100 years of Starboat World Championships: Negri wins with sails from Kleen

Star boat helmsman Diego Negri is in luck. The Italian has won the World Championship title in the formerly Olympic and still highly competitive Starboat class for the second time in a row. Negri first achieved this triumph in 2021 with Frithjof Kleen off Kiel after three previous second places and a third place. "Frithjof freed me from the darkness. He always encouraged me that the title was possible. We have a great friendship. I owe him a lot."

World Championship title defended: Diego Negri wins again - this time with "Ciccio" Lambertenghi

Diego Negri has now won again in Marblehead, USA. This time, he achieved the coup with his long-time co-skipper Sergio Lambertenghi, who was allowed to lay his hands on the trophy for the first time, which is emblazoned with so many prominent names such as that of "Mr America's Cup" Dennis Conner. Frithjof Kleen joined Paul Cayard in the boat for the World Cup anniversary edition 100 years after the World Cup première. The American wanted to go for World Championship gold again with Kleen 34 years after his first Star World Championship title in 1988. In the end it was bronze for the American-German crew. Silver went to two-time Laser Olympic silver medallist and Star boat newcomer Tonçi Stipanovic and Tudor Bilic from Croatia.

Friendship is also a winner at this Starboat World Championship

The fact that the Negri/Lambertenghi team's title dreams came true after a convincing series (2, 2, 5, 4, 16, 3) is also thanks to Frithjof Kleen. When the Italians' world championship sails failed to arrive in Marblehead, it was Kleen who rescued his previous helmsman and current rival Diego Negri. In the excitement of the sails not arriving, Kleen told him: "Don't worry! I have spare sails for you." So it was once again Fritz sails that won the title. The friendship that prevails among the top sailors in the Starboat class also won.

Sergio Lamberthengi, who contested his first world championship off Capri in 1986, was one of the luckiest sailors in the US area of the world championship. For him, it was not only his first world championship title, but also the crowning glory of a quarter of a century in a two-man keelboat. "It was my 25th world championship! We sailed well the whole week. We had lost our sails in transit from Italy. We were then able to get a set from Frithjof Kleen and win the championship. I'm so super happy that we won the title."

Paul Cayard: "We had massive comebacks"

America's Cup star Paul Cayard, who would have loved to go for gold with Frithjof Kleen, ended the series (3, 3, 19, 2, 9, 8) as a good "loser" with bronze: "We are happy with the result. We were certainly aiming for something higher, but the conditions were complicated. Sometimes we didn't get it right on the first sections. We probably get the prize for overtaking the most boats on the course. We had massive comebacks. That was really fun! All in all, it was a great event. I'm happy with the result, happy with sailing with Frida and happy with my boat."

Frithjof Kleen was also delighted with his bronze, but admitted honestly: "It's a great result, but it also feels a bit like a loss after last year's victory. But I'm really happy for 'Ciccio' that he finally won after 25 years in the Star boat. So it has a good flavour. And either way, we're going to celebrate today!"

Four German Starboat sailors in the top ten

Another good result from a German perspective was achieved by foreskipper Markus Koy in Jørgen Schönherr's Danish boat with eighth place at the World Championships. Hubert Merkelbach and Kilian Weise achieved a remarkable top ten result in tenth place. Daniel Fritz and Alberto Ambrosini shone as juniors in the star-studded fleet of 84 keelboats with 28th place. Final results of the anniversary World Cup.