The Southern Lake Erie Star Fleet (SLE), currently based at the Lorain Sailing & Yacht Club, was founded in 1929. It covers the territory from Locust Point to Avon Point on the south shore of Lake Erie. Among its former members are two Star Class World Champions -- Don Bever, as skipper, in 1965, and Phil Trinter, as crew, in 1993. Phil also represented the United States in the Star Class, as crew for Paul Cayard, in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The Star, with its very large sail plan, is an ideal sailboat for the light to moderate wind conditions most often found on Lake Erie.  However, with its flexible rig to flatten the sails, it also performs well in much heavier conditions.

 The Star rigging looks complicated, but the Star is actually a very easy and fun boat to sail. There is no spinnaker or centerboard to mess with and there are simple tuning guides available that explain the various rig adjustments to make for the different wind and wave conditions one encounters.

 One of the best things about the Star Class is that there are many older boats available at bargain prices you will not believe. These boats may not be competitive with newer Stars, but they are great for getting started in the Star Class and you can do a lot of fun club racing with them.

 For more information you can log on to the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association web site at www.starclass.org or contact, SLE Fleet Captain, Ray Peters, at Starus6216@aol.com.