Back on top, 37 years later

After six races across the waters of the Split Channel, Paul Cayard (USA) and Frithjof Kleen (GER) have been crowned 2025 Star World Champions, sealing the title on the very last race of the championship held September 8-13 in Split, Croatia.

The final day delivered clear skies and a classic Croatian sea breeze for the 101-boat fleet, getting underway in 8-10 knots for a showdown between the top four teams, with the added pressure of the young U30 Germans Nick Heuwinkel and Jesper Spehr also in the mix.

As expected, strategy played a key role right from the start. Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) chose the left side of the course, sailing closely with Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada (POL/BRA). Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise (USA) held the middle, while Cayard and Kleen took it out to the right. – Full report