Transfusion crowned Rolex Farr 40 World Champions

Transfusion. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. Click to enlarge.feb26_rolex

A courageous fight back in the penultimate race of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship by Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion and a second place in the decider has seen the Australians once again crowned world champions in their native habitat.

The defending champions Nerone (ITA) warned yesterday that Transfusion would have to force the win. That’s exactly what they did, sailing and recovering from a couple of debatable tactical choices superbly to finish two points ahead when the final points were tallied.

Top ten final results:

1. Transfusion, AUS, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, 35 points
2. Nerone , ITA, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma, 37
3. Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 62
4. Flash Gordon, USA, Helmut & Evan Jahn, 64
5. Estate Master, AUS, Lisa & Martin Hill, 70
6. Goombay Smash, USA, William Douglass, 82
7. Hooligan, AUS, Marcus Blackmore, 82
8. Kokomo, AUS, Lang Walker, 82
9. Struntje Light, GER, Wolfgang & Angela Schaefer, 85
10, Voodoo Chile, AUS, Andrew Hunn & Lloyd Clark, 90

In race nine Transfusion’s crew were coughing dust for the first upwind leg and appeared to lack boat speed while Nerone was sailing hotter angles out in front on the first downwind run. Transfusion’s US tactician, John Kostecki, now a three-time winner in the Farr 40 Worlds, lived up to his reputation as one of the world’s best as the local boat clawed its way back to finish second to Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori’s Nerone.

There were smiles and high fiving on the Italian boat and a lingering look back by Nerone’s redoubtable tactician Vasco Vascotto to see the pecking order over the finish line. Meanwhile on Transfusion Kostecki held his arms up to the sky as if to say “what else can we do?”

Clearly there was more firepower in their weaponry and they came out blazing in race 10, saving the best for last.

Transfusion needed to finish two places ahead of Nerone to take the title. Belgiorno-Nettis, a second generation Italian based in Sydney, gave himself the tiniest margin for error, finishing four places ahead of the defending champions who out-smarted them at last year’s Worlds.

Conditions off Sydney Heads were 10-12 knots, up to 15 knots at times out of the NE to ENE with plenty of sunshine and a sizeable spectator and support boat fleet enjoying the close racing and nerve-racking finish that delivered the local team the win as the curtain fell on four days of searing salt water action.

The last time Sydney played host to the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship back in 2005, local Richard Perini’s Evolution took the victory from the internationals and once again the Aussies have proven themselves too good for the rest of the world.

Third on the final pointscore was Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (USA). -- Lisa Ratcliff

Results: http://www.farr40worlds.com/2011results