By RICARDO WELLS

THE world’s best Star class sailors have all gathered here in The Bahamas for the 2014 Star Sailors League Sailing Championships schedueled to take place in Montagu Bay this week. The event begins today at the Nassau Yacht Club.

Diego Negri from Italy, Giles Scott from Great Britain, Freddy Loof from Sweden, and Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael out of Brazil, are just some of the names set to join local standout Myles Pritchard in the SSL Champions.

Scheidt, who sailed along with crew member Bruno Prada, is the two-time defending champion. They dominated the 12-race series with a total of 13 points last year. Kusznierewicz and crew Dominik was third and Mendelbatt and crew Brian Faith picked up third place.

“We want to defend our title but we know we will have to work hard to do that. I know that is going to take a lot to make that happen, but I think we are ready and focused,” said Scheidt.

His teammate Grael, a five-time Olympic medallist, including two gold medals, said: “It is a thrill to be a part of this event once again, I am looking forward to the competition as well.”

Giles Scott said: “I got an offer to come down and sail against the best in the world in this class, that was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist Freddy Loof called this week’s championship a battle of the best, adding that he could not allow himself to miss such a big event. “For me not to have come here, I would have felt like I was missing out on something special,” he said.

A total of 18 boats are expected back once again to participate in the four days of competition that will be streamed live in HD. There is an average of one Olympic medallist on each boat. The competitors will be battling for a total prize purse of $200,000.

The only Bahamian in the competition, Myles Pritchard said that this event will go a long way in growing the sport of sailing. “These men coming here, this event being here will give our young sailors the opportunity to see championship sailing. We will now have a chance to be competitive,” he said.

“We have a great junior programme that is open to every Bahamian that is going to grow tremendously because of what this championship event will afford them,” he added.

The top nine have earned the right to compete and the other nine have been afforded an invitation to join the fleet. Out of that fleet, the finalists will be determined and those that don’t make it, will allow the local sailors to sail on their boats. The local sailors will range in age from eight to 18 years.

Said Freddy Loof: “The format of competing just to earn a spot on the final day of saying is great. I love it.”

In an effort to have the maximum participation of the local sailing community, 20 members of the Bahamas Sailing Association’s National Sailing School have been given the opportunity to take turns to compete on Saturday on the boats with the sailors, who would not have made it to the final.

The Nassau Yacht Club has been dubbed “ground zero” for the SSL championship.

Paul Hutton-Ashkenny, regatta chairman and past commodore at the club, stated that the club is excited to play host to the event once again.

“We are delighted to be welcoming back the Star Sailors League and once again have the opportunity of showcasing on the international stage what we believe to be the best sailing venue in the world.”