2024 Star World Championship at San Diego Yacht Club - Day 5
by Rachele Vitello, International Star Class 12 Sep 2024 20:37 PDT
September 7-13, 2024
Will Stout and Danny Cayard win Race Five, their second bullet in the series, and are the provisional overall leaders, tied on points with John Kosteki and Austin Sperry.
The conditions in San Diego have been nothing short of amazing for the 2024 Star World Championship 2024. The 64-boat fleet sailed again today in 10-12 knots breeze with gusts up to 15, slightly more southerly than the previous days. It proved to be a challenging and exciting day at the same time, and the results in this race, added to the throw-out coming in place, have opened the chances to win the Championship to at least six teams, all close in five points at the top.
Today's winners were Will Stout and Danny Cayard (USA), the skipper is a local hero and the crew is a third generation Star sailor who has just won the North Americans with his father. In this series they had already won race two, and after throwing-out yesterday's score, they are the provisional leaders of the Championship going into the last day tomorrow.
"Today was another tricky day like yesterday, and we really focused on being on time on the start and keeping a clear lane. We were able to make gains from there and, of course, we were able to pick and choose, and battle it out with a few teams", commented Danny Cayard.
"We made sure we had the boat going fast and it was very difficult as it was very wavy, choppy, with fairly significant shifts and pressure changes, and just keeping the boat moving through the water proved difficult, it was a very difficult day", added skipper Will Stout.
And talking about tomorrow's final race Danny Cayard said: "I think everybody's going to be pushing, and of course you have people that you have your own eyes on because there are six boats within a few points, it keeps things tight but also open, you can't focus on just one person. I think in one way there is no better way to end a Championship".
Six boats within five points: in second, tied on points with the first, there are America's Cup veteran John Kostecki with Olympian Austin Sperry (USA), in third Paul Cayard (USA) with Frithjof Kleen (GER) with 18 points, same points for the Argentinians brothers Leandro and Lucas Altolaguirre, in fifth Danish Jorgen Shoenherr with American Jan Eli Gravad, and in sixth Star World Championship representing the local San Diego Yacht Club, George Szabo with Guy Avellon (USA).
The starting sequence will begin at 12,55 on the water off Point Loma, and by tomorrow September 13th, at around 3 pm we shall know the names of the 2024 Star World Champions that will get to write their names on the 100 year old trophy. But before that, San Diego Yacht Club is hosting a Progressive Dinner tonight for the teams to relax and enjoy each-others company before becoming (again) competitors on the water tomorrow.
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