Nice Ink: Carl Williams, Rising Star Aug 11, 15:21
This story led Wednesday's Sail-World.com (NZL) newsletter that is edited by our long-time friend Richard Gladwell.... There is a slight breather on the international scene this week. The main point of interest being the performance of Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams in the Star class Europeans being staged in Lubeck, Germany as part of the Rolex Baltic Week.
This crew have been one of the most outstanding on the international scene in the Olympic classes. In the space of six months have pulled themselves from sailing in their first ever regatta in the Star to being 13th position in the latest ISAF rankings. They have won their last two regattas.
All this is while Carl Williams sandwiches his Star sailing with commitments to BMW Oracle Racing in its America’s Cup campaign. Pepper has sailed with top Australian Star crew, David Chiles, in Williams’ absence.
Along the way they have picked up the sponsorship of Harken and now sail under the moniker of the Harken Star Team.
So far they are just out of the top ten in the Europeans, but all the rockstars of the Star world are in the fleet in a class which is renowned as being one of the hardest of the Olympic classes.
Coincidentally, on Monday after leaving Kiel we drove over to Neustadt (near Lübeck) to visit friends serving on the jury for the Baltic Week regatta, which includes the Star Europeans, and ran into Carl and Hamish at lunch. Carl is enjoying his Star stint, but is looking forward to getting back to some AC boat sailing after our team's early-August break.
)
Hamish Pepper (NZL) and BMWOR's Carl Williams (NZL, sailing team) after the first race in the Star Europeans on Monday.
)
Carl and Hamish shown here Wednesday winning race 4. After five races they were standing fourth overall in the star-studded fleet. Photo by Daniel "Clockmaker" Forster.
)
Speaking of stars, that's BMWOR's Juan Kouyoumdjian (ARG, design team) skippering with Nicolas Rosas (ARG) crewing. After five races Juan K stood a respectable 46th in the talented 82-boat fleet. Photo also by the Clockmaker.
)
An amateur photographer (the Ed.) and a real pro (the Clockmaker) on Monday at the Baltic Week regatta. With a nickname like that, obviously Herr Forster is Swiss, but for many years has made his home in the Newport, RI area. Daniel, and our own Gilles-Martin Raget are widely considered two of the very best yachting snappers in the world today. And, yes, this arm's-length photo was also taken by Daniel.
Nice Ink | by TFE
