Negri and Lambertenghi win 2026 Star World Championship in Miami

Miami, Florida (November 14, 2026) – Diego Negri and Sergio "Ciccio" Lambertenghi (ITA) are the 2026 Star World Champions! The Italian duo claimed the coveted Gold Star today at the 2026 Star World Championship Presented by Schoonmaker, hosted by Coral Reef Yacht Club, after six races on Biscayne Bay and a week of some of the most unpredictable conditions the fleet has faced in Miami.

For Diego Negri, this is his third Star World Championship title, following his first victory in Kiel, Germany, in 2021 with Frithjof Kleen, and his second in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 2022 with Lambertenghi. For Sergio "Ciccio" Lambertenghi, it is his second world title, both won alongside Negri.

After yesterday's lack of wind prevented racing, the championship concluded today with two races in the strongest breeze of the week: 12–13 knots from the north, gusting up to 15 knots, and a significant chop across Biscayne Bay.

Heading into the final day, the battle for the Gold Star was still wide open. Negri and Lambertenghi held a narrow advantage over Will Stout and Danny Cayard (USA) and Eivind Melleby (NOR) and Christian Nehammer (AUT), while Argentina's Leandro and Lucas Altolaguirre, already winners of two races this week, were also firmly in contention. Several other teams still had a mathematical chance of claiming the title.

But the Italians left little room for doubt.

In Race 5, Negri and Lambertenghi delivered a masterclass in Star sailing. With an impeccable start, excellent boat speed and flawless tactical decisions, they took control from the opening stages and built an impressive lead, crossing the finish line well ahead of the fleet.

Their closest rivals struggled to match their performance. Melleby and Nehammer finished 12th, the Altolaguirre brothers 18th, and Stout and Cayard suffered a costly 63rd place.

With the discard now coming into play, the Italians headed into the final race with a nine-point advantage over the Argentinians and an even greater margin over their other challengers.

The sixth and final race saw Melleby and Nehammer take the victory, securing second place overall in the championship. Negri and Lambertenghi sailed another excellent race, finishing third and confirming their world title with 24 net points, an impressive 13 points ahead of the runners-up.

Behind them, five-time Olympic medalist Robert Scheidt (BRA) and 2024 Star World Champion Austin Sperry (USA) delivered a strong final performance, finishing fourth in Race 6 to climb onto the overall podium in third place with 47 points.

Despite winning two of the six races, the Altolaguirre brothers finished fourth overall on 51 points, tied with Stout and Cayard, who completed the top five.

For Negri and Lambertenghi, the victory is the reward for a championship built on consistency, patience and exceptional teamwork. In a week when the shifting, patchy breeze repeatedly reshuffled the fleet and caught out some of the biggest names in the Star Class, the Italians never finished outside the top 15, ultimately saving their most decisive performance for the final day.

"I'm incredibly happy and proud to win my third world title, especially here in Miami, where I've finished second twice before" – commented Diego Negri. "This championship was particularly challenging, but today everything came together perfectly. We had a great start, stayed in phase with the shifts and won the first race by a big margin. That gave us a nine-point advantage going into the final race, allowing us to focus on controlling our position. A first and a third on the final day – it really is a dream come true!

I also want to thank Sergio. This is our second world title together, and we make a fantastic team. He's always calm and supportive, even when I'm demanding, and he knows exactly how to handle me. I now have nine World Championship medals – three gold, three silver and three bronze – and I'm incredibly proud to be part of the Star Class."

The championship brought together 95 teams from 17 nations, with an extraordinary concentration of sailing talent competing for one of the sport's most prestigious titles.

The Under 30 title went to Nick Heuwinkel and Jesper Spehr (GER), who finished 20th overall with 90 net points. The young German duo showed their potential throughout the championship, including a good performance in Race 4, when they led the fleet around the first windward mark.

The 2026 Star World Championship Presented by Schoonmaker concludes tonight with the traditional Prize Giving Ceremony at Coral Reef Yacht Club, celebrating the new World Champions and all the competitors who made this edition another memorable chapter in Star Class history.

Final overall standings – top five

1. Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi (ITA) – 24 pts
2. Eivind Melleby (NOR) / Christian Nehammer (AUT) – 37 pts
3. Robert Scheidt (BRA) / Austin Sperry (USA) – 47 pts
4. Leandro Altolaguirre / Lucas Altolaguirre (ARG) – 51 pts
5. Will Stout / Danny Cayard (USA) – 51 pts