Star 1998 European Championships

6. to 15. August 1998

Strande (near Kiel)

The final curtain...

SUN SHINES AGAIN ON OLYMPIC STAR CLASS: WELL DESERVED
TROPHY FOR MARK REYNOLDS AND MAGNUS LILJEDAHL (USA)

Strande (near Kiel), August 14 1998. Once again Mark Reynolds (42, San
Diego) and Magnus Liljedahl (44, Miami) have been a class of their own. At
the International Star Class 1998 European Championship the US team
achieved an outstanding series of 24-2-1-3-1-2 (9 pts.) and won the very
well deserved trophy. Apart from a rotten result at the first day, when
Reynolds/Liljedahl were adjusting their brandnew Folli design, they never
left a doubt about their determination to win their second European title
in a row. The 1992 Olympic Champion, who´s father Jim was a famous starboat
sailor too and crewed for Dennis Conner when they won the 1971 World
Championship, was all happy and satisfied. Magnus Liljedahl said, "Mark is
just making less mistakes then all the others. Look, he is still really,
really good!"

Compatriotes John MacCausland and Phil Trinter (USA/30 pts.) came second
followed by Brasilian Gold Medallist Torben Grael and Rodrigo Meireles (40
pts.) who in the last race did exactly what their boat name "Vida bandida"
is promising: Like bandits they stole Bronze from the Germans Marc Pickel
and Thomas Auracher who came 16th in today´s race and thus dropped out the
top three teams but still were more than happy with fourth overall: "We
were the best European team despite only sailing our second race together.
That is really satisfying." The last day also brought satisfaction for the
1994 World Champion Ross Macdonald and his crew Kai Bjorn who finally won a
race!

To those sailors knowing Kiel´s Fjord from former visits, the beautiful
sunshine and perfect weather conditions at most of the days during the
championships were quite a surprise. The old question that had been raised
by the Americans Metcalf/Waterhouse in the 1936 Olympics "Is it true what
they say about Kiel weather? Does the sun never shine here at all?" had to
be denied. It was one of those series yachties just dream about. Apart from
day five, when - as Peter Bromby from Bermuda put it, "We had all four
seasons on the course", Kiel´s Fjord showed it´s nicest face. 64 boats and
128 sailors from 19 nations made their way to the north of Germany. The
number of entries, almost 150 percent more than in last year´s Europeans in
Varberg (Sweden) when the Star Class did not have olympic status, proved
that the oldest olympic class (in the programme since 1932) is in good
shape again, probably more alive than ever.

"Hey, look at this competitor´s list", said organizer and former president
of the International Star Class, Dierk Thomsen who had put in a tremendous
effort to prepare and run the Europeans in such a stylish way, "doesn´t it
look like the `Who is Who´ of international sailing?" Indeed, it did. Three
Olympic Champions (Torben Grael, Mark Reynolds, José Maria van der Ploeg),
five World Champions and five European Champions created the strongest
European Championship competition ever so far in the history of the class.

It was a regatta full of action, surprises and drama. In a pre-start
collision in race five between two Italian boats Luca Maffezzoli, crewing
for 1991 World Champion Roberto Benamati, broke the thumb of his left hand.
Immediately he had to be taken into hospital just to hear the sad news from
the doctors: No more sailing for at least six weeks. In tears, not only
caused by pain, Maffezzoli realised that he would not only miss the finish
of these Europeans but also the Worlds in Portoroz. What a prize they paid
for one risky maneuvre...

The Swedes Mats Johansson and Leif Möller might regret their broken mast in
race three for long time. A first and a second in races four and five did
show the real potential of the Scandinavians but the moments of triumph
came too late to attack the leaders. Still Johansson and Möller, coming
sixth overall, produced thrilling moments on the course in a spectacular
match race against Reynolds/Liljedahl in race five which they lost by only
15 centimetres to the later Champions.

Also current World Champion Alex Hagen suffered from a lack of fortune,
some tactically wrong decisions and a lack of speed. Together with his new
young crew Thorsten Helmert, Hagen only finished tenth , admitting, "This
was not my series."

Amoung all the "big names" the Europeans also brought up some new talents
such as the Germans Marc Pickel (26), youngest helmsman of the entire
fleet, and his crew Thomas Auracher (28). To Mark Reynolds their good
result was no surprise: "I did expect them to do well. They have a huge
potential." Pickel/Auracher are one out of at least five starboat crews in
Germany trying to qualify for the next Olympics in Sydney 2000.

Glyn Charles and Mark Covell came in fifth in the last race and ninth
overall and proved that British starboat crews are getting better and
better. Their compatriotes suffered from a black flag disqualification for
being over the line early and dropped down to 23rd overall.

With two years to go to the Games, Star Class president Riccardo Simoneschi
from Italy invited all competitors of the Europeans to attend a meeting in
Strande to discuss his top-three-point-programme for the near future: The
proposals which will be decided by all of around 3000 class members
worldwide till the end of this year do include three important issues:

* The class plans to add national codes to the traditional numbers in the
main sail to make identification on the water easier for the public and the
media.

* The class tries to allow advertising on the mainsail to enable young
talents to better find sponsorship.

* The class is again trying to install a weight limit to fullfill the
demands of ISAF and IOC to come up with more healthy and athletic looking
crews.

Whereas the first two issues just need the simple majority of members, the
decision about the weight limit needs two thirds of all members to vote
positive. The new rule is based on Alex Hagen´s idea and would work like
this:

Take the immaginary weight of 106.5 kilos minus the weight of the helmsman.
Divide the result by 1.5 and again add 106.5 kilos. Thus you receive the
maximum weight for the crew. President Simoneschi claims, "This new rule
would match about 95 percent or more teams in the class." During the worlds
the class committee will discuss all proposals and then send out the
questionare to all members which have to be sent back till December. All
new rules and decisions will then be valid from Januar 1999 onwards.

The weight limit again was the hottest subject to discussion among the
competitors in Kiel. Whereas Mark Raynolds proposed to not allow the hiking
vest for the crews during the Olympics and thus force the crews to become
more athletics, other sailors such as Ulli Seeberger from Germany do see an
urgent need to install the limit: "As a pretty light crew in comparison to
the average, sometimes during these Europeans we felt like a Volkswagen
competing against Ferraris. We have to do something about the matter and
stop the steadily increasing weight of starboat crews now!"

Also Rule 42 had been critizised in Kiel. Especially after the
disqualification of Benamati/Maffezzoli in the first race for pumping, the
old question whether that´s good for the class or not, has been rised
again. Said Mike Dorgan, crewing for American Peter Vessella, "Why not
doing a 720° when the umpires find somebody guilty the first time?" Still
Roberto Benamati votes for a total liberation of pumping whenever
neccessary. But Dorgan as many other sailors see the need to control the
matter: "Otherwise in light airs the crews will always artificially
propeller the boat forward. But I don´t think that we should be a rowing
class..."

Whilst discussions ashore have been controversial the race committee and the
four umpires on the course gave an almost flawless performance. Apart from
protests, three dismasted yachts and some collisions, racing was all
demanding but fair. It really looks like the sun is shining on the class
again!

Bye, bye from Kiel!

More questions? We are happy to support you:
Press Office, Tatjana Pokorny
TEL: +49-(0)4349/919183 * FAX +49-(0)4349/919182
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Tatjana Pokorny, TEL 040/38619929 * MOB 0171/8379497

e-mail: tatihamburg@compuserve.com

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