2022 Star South American Championship at Yacht Club Argentino - Day 3
by Rachele Vitello 11 Dec 2022 17:03 AEDT
7-11 December 2022
It was finally a windy day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Yacht Club Argentino at the Dársena Norte is organizing the 2022 Star South American Championship with 25 teams fighting to win the silver star continental event of the year.
The day started out with a joyful spirit, after the win of Argentina yesterday at the quarter final of the Football World Cup in Qatar, not so for the three Brazilians teams and the Dutch one there. Nevertheless, everyone was on the starting line at 1 pm, with a nice 15 knot Southeasterly breeze, a happy change to the light winds of the previous two days. The only tricky bit was the strong current against the wind, that complicated the starting procedures with a couple of general recalls.
The race went to the unstoppable Altolaguirre brothers, Leandro and Lucas (ARG), who are very consistent in this championship and have indeed led the ranking since day one. Behind them Marcelo Fuchs with Arthur Lopes (BRA) and in third Mario Sergio de Jesús with Pedro Trouche (BRA), who have switched gears after a bumpy first day.
The second race was very similar in conditions to the first one, after a general recall the fleet was off to a windward-leeward course as all of the previous ones this week, Torkel Borgstrom and Juanpa Engelhard won it, after a UFD in the previous race. In second, always among the top, the Altolaguirre brothers and in third again de Jesus and Pedro Trouche, second overall behind Leandro and Lucas Altolaguirre. Third in the provisional ranking, one day before the end, Fabian Mac Gowan with Mauricio Bueno.
"Today was really a typical summer day in Buenos Aires: sun, waves and wind between 15 and 18 knots. It was perfect!" comments Juan Pablo Engelhard from Argentina. "There was a lot of cross-current, and for this we had a couple general recalls. In the first race, with U-flag start, we didn't hear we were out and so we went on and thought we finished second, while instead we were out. In the second race, we started on the left side of the line, rounded first at the top-mark and kept the margin on the fleet all the way to the end to win the race. It was indeed a very fun day, we were surfing on the waves, it was sunny with warm water, just fantastic! Tomorrow we shall finish the program and tonight there's the formal dinner, I am looking forward to that".
All competitors are invited tonight to a formal dinner in the Main Building of the Yacht Club Argentino, before getting back on the boats for tomorrow last two races of the 2022 Star South American Championship.