Barking Mad dominates Rolex Farr 40 Worlds 2009
Porto Cervo, Italy. 24th June 2009. Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (USA) leads the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship overall classification for the second day running. Richardson, with tactician Terry Hutchinson (America’s Cup campaigns in 2000, 2003 and 2007) took his second bullet of the series in the first of today’s two races while Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly (ITA) claimed victory in the second race, bringing her up to second place overall, just one point behind Barking Mad. Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone (ITA) sits in fourth place overall in the event organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, ahead of current World Champion Vincenzo Onorato with his Mascalzone Latino (ITA).
The first race of the day, the fourth of the series, started at 11.15 am after a general recall. Accompanied by 16 to 18 knots of westerly wind (280°), Barking Mad took the start and set the pace around the course, increasing her lead continuously to finish well ahead of Nerone and Transfusion (AUS), owned by Guido Belgiorno Nettis. Joe Fly, with Francesco Bruni on tactics, was in second place around the first windward mark but dropped back to cross
Two general recalls took place before Race Five could be started at 13.10 and 11 boats took a ZFP penalty for infringing the one minute rule. The wind had dropped to 15 knots and this time it was Joe Fly’s turn to lead the pack followed at the first windward mark by Doug Douglass’ Goombay Smash (USA) and Twins (FRA), owned by Erik Maris and with Philippe Mourniac calling tactics. At the leeward gate Twins had moved up to second place ahead of Alberto Rossi’s Enfant Terrible (ITA) with tactician Pietro D’Alì. The course was repositioned to 285° for the second windward leg and the top three teams held their position with Joe Fly finishing first ahead of Twins and Enfant Terrible. Both Twins and Enfant Terrible were among those which took the Zulu Flag Penalty and had 3 points added to their score.
As the Race Committee prepared to start Race Six the wind shifted dramatically to 180°, then to 150° and proceeded to swing from 110° to 150°. The wind failed to stabilize and the fleet returned to the docks shortly before 4 pm.
“We had a good day” affirmed Terry Hutchinson, tactician on Barking Mad. “We started very conservatively, Jim and the guys did really good work in the last race, we started away from the favoured end to make sure we weren’t OCS. There are still five races to go though. We have to just keep sailing well. We are working really well as a
Racing will continue tomorrow June 25th with the first starting signal scheduled for 11am. Major Filippo Petrucci, meteorologist on site for the event, predicts similar conditions to today with a west north westerly breeze of approximately 15 to 16 knots which could become instable in the late afternoon.
For further information on this regatta please visit www.farr40worldchampionship.com , www.yccs.it , www.regattanews.com or contact the press office.
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