Percy, Mitchell Win Star Class Championship

Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell, mere rookies among many of the world’s best sailors, won the final race of the 81st Nautica 2002 Star Class World Championship on Friday at Marina del Rey to give Britain its first title in the venerable class.

Neither Percy, 26, the 2000 Olympic Finn class gold medalist from Winchester, nor Mitchell, 32, of London, had sailed a Star until 10 months ago, although they had already worked their way up to the No. 17 ranking in the class.

With finishes of 4-1-3-2 in the 103-boat fleet in the previous four races, they entered the sixth and final race with a four-point lead over 1990 champions Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira of Brazil and nine points over France’s Xavier Rohart and Yannick Adde. Although Grael finished fourth and Rohart 10th, neither threatened seriously Percy and Mitchell, who led at every mark.