Star Class North American Championship at Davis Island Yacht Club - Day 3
by ISCYRA 29 Oct 16:45 PDT
October 24-30, 2026
The 2026 Star North American Championship reached its third day of racing with another two races completed in Tampa Bay, where lighter winds and incredibly close competition brought new challenges and some changes to the provisional standings.
After two days of strong northerly breeze, conditions were slightly calmer today, with winds ranging from 10 to 15 knots from the North/Northeast. The Race Committee completed two windward-leeward races, with the fleet remaining remarkably compact throughout the day. At times, all boats rounded the marks within just two minutes of one another, highlighting the intensity of the competition and the remarkably even pace across the fleet.
After winning all four races on the opening two days, Jack Jennings and Phil Trinter (USA) saw their perfect winning streak interrupted in Race 5, finishing third. But the American duo quickly returned to their winning ways in Race 6, claiming their fifth victory in six races.
With the first discard now coming into play, Jennings and Trinter have a net score of just five points, maintaining a commanding lead at the top of the championship standings.
The first race of the day belonged to George Szabo and Guy Avellon (USA), who delivered an excellent performance to take their first bullet of the championship. The pair followed up with a fourth place in Race 6, moving into second overall with 13 net points.
Their climb up the leaderboard was particularly significant after a difficult second day, when a DNC in Race 3 had dropped them down the standings. With that result now discarded, Szabo and Avellon are back in contention for the podium, just eight points behind the leaders.
John Loe and Shane Zwingelberg (USA) continued their consistent championship, recording a fifth and a second today. With 14 net points, they now sit third overall, just one point behind Szabo and Avellon, setting up an exciting battle for second place.
Meanwhile, Jim Buckingham and Brad Nichol (USA) remain firmly in the fight, despite a more challenging day. A fourth place in Race 5 was followed by a 12th in Race 6, which they can now discard. The team holds fourth overall with 23 net points.
One of the strongest performances in the final race came from Mike Hecky and Luke Lawrence (USA), who secured an impressive third place in Race 6. After a difficult Race 4, in which they recorded a DNF, the pair have steadily recovered and now move into fifth overall with 29 net points.
Another standout performance in Race 5 came from Arnd Glunde and Christopher Wenzke (GER). After a challenging start to the championship, the German duo found their pace in the lighter conditions, securing an impressive second-place finish ahead of championship leaders Jennings and Trinter.
With six races completed, the championship is entering an increasingly decisive phase. Jennings and Trinter remain the team to beat, having won five of the six races sailed so far, but the competition behind them is closer than ever with two more races scheduled for tomorrow.
Day 3 Race Results:
Race 5
- George Szabo / Guy Avellon (USA)
- Arnd Glunde / Christopher Wenzke (GER)
- Jack Jennings / Phil Trinter (USA)
Race 6
- Jack Jennings / Phil Trinter (USA)
- John Loe / Shane Zwingelberg (USA)
- Michael Hecky / Luke Lawrence (USA)
Provisional Results after Day 3: (top five)
- Jack Jennings / Phil Trinter (USA) - 5 pts (1, 1, 1, 1, [3], 1)
- George Szabo / Guy Avellon (USA) - 13 pts (2, 3, [DNC 17], 3, 1, 4)
- John Loe / Shane Zwingelberg (USA) - 14 pts (3, 2, 3, 4, [5], 2)
- Jim Buckingham / Brad Nichol (USA) - 23 pts (5, 4, 5, 5, 4, [12])
- Michael Hecky / Luke Lawrence (USA) - 29 pts (6, 6, 7, [DNF 17], 7, 3)
Full results can be found here