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Canada's
Defiant Leads After First Day
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MacGowan, Media Pro Int'l, +1 401-849-0220; on-site at
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CANADA'S DEFIANT
LEADS AFTER FIRST DAY AT ROLEX FARR 40 WORLDS
20-Knot Winds Challenge 25-boat Fleet
PARADISE ISLAND,
BAHAMAS (November 13, 2002) --In a straightforward race that rewarded
speed off the starting line, Canada's Terry McLaughlin (Toronto)
sailed Defiant to victory in today's opening race at the Rolex Farr
40 World Championships, sailed off Paradise Island, Bahamas, and
headquartered at Atlantis Resort. McLaughlin led the intense 25-boat
fleet by 20 seconds at the first windward mark and was still holding
the same lead after two laps around an eight-mile course. A second
race seemed to be going Defiant's way again, with McLaughlin leading
at the first two marks, until a rainstorm packing 20-knot breezes
rolled in like a freight train to disrupt his performance.
"We weren't really set up for it," said McLaughlin, Canada's
current Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, "and we lost two boats
in it and another on the last leg, but I'll take the fourth we ended
up with." In driving rain, the fleet sailed on its ear to a
windward mark that could barely, if at all, be seen. The last downwind
leg of the course was exhilirating for many, disastrous for others,
as huge waves created surfable, sometimes broachable, conditions.
Two boats shredded spinnakers.
Atop the leaderboard, McLaughlin has two points over Nerone, skippered
by Rome, Italy's Antonio Sodo Migliori. Nerone, the current Farr
40 European Champion, won today's second race and this past weekend's
MeesPierson Bahamian Championship, in which Defiant finished second.
Also in the top five after today are Italy's two other teams: Bottadiculo,
skippered by Giovanni Arrivabene (in third) and Breeze, skippered
by recently eliminated America's hopeful Vincenzo Onorato (fifth).
Barking Mad, with Jim Richardson of Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I.,
steering, stands in fourth.
"I am very happy with today," said Arrivabene. "I
just bought the boat last August and we first sailed it only five
days ago, so I am new to the Farr 40 class."
Up to four of the typical nine-man Farr 40 crew are allowed to be
classified other than Group 1 amateur, while the owners strictly
must be amateurs and are the only ones permitted to drive. This
combination of class rules has cultivated a tight knit group of
owner/drivers who are second to none in ability and a vast pool
of talented sailors -- both amateur and professional -- clambering
for crew positions.
Great Britain's 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist Iain Percy, who is sailing
aboard Katanga, skippered by fellow countryman Robin Patterson,
said, "considering that the America's Cup is going on, it's
an amazing collection here of owners, skippers, tacticians and crews.
There are as big of names here, with Cayard, Kostecki and the rest--as
down in New Zealand."
Paul Cayard (San Francisco, Calif.), a Rolex Yachtsman of the Year
who is taking a break from Cup action to sail with Philippe Kahn
(Honolulu, Hawaii) aboard Pegasus, was bruised in the ribs during
a jibe in today's storm. Pegasus also had bad luck at the start
of today's second race, nicking Bottadiculo's stern early in the
race for a penalty of a 360 degree turn.
John Kostecki, another America's Cup veteran and Volvo Ocean Race
winner from San Francisco, sailed with John Kilroy (Los Angeles)
aboard Samba Pa Ti to a seventh overall today. Kilroy is a Farr
40 World Champion from 1999 and this year's Farr 40 National Champion.
Today was officially Lewmar Race Day. The event is hosted by the
Storm Trysail Club. Full results can be found at www.farr40.org
(end)
(full results attached)
1. DEFIANT Terry
McLaughlin Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, 1-4, 5
2. NERONE Massimo Mezzaroma/Antonio Migliori, Rome, ITALY, 6-1,
7
3. BOTTADICULO Giovanni Arrivabene/Andrea Bocchini, Massarosa, ITALY,
2-10, 12
4. BARKING MAD Jim Richardson Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I. USA, 13-3,
16
5. BREEZE, Vincenzo Onorato Naples, ITALY, 5-11, 16
6. VIRAGO Stuart Townsend Chicago, Ill., USA, 4-13, 17
7. SAMBA PA TI John Kilroy Los Angeles, Calif., USA, 12-5, 17
8. LE RENARD Steve Phillips Arnold, Md., USA, 17-2, 19
9. CROCODILE ROCK Alexandra Geremia/Scott Harris Santa Barbara,
Calif., USA, 11-9, 20
10. GROOVEDERCI Deneen/John Demourkas Montecito, Calif., USA, 8-14,
22
11. ASSEGAI Leonidas Christeanakis/Chris Hunt London, ENGLAND, 7-16,
23
12. NORWEGIAN STEAM Eivind Astrup Oslo, NORWAY, 3-22, 25
13. PEGASUS Philippe Kahn Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 19-8, 27
14. BAMBAKOU John Coumantaros New York, N.Y., USA, 10-17, 27
15. GONE TOO FARR Dave Carrel Belvedere, Calif., USA, 15-12, 27
16. MORNING GLORY Hasso Plattner GERMANY/San Francisco, Calif.,
22-6, 28
17. NITEMARE Tom Neill Berkeley, Ill., USA, 21-7, 28
18. JOSS Owen Kratz League City, Texas, USA, 19-20, 29
19. EMOTIONAL HOOLIGAN Marcus Blackmore Sydney, AUSTRALIA, 14-19,
33
20. KOKOMO Lang Walker Potts Point, AUSTRALIA, 18-15, 33
21. SOLUTION John Thomson Port Washington, N.Y., USA , 16-18, 34
22. FLASH GORDON Helmut Jahn Chicago, Ill., USA, 20-25, 45
23. SLED Takashi Okura Tokyo, JAPANm 24-21, 45
24. KATANGA Robin Patterson London, ENGLAND, 23-23, 46
25. HONOUR Alek Krstajic Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, 25-24, 49
7
November - Vincenzo Onorato Rushes to Rolex Farr 40 World Championship
29
October - Aggressive Fleet Prepares for World Championship
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