Twenty Star teams to compete for $200,000 purse

The Star Sailors League was presented to the Nassau Yacht Club at a special ceremony at the clubhouse and the 20 teams of sailors, who are among the most highly ranked in the world, appeared before the media and the club members, announced in reverse order of their ranking for the regatta.

One of the first skippers to appear was Giles Scott (GBR), twice world champion of the Finn class. Scott will be sailing with countryman Steve Milne. Their fellow countryman, 2012 Olympic silver medallist in the 470 class, Luke Patience, well out of place in physique was paired with an American relative, James Buchan of Seattle.

At the other end of the pairings, there was the 2012 Star Gold medallist, Freddy Loof of Sweden together with Anders Ekstrom, who had missed the previous year’s regatta and is tipped for a medal in this one. So too is the current class world champions Diego Negri of Italy with Sergio Lambertenghi, as is Augie Diaz (USA), the recent winner of the International Masters Championship in San Diego.

But one must also look to the defending champion, five-time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt of Brazil, who is back with Bruno Prada, and their countryman, also five-time Olympic medallist, Torben Grael with Guilherme de Almeida.

With racing on December 3-6, they all face a nine race regatta over the first three days and then the fleet is reduced to ten crews for the quarter-finals, seven for the semi-finals and four for the finals on the last day. There is a $200,000 prize fund and the winner will take home the bulk and most likely will donate it to a charity.

– Originally published on http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/