Croatian Waters Witness High-Octane Racing in the 2025 Star World Championship: Day 2 Highlights

Day two at the 2025 Star World Championship in Split, Croatia was awash with adrenaline. The day saw 101-boat fleet courting the teal waves of the Adriatic Sea, post a tentatively peaceful 90-minute wait ashore. The recalcitrant embrace of the weather, light and unpredictable, proved a wrong guestimate as by the afternoon, a sturdy 12-knot easterly breezed through the racecourse, conjuring a moderate chop across the Split Channel. The race committee, who had bet on Lady Luck, were rewarded as they docked out at 12:30pm to what turned out to be excellent racing conditions.

The first downwind saw no upset in the pecking order, however, the German Silver Star team of Hubert Merkelbach with Markus Koy seized the moment to overtake Doyle/Infelise, squishing the lead gap to a squeeze. The second upwind witnessed another tactical restack. Merkelbach/Koy read the shifts best, rounding the second top mark first. But the Italian World Champions, Diego Negri with Sergio Lambertenghi, played the middle of the course to perfection and, with a flawless final downwind leg, shot into the lead.

Despite forecasts predicting a turning tide, the Italians maintained their performance. Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi sailed to the finish line in first place, followed by Merkelbach/Koy and Kusznierewicz/Prada. The duo’s impressive execution promised to inspire many aspiring sailors tuning into the championship.

With two days down, the stakes are high, the competition is fierce, and the suspense is palpable. As we wait with baited breath for Day 3, the skippers prepare for a challenging day of possibly strong breeze and intermittent showers. As such, the Croatian waters promise more high-octane on-water battles and further shake up the leaderboard in this world-class sailing event.