“This is like an old marriage”
Freddy Lööf and Anders Ekström re-united in Star Sailors League after 6,5 years. They finished second in the final, winner-take-all race, after convincingly winning the 9 races qualifier. In the qualifier, they were 20 boats, the final was between 4 top boats from semi-finals only.
Olympic Champion Fredrik Lööf did a great comeback in Star Class after a two years break. He finished second in Star Sailors League in Bahamas with his good old crew Anders Ekström. They won Olympic Bronze together in Qingdao in 2008. Iina Airio talked with Freddy after the regatta:
Freddy, how did it feel to sail with Anders again?
– This is like an old marriage I guess. It is interesting that we had eight years together and then a long break and then we got back together really really close. It was awesome!
Anders quit sailing after 2008 and Freddy won Olympic Gold in Weymouth with Max Salminen. Freddy is happy to have had two great crews – and also great friends.
– Anders was really great in the boat. He is a natural star sailor and is one of the best crews in the world. It was really great as we have not been sailing together for 6,5 years and to get together was truly a great feeling.
Freddy says that almost no words where needed between him and Anders.
– For example when we rigged the boat it was like we where going around with a remote control: not really talking to each other and everything was working really smoothly.
Star Class was part of the Olympics since the beginning of the modern time games but has now dropped off. Freddy has always a soft spot for the class that he was so succesful in.
– I think the Star class and Star Sailors League do really have a future. There is no question about it. Next year there will be two races with the final in Bahamas again. I would love to do the race again.
– But at the moment I have one major goal and that is to win the Americas cup. So it is a lot of work ahead but Artemis is pushing hard and its looking very promising for the future. We now know that the Cup will be in Bermuda and we are all looking forward to it.
Freddy is flying back home for Christmas but sailing continues again in warm waters after New Year.
– Next season we will be busy sailing the AC45 and doing the World Cup Series with one leg in Sweden. That will be exciting. We will do most likely five races in total so it is quite a program. If I have time and can fit it in I will do the SSL final next year too. It is almost a must, Freddy says laughing.
Freddy sailed with Anders in the Beijing Olympics (Qingdao) in 2008 – they finished on bronze then, loosing the gold with only half a boat length in a photo finish of the breezy medal race. In London 2012 Freddy sailed for Gold with the young Max Salminen, who is now campaigning for Rio in Finn.
Another great performer in the Bahamas was by the 22 years old Jorge Zarif, who finished 4th in his first Star regatta. He is a WB Finn sailor who already surprised everyone by winning the Finn Gold Cup in Tallinn 2013. Jorge outclassed amongst other his fellow countrymen (BRA) Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael, both 5 Olympic medal sailors with a huge experience in Star.
Star Sailors League: http://finals.starsailors.com/
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Results, Star Sailors League, Bahamas
|
POSITION |
SKIPPER |
CREW |
PT SSL |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
R8 |
R9 |
R10 |
R11 |
R12 |
TOTAL |
|
1. |
4000 |
1 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
11 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
38 |
||
|
2. |
3656 |
4 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
– |
3 |
2 |
26 |
||
|
3. |
3311 |
10 |
8 |
12 |
4 |
7 |
7 |
13 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
62 |
||
|
4. |
2967 |
15 |
7 |
1 |
17 |
11 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
55 |
||
|
5. |
2622 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
21 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
– |
– |
28 |
||
|
6. |
2278 |
6 |
2 |
13 |
9 |
2 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
12 |
4 |
6 |
– |
55 |
||
|
7. |
1933 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
11 |
8 |
11 |
10 |
21 |
14 |
3 |
7 |
– |
76 |
||
|
8. |
1589 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
13 |
1 |
6 |
21 |
21 |
7 |
– |
– |
61 |
||
|
9. |
1244 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
6 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
8 |
– |
– |
42 |
||
|
10. |
900 |
12 |
18 |
14 |
8 |
10 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
9 |
5 |
– |
70 |
||
|
11. |
833 |
14 |
14 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
12 |
5 |
13 |
7 |
10 |
– |
– |
71 |
||
|
12. |
765 |
3 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
12 |
6 |
5 |
– |
– |
– |
86 |
||
|
13. |
698 |
17 |
19 |
19 |
5 |
14 |
9 |
3 |
10 |
13 |
– |
– |
– |
90 |
||
|
14. |
630 |
8 |
6 |
18 |
20 |
9 |
16 |
9 |
9 |
15 |
– |
– |
– |
90 |
||
|
15. |
563 |
16 |
11 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
6 |
14 |
12 |
10 |
– |
– |
– |
97 |
||
|
16. |
495 |
2 |
9 |
9 |
16 |
20 |
19 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
– |
– |
– |
109 |
||
|
17. |
428 |
18 |
17 |
11 |
14 |
12 |
17 |
15 |
17 |
8 |
– |
– |
– |
111 |
||
|
18. |
360 |
11 |
13 |
8 |
19 |
16 |
18 |
16 |
14 |
18 |
– |
– |
– |
114 |
||
|
19. |
293 |
19 |
16 |
17 |
12 |
19 |
20 |
19 |
16 |
17 |
– |
– |
– |
135 |
||
|
20. |
225 |
20 |
21 |
21 |
18 |
18 |
14 |
18 |
15 |
16 |
– |
– |
– |
140 |
