Star - 2005 Western Hemisphere Championship
April 5-9, 2005
Results
Spring Series
Harry Knowles Series
and more
Apr-12
“Sea Wolf” Honoured at Stars Regatta
Nassau, Bahamas
April 12, 2005. The Nassau Yacht Club honoured legendary Bahamian sailor Sir Durward
Knowles at the Star Western Hemisphere Spring Championships that were held at the Club
from April 5-9 last week.
A highlight of the
presentation evening held at the Club on April 9, was the honouring of Sir Durward, a
longstanding member of the Nassau Yacht Club, who during a regatta in Spain once memorably
earned the nickname “Sea Wolf” from the local press corp there for his seemingly
uncanny ability to read the wind and seas.
In honouring Sir
Durward, the Club chose to retire the name of the Santa Maria Trophy that since the 1940s
has been presented to the winner of the Star Spring Championships when held in Nassau.
To a standing
ovation from his peers in the Star class, the award was renamed the Sir Durward Knowles
Trophy, a name that it will henceforth carry. In receiving the award, international sailor
Paul Cayard, a longtime friend and admirer of Sir Durward, expressed his delight at being
the first winner of the newly renamed trophy.
Brian Sharp - Sir Durward Knowles - Paul Cayard
In his Star
“Gem,” Sir Durward has himself been a past world champion in 1947, in addition
to winning a bronze medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and the Bahamas first ever
Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, with crew Cecil Cooke. Astonishingly,
Sir Durward’s Olympic career spanned 40 years, from 1948 to 1988.
Twenty five Star
boats manned by world renowned sailors from five countries, many of them with Olympic and
Americas Cup campaigns to their credit, competed during the four day regatta. The breezy
conditions off the eastern end of New Providence brought out the best in the competitors.
The world class
event has been hosted by the Nassau Yacht Club more times than any other venue worldwide.
In the three race
Harry Knowles series sailed on April 4, fierce competition saw Canadian skipper Ross
Macdonald and crew Mike Wolfs win the day, with Paul Cayard and Brian Sharp in second
place, and John MacClausland and Brian Faith in third.
Not to be outdone,
however, veteran campaigner Paul Cayard from the USA, with crew Brian Sharp, turned the
tables on the rest of the fleet in the three day, six race Spring Championship series with
consistent results across the board. Second place overall went to John Dane III and Austin
Sperry who also distinguished themselves by being the top placed Masters competitor for
those aged over fifty. Rick Merriman and Steve Mitchel placed third.
Top Bahamian
finisher was Steven Kelly with crew Billy Holowesko, who placed a highly creditable 14th
amongst the 25 entries.
Harry Knowles was
Sir Durward’s father.
Apr-10
From cayardsailing.com by Paul
Cayard: "I decided at the last minute to come to Nassau to race the Western Hemiphere
championship because I consider Nassau the best place in the world to race..." (more...)
Apr-9
Paul CAYARD and Brian SHARP have won the ISAF Grade C1 Star Western Hemisphere
Championship hosted by the Nassau Yacht Club with victory in race five securing them the
title. (more...)
Star Class
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