over well with Peter Bromby.

Bromby, who represented Bermuda in the Star at the Atlanta Olympics this summer, didn't hide his displeasure over the recent announcement that the class was being scuttled by the International Sailing Federation.

"It's hard for me to comprehend how they can drop the Star boats when they are the only keel boats that go all the way in fleet,'' he said this week.

"The only other keel boat in the Games is the Soling, and they match-race for the medals.'' Bromby was unsure as to his future in the Olympics because of the development.

But he is hopeful that there will still be sufficient international competitions remaining so that he and crew Lee White can continue to pursue success in the class. He and White spent several thousand dollars during the last Olympic campaign and the news the class being dropped was not expected.

The Star, which has been used at 14 Olympic Games since 1932, will be replaced by the 49er, a 16-foot high-performance dinghy in the 2000 games in Sydney.

The skiff-like 49ers will be used in the new Dinghy Open High Performance class.

The two-man Star was designed in 1911 and has been part of every Summer Games since 1932, except for one absence in 1976.

"Personally I am disappointed for the world's Star sailors,'' ISAF president Paul Henderson said. "I have immense respect for the class but I am sure it will come back with greater impetus in the future.'' The other nine classes which were used during the Atlanta Olympic regatta in Savannah, Georgia, were retained for Sydney. They are the Mistral men's and women's boards; Europe, single-handed women; Finn, single-handed men; 470, double-handed women and men; Laser, open single-handed dinghy; Tornado, multi-hull open; Soling, fleet/match racing keelboat.

The ISAF also approved the concept of introducing a women's match racing event for the Sydney Games. A proposal was expected to be made to the IOC this week.

Peter Bromby