May 2019 News

ROBERT SCHEIDT AND HENRY BOENING’S DOWNWIND PACE SEALS VICTORY BY SECONDS

The Brazilian pairing had been the dominant force for much of the week at the Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam and European Championship, but they did not have it all their own way

It was an incredibly tense final race at the end of a thrilling, and at times, heart stopping finals day in Riva del Garda, Italy. Victory came for the Brazilian in the last few meters of the last leg of the last race. “I was so tired at the end that [Henry] had to tell me that we had won I didn’t know we had. I was seeing black already, my heart rate was up that much,” explained an exhausted but elated Scheidt at the end of the day.

“We are really happy. It was a long week and after we were over the line in the week, it was quite tense from then on. Henry did great, he did a super job all through the week and he kept saying to me that we can still win and that gives you a lot of confidence.”

There is little that has not already been said about Schiedt’s mastery downwind, but when it mattered most today, in the closing stages, he was in another league turning a 30m deficit into victory through sheer skill and determination, it would not be hyperbole to call his performance sheer poetry.

KUSZNIEREWICZ AND MELO TAKE THE LEAD ON PENULTIMATE DAY OF THE 2019 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP / SSL BREEZE GRAND SLAM

With only one day of racing remaining, Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Henry Boening (BRA) have lost the lead for the first time this week at the combined Star Sailors League Grand Slam Breeze and European Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy.

Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Frederico Melo (POR) sailed another impressive two races to secure their spot at the top of the leaderboard ahead of tomorrow’s ‘Super Sunday’, which will see the final race in the qualification series in the morning before an action-packed knockout finals in the afternoon.

Risk management and damage limitation order day 3 of the Star European Championship/SSL Breeze Grand Slam

Very light winds with patchy cloud coverage made for tough conditions on the third day of the Star Sailor’s League Breeze Grand Slam and European Championships in Riva del Garda, Italy, which saw many top teams suffer a big score.

The Race Committee briefly tried for a second race today, but with the wind slowly dropping from around 10 knots at the start of the only race, to 4 knots at the finish it was quickly called off and the fleet returned to the dock on glassy waters. Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Frederico Melo (POR) made up for their bad fortune yesterday, when they broke their mast, to take the win in today’s only race. But it will be one that many will wish to forget.

SCHEIDT’S STAR SCHINES BRIGHTEST BUT THE FLEET GETS TIGHT AT THE TOP

It was another tough day physically and mentally for the sailors at the Star Sailor’s League Breeze Grand Slam and Star Europeans,
with big scores for many.

Robert Scheidt and Henry Boening (BRA) delivered another masterclass on the second day of racing at the Star Sailors League Grand Slam Breeze and European Championship, leading the field after a big day of racing in Riva del Garda, Italy.

There will be plenty of weary sailors after an epic three-race day in winds that hovered around the high teens. But with variable winds predicted later in the week, the race committee wisely decided to take advantage of today’s weather to provide flexibility later in the series.
 
It was not just the breeze that was taking its toll on the teams, however, as the 1.5 mile beats consistently saw a drag race to the right hand side of the course, making it an effective conveyer belt towards the windward mark and a hiking contest to get there first.  
 

EIGHT GOLD STARS LEAD THE WAY AT THE 2019 STAR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP / SSL BREEZE GRAND SLAM

Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Paul Cayard (USA) face off in Garda classic on the opening day of the 2019 Star European Championship / SSL Breeze Grand Slam.

The opening day of the first ever combined Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam and Star European Championships dawned with a change in conditions from the blue skies and sunshine, which had filled the skies over Rival del Garda, Italy, for the practice race.
 
With little-to-no breeze in the morning, the reliable Ora wind dutifully arrived somewhat earlier than usual and was already blowing hard by the time some of the legends of the fleet had concluded a formal press conference at 11am.
 
With the cold breeze firmly in and grey skies covering the beautiful Lake Garda, it was a hesitant fleet who headed out to the race course with many choosing a last minute coffee in the Yacht Club bar before finally getting into their sailing kit and making their way to the race area.
 

2019 STAR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AND SSL BREEZE GRAND SLAM OFFICIALLY OPEN

LEGENDS GATHERED FOR FIRST EVER COMBINED STAR CLASS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AND STAR SAILORS LEAGUE BREEZE GRAND SLAM IN RIVA DEL GARDA, ITALY

The event Opening Ceremony saw the 94 teams gather in the main square ahead of what looks to be a fiercely competitive event