Flavio/De Maria, Enrico	6	14	47	10	77.00	11
12	02/ 8309	POR	Domingos, Afonso/Santos, Bernardo	21	10	37	14	82.00	12
13	90/ 8290	ITA	Santoni, Silvio/Natucci, Dodo	22	23	42	12	99.00	13
14	37/ 8337	BRA	Adler, Alan/Seifert, Ronald	16	32	56	7	111.00	14
15	85/ 8285	USA	Diaz, Augie/Trinter, Phil	49	13	28	23	113.00	15
16	39/ 8339	CRO	Lovrovic Jr., Marin/Mikulicic, Sinsa	29	2	64	21	116.00	16
17	32/ 8332	ITA	Chieffi, Enrico/Colaninno, Nando	32	19	45	25	121.00	17
18	87/ 8187	NZL	Pepper, Hamish/Williams, Carl	12	105/BFD	3	2	122.00	18
19	X9/ 8232	SUI	Dannesboe, Henrik/Morey, Edward	34	37	11	40	122.00	19
20	X5/ 7860	GER	Fritz, Werner/Seeberger, Uli	44	31	15	32	122.00	20
21	12/ 8312	USA	Merriman, Rick/Sharp, Brian	58	20	29	19	126.00	21
22	33/ 8333	GER	Pickel, Marc/Borkowski, Ingo	5	105/BFD	6	18	134.00	22
23	52/ 8250	USA	Macdonald, Andy/Fatih, Brian	52	27	18	38	135.00	23
24	03/ 8003	ARG	Rigoni, Alejo/Gonzalez, Gustavo	33	29	38	43	143.00	24
25	58/ 8158	IRL	Treacy, Max/Shanks, Anthony	7	105/BFD	17	15	144.00	25
26	07/ 7907	ARG	MacGowan, Fabian/Engelhard, Federico	50	26	34	35	145.00	26
27	91/ 8291	CAN	Macdonald, Ross/Mitchell, Steve	25	9	7	105/DNF	146.00	27
28	73/ 8273	USA	Szabo, George/Peters, Rick	39	25	50	37	151.00	28
29	43/ 8143	CAN	Cramer, Brian/Bjorn, Tyler	47	22	68	20	157.00	29
30	26/ 8226	AUT	Spitzauer, Hans/Nehammer, Christian	14	18	23	105/DNF	160.00	30
31	30/ 8230	USA	Dane, John/Sperry, Austin	10	105/BFD	40	6	161.00	31
32	81/ 7581	ESP	Bermudez, Roberto/Ferreira, Marcelo	28	105/BFD	16	13	162.00	32
33	13/ 8213	GER	Wilhelm, Peer/Hollweg, Nils	43	41	30	48	162.00	33
34	54/ 8254	IRL	O'Connell, Maurice/Cooke, Ben	30	105/BFD	21	8	164.00	34
35	X2/ 8261	IRL	O'Leary, Peter/Milne, Stephen	19	5	36	105/DNF	165.00	35
36	18/ 8218	DEN	Anderson, Benny/Just, Mogens	36	105/BFD	4	30	175.00	36
37	08/ 8109	GER	Stanjek, Robert/Koy, Markus	18	105/BFD	26	26	175.00	37
38	48/ 8348	ITA	Modena, Luca/Lambertenghi, Sergio	24	17	33	105/DNF	179.00	38
39	77/ 8277	NED	Haakman, Sjaak/Zetzema, Weitze	45	40	53	45	183.00	39
40	34/ 8183	NOR	Melleby, Eivind/Pedersen, Petter	20	105/BFD	48	11	184.00	40
41	66/ 8166	HUN	Tenke, Tibor/Bendicsek, Jozsef	63	44	43	34	184.00	41
42	76/ 8177	USA	Smith, Jud/Yuill, Terry	51	16	14	105/DNF	186.00	42
43	70/ 7570	CAN	Lowden, Hunter/Wilson, Brett	35	36	65	60	196.00	43
44	27/ 8343	DEN	Svendsen, Joegen/Jurlander, Jens Christian	46	55	81	22	204.00	44
45	80/ 8280	CRO	Lovrovic, Dan/Lovrovic Sr., Marin	40	30	105/OCS	29	204.00	45
46	89/ 8284	BRA	Grael, Lars/Jordao, Marcelo	62	105/BFD	20	27	214.00	46
47	98/ 8298	SWE	Lofstedt, Tom/Carlsson, Krister	69	48	58	41	216.00	47
48	19/ 8319	CHI	Zuazola, Rodrigo/Riegel, Robert	65	105/BFD	19	31	220.00	48
49	53/ 8253	USA	Brethorst, Rick/Anderson, Scott	41	52	79	50	222.00	49
50	36/ 8136	USA	Filter, Henry/Wagner, Will	54	45	74	49	222.00	50
51	62/ 7462	USA	Watt, Dave/Martin, Dave	42	105/BFD	22	57	226.00	51
52	05/ 8305	RUS	Shevtsov, Sergey/Sadchikov, Roman	23	105/BFD	59	39	226.00	52
53	78/ 7777	ARG	Labandeira, Julio/Della Torre, Enrique	73	105/BFD	13	36	227.00	53
54	99/ 8096	UKR	Avksentiev, Evgen/Kondratuyk, Kostyantin	79	33	75	47	234.00	54
55	56/ 7978	SWE	Krook, Ingvar/Hasselgren, Henrik	66	64	46	63	239.00	55
56	69/ 8269	USA	Kohlhas, Jock/Scott, Larry	71	38	76	56	241.00	56
57	93/ 8192	GRE	Pelekanakis, L/Stylianos, George	38	56	105/OCS	44	243.00	57
58	24/ 8156	USA	Horton, Andy/Scott, Andrew	13	105/BFD	24	105/DNF	247.00	58
59	04/ 8009	SUI	Gautschi, Christoph/Gouda, Alex	84	39	78	46	247.00	59
60	38/ 7437	BUL	Vassilev, Nedko/Nikolov, Boycho	83	46	69	53	251.00	60
61	64/ 8164	ITA	Chinca, Valerio/Ciano, Massimo	59	57	80	55	251.00	61
62	Y1/ 8205	UKR	Datsenko, Kostya/Yevseyenko, Olexandr	77	42	31	105/DNF	255.00	62
63	Y6/ 7972	CHI	Gimeno, Vicente P/Hasbun, Ignacio	76	73	62	54	265.00	63
64	59/ 8159	USA	Proctor, Ched/Semler, Matt	78	28	55	105/BFD	266.00	64
65	28/ 8256	GER	Merkelbach, Hubert/Bartel, Gerrit	105/BFD	35	84	42	266.00	65
66	00/ 8300	BRA	Ficker, Peter/Lopes, Arthur	72	66	70	59	267.00	66
67	88/ 7990	SUI	Stegmeier, Daniel/Stegmeier, Beat	48	105/DSQ	49	66	268.00	67
68	71/ 8119	RUS	Tarakanov, Vitaliy/Karelsky, Maxim	105/BFD	61	51	51	268.00	68
69	15/ 8215	USA	Allen, Bill/Lichter, Brad	88	51	27	105/DNF	271.00	69
70	74/ 8263	NED	Jorissen, Sander/Veldhuizen, Erik	64	34	71	105/BFD	274.00	70
71	72/ 8272	BER	Bromby, Peter/White, Lee	4	105/BFD	63	105/DNF	277.00	71
72	75/ 8175	USA	Babel, James/Hawk, Bill	56	50	66	105/DNF	277.00	72
73	49/ 8345	GBR	Percy, Iain/Simpson, Andrew	8	105/BFD	60	105/DNF	278.00	73
74	61/ 8061	USA	DeCouteau, Derek/Nederlof, Trevor	90	54	82	58	284.00	74
75	23/ 8301	ESP	Sanchez, Francisco/Roca, Manuel	105/DNF	24	52	105/DNF	286.00	75
76	20/ 8320	USA	Reynolds, Mark/Haenel, Hal	17	105/BFD	67	105/DNF	294.00	76
77	82/ 8282	BRA	Pascolato, Alessandro/Booning, Henry Raul	105/BFD	43	41	105/DNF	294.00	77
78	Y8/ 8016	GER	Rauch, Hubert/Kling, Felix	67	76	91	62	296.00	78
79	X6/ 8283	BRA	Brun, Gastao/Kraiczyk, Fabio	53	105/BFD	35	105/DNF	298.00	79
80	44/ 8344	ITA	Tamburini, Antonio/Ricci, Renzo	70	62	105/OCS	61	298.00	80
81	92/ 8292	FIN	Makila, Jali/Heinonen, Erkki	57	105/BFD	39	105/DNF	306.00	81
82	17/ 7814	USA	Donald, Keith/Sean Bryson Quinn	89	58	95	67	309.00	82
83	86/ 8085	SUI	Zimmerman, Lorenz/Mutti, Michael	105/BFD	47	54	105/DNF	311.00	83
84	Y3/ 8281	RUS	Vokhmintsev, Dmitry/Pinegin, Yury	61	53	93	105/BFD	312.00	84
85	10/ 7713	USA	Fransen, Ben/Coleman, Ian	81	105/DNS	61	68	315.00	85
86	45/ 8245	USA	Zambella, Joe/Peter Costa	74	63	73	105/DNF	315.00	86
87	63/ 8163	USA	Stazko, Ryan/Donahue, Jack	93	69	92	65	319.00	87
88	79/ 8279	USA	Bonanni, Claude/Burgess, Rick	80	49	88	105/DNF	322.00	88
89	50/ 7750	GER	Burmester, Jens/Mehlen, Markus	91	65	105/OCS	64	325.00	89
90	X8/ 7865	GER	Lehnert, Stefan/Menning, Peter	86	105/BFD	83	52	326.00	90
91	01/ 7828	CRO	Arapov, Mate/Uljevic, Ognjen	60	105/BFD	57	105/DNF	327.00	91
92	X3/ 7105	USA	Babel, Bill/Davis, Trevor	85	60	77	105/DNS	327.00	92
93	29/ 8329	SUI	Wyss, Daniel/Joss, Urs	75	59	89	105/DNF	328.00	93
94	83/ 8083	USA	Chiarella, John/Carlson, Bob	95	70	98	70	333.00	94
95	16/ 7816	GER	Hasche, Marko A/Behn, Philip G	96	75	94	69	334.00	95
96	46/ 7946	GER	Weiler, Hermann/Dietrich, Niklas	98	77	97	71	343.00	96
97	68/ 7866	GER	Thomsen, Dierk/Jensen, Darin	82	72	87	105/DNS	346.00	97
98	X4/ 8247	UKR	Gureyev, Vasyl/Korotkov, Volodymyr	68	105/BFD	72	105/DNF	350.00	98
99	84/ 7784	CHN	Li, Hongquan/Wang, He	92	68	85	105/DNF	350.00	99
100	Y5/ 7562	ITA	Bettarini, Stefano/Cristaldini, Corrado	87	74	86	105/DNF	352.00	100
101	21/ 8021	AUT	Wirth, Harald/Pickering, Jim	94	71	96	105/DNF	366.00	101
102	Y4/ 8043	USA	Manderson, John/Gotsulyak, Roman	55	105/BFD	105/DSQ	105/DNF	370.00	102
103	22/ 8216	AUT	Tomasini-Grinover, Roberto/Bahr, Gunnar	105/BFD	67	105/DNS	105/DNS	382.00	103
104	51/ 7451	CAN	Burgess, Dennis/Clay, Gordon	97	105/BFD	90	105/DNF	397.00	104
Notes
-1					Scoring System is ISAF Low Point 2005-2008
-2					Finishes in [brackets] denote throwouts
Information is provisional and subject to modification
Principal Race Officer: Rich Raymond
Jury Chair: Eric Tulla