THE PERFECT PLAN: LE RENARD WINS ROLEX FARR 40 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2002

PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS (November 18, 2002) -- In the end, it was all about the man and his boat rather than the place, but when the Farr 40 Class Association first decided to hold its Rolex-sponsored 2002 World Championship at Atlantis, it turned more than a few heads. The Bahamas resort, located on the aptly named Paradise Island, is a mind-boggling water theme playground that recreates the Lost City of Atlantis and provides the world's largest marine habitat, second only to Mother Nature, for more than 50,000 marine animals living in 34 acres of waterscape. The 25 Farr 40s that competed in the event were efficiently accommodated and welcomed by The Marina at Atlantis, and soon after they arrived for the MeesPierson Bahamian National Championship that preceded the Worlds, the highly pedigreed sailboats looked at home among the 200-foot megayachts surrounding them.

Italy's Nerone, the Farr 40 European champion co-owned by Antonio Migliori and Massimo Mezzaroma, won the Bahamian Nationals and established itself as a favorite for the November 13-16 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship along with second-place finisher Defiant, skippered by Canada's Rolex Sailor of the Year Terry McLaughlin (Toronto). But it was Defiant that would go on to make headlines for most of the Worlds and Le Renard, skippered by Steve Phillips of Arnold, Md., that would prevail ultimately as the winner.

Over four days of competition in poster-perfect sailing conditions, Phillips turned in single-digit finishes in all but one of 10 races, which proved the key to his success. "It was our strategy to stay in the top ten in every race," said Phillips, "because the teams here are tremendous. We took a 17th in the first race, but after that we sailed consistently and we stayed out of trouble."

Phillips, the current Farr 40 East Coast champion, credited his tactician Mark Reynolds, a Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and three-time Olympic medallist from San Diego, with keeping everyone on track to victory. "I'd hate to play poker with the guy, he stays so cool," said Phillips. "He doesn't let us get in difficult situations." Certainly it was a difficult situation or two that led to the downfall of Defiant, which, after two days and five races, had established its dominance with three first-place finishes and an impressive 22-point lead over Le Renard. In the protest room, two of Defiant's victories turned to disqualifications due to two separate starting line incidents. In race five, the Race Committee protested Flash Gordon, Helmut Jahn's Chicago entry, for fouling on the anchor line of its committee boat. A resulting chain of protests worked backward to Defiant, the alleged source of the problem. In race three, Crocodile Rock, owned by Alex Geremia and Scott Harris of Santa Barbara, Calif., successfully protested Defiant for barging at the start.

"The fleet is very competitive," said Crocodile Rock's tactician Robbie Haines, an Olympic gold medallist from San Diego, Calif. "Consistency and staying out of trouble is the key here." With Defiant dropping out of the top 10, Crocodile Rock moved to second, while Le Renard moved to the top of the leader board.

On day three, which served up light shifty winds instead of the more typical 20-25 knots, Le Renard maintained its lead with solid finishes, while Nerone crept up from sixth to second place ahead of Crocodile Rock. The combination of teams at the top, which now included Groovederci in fourth, would prove volatile on the last day of racing.

Groovederci, skippered by the regatta's only woman skipper Deneen Demourkas of Montecito, Calif., along with Crocodile Rock and Nerone were all over early at the starting line in the last race of the series, and, in their battle back to earn respectable positions, encountered problems at a congested mark. Both Groovederci and Crocodile Rock were protested by Nerone. As a philosophy, "staying out of trouble" failed Crocodile Rock when the jury saw fit to throw the team out of the race, dropping it from a would-be third to fifth overall. Groovederci was propelled to second place, and Samba Pa Ti, the Farr 40 U.S. National champion and 1999 Worlds winner, skippered by John Kilroy of Los Angeles, Calif., moved up to third. Nerone, for all its persistence, snagged fourth.

In the end, however, it was all about one man and his boat. Steve Phillips had stayed true to a promise among crewmembers to "keep it clean" at this regatta. Having bought Le Renard only last summer, he was truly the dark horse. He sailed to a 22-point lead over a fleet that not only represented eight nations but also brimmed with Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year, Olympic Medallists, and veterans of the America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Races. He had avoided wild fluctuations of point scores due to protests. He went home with the World Cup, the 2002 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship title and a coveted Rolex timepiece, awarded to him as the top skipper during a standing ovation at the Rolex Awards Party.

"It's an awesome feeling," said Phillips, with a respectful nod to the other 24 owners who, by class rules, must drive their own boats and may not be classified as professional sailors. "There was such tremendous talent here."

As for the location of Atlantis, there may never be another so mismatched with a sailing regatta but at the same time so spectacular … and surprisingly perfect.

Race Day Sponsors were Lewmar, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, North Sails and Rolex. They were joined by supporting sponsors Protector Boats, Carroll Marine and Farr International. For more information visit www.farr40.org.

Place, Boat Name, Skipper, Hometown, Home Country, Finish Positions, Total Score

1. LE RENARD, Steve Phillips, Arnold, Md., USA, 17-2-1-7-9-3-4-9-1-8, 61
2. GROOVEDERCI, Deneen/John Demourkas, Montecito, Calif., USA, 8-19-16-2-3-13-2-1-7-12, 83
3. SAMBA PA TI, John Kilroy, Los Angeles, Calif., USA, 12-5-7-8-12-6-7-16,-6-4, 83
4. NERONE, Massimo Mezzaroma/Antonio Migliori, Rome, ITALY, 6-1-15-3-20-5-3-8-13-14, 88
5. CROCODILE ROCK, Alexandra Geremia/Scott Harris, Santa Barbara, Calif., USA, 11-9-11-10-1-12-6-2-3-DSQ, 91
6. PEGASUS, Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 19-8-19-6-5-4-12-6-10-3, 92
7. BARKING MAD, Jim Richardson, Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I. USA, 13-3-2-13-14-15-14-11-4-6, 95
8. DEFIANT, Terry McLaughlin, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, 1-4-DSQ-9-DSQ-7-19-3-8-1, 104
9. BAMBAKOU, John Coumantaros, New York, N.Y., USA, 10-17-5-15-10-17-1-10-18-2, 105
10. JOSS, Owen Kratz, League City, Texas, USA, 9-20-14-12-4-1-9-5-19-13, 106
11. BOTTADICULO, Giovanni Arrivabene/Andrea Bocchini, Massarosa, ITALY, 2-10-6-4-DNF-19-17-4-2-17, 107
12. BREEZE, Vincenzo Onorato, Naples, ITALY, 5-11-22-1-19-16-13-15-11-5, 118
13. KATANGA, Robin Patterson, London, ENGLAND, 22-22-3-11-6-10-15-19-9-7, 125
14. NORWEGIAN STEAM, Eivind Astrup, Oslo, NORWAY, 3-22-18-14-11-11-11-13-5-23, 131
15. ASSEGAI, Leonidas Christeanakis/Chris Hunt, London, ENGLAND, 7-16-21-5-7-20-5-18-23-16, 138
16.VIRAGO, Stuart Townsend, Chicago, Ill., USA, 4-13-20-24-15-2-10-21-20-15, 144
17. EMOTIONAL HOOLIGAN, Marcus Blackmore, Sydney, AUSTRALIA, 14-19-8-16-22-18-20-14-12-11, 154
18. KOKOMO, Lang Walker, Potts Point, AUSTRALIA, 18-15-13-22-13-22-23-7-14-9, 156
19. GONE TOO FARR, Dave Carrel, Belvedere, Calif., USA, 15-12-17-18-17-14-16-17-16-22, 164
20. SOLUTION, John Thomson, Port Washington, N.Y., USA, 16-18-23-19-18-9-22-12-15-18, 170
21. HONOUR, Alek Krstajic, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, 24-24-10-20-16-21-8-24-17-10, 174
22. SLED, Takashi Okura, Tokyo, JAPAN, 23-21-9-25-8-8-24-22-22-21, 183
23. MORNING GLORY, Hasso Plattner, GERMANY/San Francisco, Calif., DSQ-6-4-17-2-DNC-DNC-DNC-DNC-DNC, 185
24. NITEMARE, Tom Neill, Berkeley, Ill., USA, 21-7-12-23-21-23-21-23-21-19, 191
25. FLASH GORDON, Helmut Jahn, Chicago, Ill., USA, 20-25-24-21-23-24-18-20-24-20, 219