Australian Torvar Mirsky and Cork Harbour's Robert O'Leary finished eighth overall at last weekend's Italian-based Star World Championships in Porto Cervo.
The sole Irish Star crew teamed up with Mirsky, a renowned World Match Racing helmsman for the championship tilt, instead of his usual partnership with older brother Peter. The new pairing produced a string of consistent results and was as high as sixth place overall at one point in the event.
The best ever Irish result at a Star World Championships came in May 2000 when Cork-Dublin pairing Mark Mansfield and David O'Brien won bronze medals in the then Olympic Class on the Chesapeake in Annapolis, USA. Since then, Peter O'Leary and David Burrows came close to the podium when they finished fourth at the 2012 Worlds in Hyeres, France.
Australian Torvar Mirsky and Cork Harbour's Robert O'Leary (left) in bow number 61 competing in Porto Cervo. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi
The ninety-seventh edition of the classes World Championship ended with a victory for Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada followed by Augie Diaz with Henry Boening in second place and Eivind Melleby and Joshua Revkin in third. The event was held from June 17th to yesterday and saw 63 teams from 20 nations race in six races for the Championship
Just before 12.00 noon, the scheduled time for the day's start, the Race Committee hoisted the AP Flag. The start, after two General Recalls, was at about 3 PM when the wind from the northwest filled in. The breeze was at 16 to 20 knots, peaking at 22 knots towards the end of the race.
The new Star Class World Champions are Mateusz Kusznierewicz with his crew Bruno Prada: in a week where their best placement had been a second in the second race, today they were the stars of the Stars. They started in the lead and after rounding the mark lengthened their distance from the rest of the fleet finishing well ahead of the other teams. Kusznierewicz was already Star Class World Champion in 2008 so this is his second title while Bruno Prada has made Star Class history by winning this title five times. Second place goes to Augie Diaz, Star Class World Champion in 2016, with Henry Boening, currently the Star Class European Champion. Diaz also received first prize as a Star Class Gran Master, a recognition that is reserved for Star sailors who are over 60. The Norwegian Eivind Melleby and Joshua Revkin finished third in today's race and third overall.
Final top ten:
1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada, POL, 16 points
2. Augie Diaz / Henry Boening, USA, 18
3. Eivind Melleby / Joshua Revkin, NOR, 24.3
4. Marin Misura / Tonko Barac, CRO, 34
5. Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi, ITA, 39
6. Paul Cayard / Artur Lopes, USA, 43
7. Roberto Bermudez De Castro/ Miguel Fernandez Vasco, ESP, 49
8. Torvar Mirsky / Robert O'Leary, IRL, 58
9. Enrico Chieffi / Manlio Corsi, ITA, 68
10. Hans Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer, AUT, 70
