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.

At the first top mark, it was Negri/Lambertenghi leading, followed by home favorite Tonci Stipanovic with Tudor Bilic (CRO) and the Italian duo Enrico Chieffi and Nando Colaninno. Doyle/Infelise rounded fourth, Heuwinkel/Spehr fifth, and Kusznierewicz/Prada sixth. Crucially, Cayard and Kleen were back in 14, a dangerous position given the championship on the line.

But the veteran pair showed their resilience, picking off boats on the first downwind to close the gap. They knew they had to limit the number of boats between them and their closest rivals: no more than 11 behind Negri, 4 behind Doyle, and 7 behind Kusznierewicz.

The charge was on by the second top mark, narrowing the margin with the championship within reach. After Negri and Lambertenghi powered ahead to win the race, Cayard and Kleen crossed the line in seventh, securing the title by a three-point margin.

“Big emotions for sure,” said Cayard. “You know, it’s really hard to believe. We made it very difficult on ourselves, and of course that’s kind of the way I do things. But we stuck together through the tough times.

“Every team here had to deal with challenges, but we came back because we sailed smart and trusted each other. It’s surreal to win 37 years after my first title. With a long career in sailing, America’s Cups, Round the World races, the Star has always been a constant for me. Winning it again is incredibly special.”

“It’s very special to win this with Paul,” added Kleen. “This whole journey has meant so much. I want to thank our amazing team, our training partners, our coach, and especially our families. I’m very happy…”

For the 66 year old Cayard, it’s his second Star World title, 37 years after his first, and Kleen’s third as a crew at 42 years of age. After the team finished close in 2022 and 2024, they finally took the top step of the podium.

The 2026 Star World Championship will be held November 12–21in Miami, Florida.

Event details – Entry list – Facebook

Final Results – top 20 of 101

Source: ISCYRA