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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549


FORM 6-K


REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


For the month of October, 2010


Commission File Number:  001-33869


STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.

7, Fragoklisias Street, 2nd Floor

Maroussi 151 25

Athens, Greece

(Address of principal executive office)


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.


Form 20-F [ X ]       Form 40-F [  ]


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): [  ].


Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): [  ].


Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.



INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT

Attached as Exhibit 1 is a copy of the press release of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (the “Company”) dated October 22, 2010: Star Bulk Receives $24.3 Million Proceeds in Full Settlement for the Star Ypsilon Claim.




Exhibit 1

[f102210sblk6k001.jpg]


STAR BULK RECEIVES $24.3 MILLION PROCEEDS

IN FULL SETTLEMENT FOR THE STAR YPSILON CLAIM



ATHENS, GREECE, October 22, 2010- Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (the "Company" or "Star Bulk") (NASDAQ: SBLK), today announced that the claim involving the vessel Star Ypsilon has been settled. Under the settlement, the Company has received the amount of $22.22 million as settlement for the unrealized revenues due to the interruption of the time charter of the Star Ypsilon that occurred in July 2009.  Star Bulk received separately the amount of $2.08 million for unpaid charter hire, bunkers and interest, bringing the total amount collected to $24.30 million in relation to full and final settlement of this claim.  


Akis Tsirigakis, President and CEO of Star Bulk, commented: "We are delighted to have collected $24.3 million, or approximately $0.39 per Star Bulk share outstanding, as settlement for the Star Ypsilon claim. This event brings closure to a cumbersome legal case that could have resulted in a prolonged legal process before arriving at a final, unappeasable and collectable award. Further, the amount collected represents a major portion of the quantum of the claim originally pursued. This development boosts our already strong balance sheet providing us with additional liquidity, further enabling us to pursue our strategic and growth endeavors."



About Star Bulk

Star Bulk is a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector. Star Bulk’s vessels transport major bulks, which include iron ore, coal and grain and minor bulks such as bauxite, fertilizers and steel products. Star Bulk was incorporated in the Marshall Islands on December 13, 2006 and maintains executive offices in Athens, Greece. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SBLK”. Currently, Star Bulk has an operating fleet ofeleven dry bulk carriers with definitive agreements to build two Capesize vessels.  The total fleet consists of thirteen vessels, five Capesize and eight Supramax dry bulk vessels, with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,287,685deadweight tons.The average age of our current operating fleet is 10 years.

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, examination by the Company’s management of historical operating trends, data contained in its records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company’s control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company’s view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company’s operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company’s vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.


Contacts :


Company :

George Syllantavos

CFO

Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

c/o Star bUlk Management Inc.
7 FragoklisiasStr.
Maroussi 15125
Athens, Greece
www.starbulk.com



Investor Relations / Financial Media:
Nicolas Bornozis
President
Capital Link, Inc.
230 Park Avenue, Suite 1536
New York, NY10169
Tel. (212) 661-7566
E-mail: starbulk@capitallink.com

www.capitallink.com

SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
(Registrant)


Date: October 22, 2010

By:

/s/ PROKOPIOS TSIRIGAKIS

 

 

Name:

Prokopios Tsirigakis

 

 

Title:

Chief Executive Officer and President