Nassau (Bahamas), 23 November 2013 - With the
highest number of sailors ranked in the Star Sailors League (551),
America will have the largest number of competitors taking part in the
inaugural Star Sailors League Final, hosted by the Nassau Yacht Club,
3-8 December. Mark
Mendelblatt (15th) with Brian Fatih (13rd) are the SSL Ranking leader in
the stars and stripes contingent. They will fight hard against fellow
American and former Star World Champion, George Szabo (19th) who will be
racing with Craig Moss (29th), and Augie Diaz (16th) together with John
von Schwarz (15th). These three well known teams will also face two
unexpected wild-card entries: the youngest in the SSL Final fleet, Tomas
Hornos (39th) with his crew Joshua Revkin (138th), and the sailing
celebrity Paul Cayard together with Austin Sperry (37th). Mark Strube
(32th) will be crewing for Eivind Melleby.
Mark
Mendelblatt, has an enviable racing record in small boats and Olympic
classes and a triumph in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007, aboard Emirates
Team New Zealand as strategist. However, Mark is still very much in love
with the Star: he demonstrated it winning the 86th edition of the
prestigious Bacardi Cup in Miami, ahead of Star legends, Lars Grael and
Xavier Rohart. You can feel his commitment to this class in his words: "It
is very nice to be able to still sail the Star at the highest level,
even though we are no longer an Olympic class. The system of using all
Star regattas around the world to determine the rankings, then having
the grand final, is a great way of bringing the top sailors together
each year."
Paul
Cayard spent the most of his career in America's Cup, olympic games
campaign and multiple round the world race, but the Star class has been a
lifelong passion for him. Of all his sailing accomplishments, he counts
his 1988 Star Class World championship, as his most prized victory.
More recently Cayard represented USA in the Star Class for the 2004
Athens Olympic Games. Cayard also approved the whole format of the Star
Sailors League: "I think it is a fantastic agenda and if there is
one class in our sport that should host the "Masters" each year it is
the Star Class."
George Szabo, former Star World Champion, can't wait to sail again in the beautiful scenery of the Bahamas: "Nassau
is one of the best sailing racetracks in the world. If you like skiing
moguls, you will love sailing there. The waves, scenery, people, and
sailing are just fantastic."
This
unique event, chock full of champions, is also a rare opportunity for a
promising young Tomas Hornos, former Snipe World Champion, to emerge
among the sailing aces: "I'm currently sailing Stars, Etchells and
J70s. I think the SSL Final will be extremely competitive and with the
new format it will be exciting to see how the last day unfolds. My goal
is to take advantage of this opportunity and learn as much as I can from
the really talented group of sailors gathered."
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