Kohlhoff and Burzinski win Race 3 as Bromby and Pritchard take the lead at the 2026 Star World Championship
The 2026 Star World Championship Presented by Schoonmaker reached its halfway point today with another challenging race on Biscayne Bay. Max Kohlhoff and Ole Burzinski (GER) claimed a convincing victory in Race 3, while Peter Bromby (BER) and Myles Pritchard (BAH) moved into the overall lead and secured the Mid-Week Championship title.
Racing started at noon in a southeasterly breeze of 8–9 knots, forecast to build to 10–11 knots, with the fleet tackling the traditional 2.4-nautical-mile legs. Once again, the left side of the course paid off on the opening upwind leg, rewarding the teams starting near the pin end of the line.
George Szabo and Guy Avellon (USA) were first around the windward mark, followed by fellow former World Champions Kohlhoff and Burzinski, with Bromby and Pritchard once again among the leading group.
The German team made their move on the first downwind leg, overtaking Szabo and Avellon to take the lead at the leeward gate. From there, they steadily extended their advantage, crossing the finish line well ahead of the fleet to claim their first victory of the championship after a difficult opening two days, with finishes of 34th and 40th.
"We had a really tough start to the regatta, with two mediocre starts, difficult upwind legs and a lot of catching up to do, so today's result feels really good," said Max Kohlhoff. "These were the conditions we were looking for. Our boat speed was good, especially downwind, and we managed to play some nice shifts on the upwind legs. We got a great left shift on the first beat, which put us in a strong position, then overtook Szabo on the downwind and extended our lead from there. After that, it was just about defending it."
Behind the German winners, the battle for the remaining podium positions continued throughout the race. Szabo and Avellon held on to second place, while Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Bruno Prada (BRA) finished third. Defending World Champions Paul Cayard (USA) and Frithjof Kleen (GER) recovered from a difficult second day to take fourth, with Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) completing the top five.
Bromby and Pritchard crowned Mid-Week Champions
With three of the six scheduled races completed, the provisional standings have undergone another shake-up. Consistency has proved crucial in the light and shifting conditions, with Peter Bromby and Myles Pritchard taking the championship lead on 19 points after finishes of fifth, eighth and sixth.
Just one point behind are Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi, second overall with 20 points, while Eivind Melleby (NOR) and Christian Nehammer (AUT) move into third with 28 points. Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Austin Sperry (USA) sit fourth on 29 points, followed by yesterday's race winners Will Stout and Danny Cayard (USA) in fifth with 32 points.
As the leaders at the halfway stage, Bromby and Pritchard will receive the traditional Mid-Week Championship award tonight.
The Mid-Week Awards Ceremony, a longstanding Star World Championship tradition, will take place this evening at Miami's Cruz Building, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, bringing the sailors together for a celebration halfway through the championship.
With three races remaining, the battle for the coveted Gold Star is still wide open, and the discard coming into play after Race 5 could dramatically shake up the standings.
Racing resumes tomorrow, Thursday, November 12, on Biscayne Bay.
RACE 3 – TOP FIVE
Max Kohlhoff / Ole Burzinski (GER)
George Szabo / Guy Avellon (USA)
Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) / Bruno Prada (BRA)
Paul Cayard (USA) / Frithjof Kleen (GER)
Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA)
PROVISIONAL OVERALL STANDINGS – TOP FIVE
After three races
Peter Bromby (BER) / Myles Pritchard (BAH) – 19 pts (5, 8, 6)
Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) – 20 pts (3, 12, 5)
Eivind Melleby (NOR) / Christian Nehammer (AUT) – 28 pts (14, 3, 11)
Robert Scheidt (BRA) / Austin Sperry (USA) – 29 pts (15, 7, 7)
Will Stout / Danny Cayard (USA) – 32 pts