Feb 22, 2009 - Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship.

Transfusion wins the 2009 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship

Guido Belgiorno Nettis’s Transfusion has taken the double by winning both the 2009 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship and the 2008-09 Australian Farr 40 Circuit after racing wrapped up today.


Farr 40 Transfusion Crew


L to R back row: Bob Wilmot, Michael Leigh, Andrew Palfrey, Mitch White, Guido Belgiorno Nettis, Hamish Roughley, Tom Slingsby, Sam Williams

Front row: Joe Turner, Peter Sheldrick, Daniel Turner  photo: Sam Crichton

“The competition element of the Farr 40 class is extraordinary and the talent is the Australian fleet is up there with the best.  I hope the Australian boats will have a good showing at the upcoming Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Sardinia.  I am particularly grateful for the encouragement and support of Lang Walker and Lisa and Martin Hill and I am pleased my fellow Middle Harbour Yacht Club member can join me on the podium of the 2008-09 Australian Farr 40 Circuit”, commented Belgiorno Nettis.  He continued “I must also mention our coach Andrew “Dog” Palfrey who has galvanised our crew and brought out the best in the team and our tactician Tom Slingsby who is an exceptional athlete and tactician.  I had huge confidence in his capacity during this regatta and in the future”.

Frustrating would be one word that comes to mind when describing the final day of racing in the Island Farr 40 Australian Championship as the nine teams sailed in a very light six knot breeze from a east north east direction in a large rolling swell.

Lang Walker’s Kokomo went into day three with a four point lead over Transfusion which was narrowed after race seven of the series to two points when Transfusion won, Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master was second and Kokomo finished third.

The next race of the day got underway after a two hour postponement as the race committee waited for the fickle light breeze to build enough to start a race.  Graeme Wood’s Wot For crew displayed fantastic light air racing skills leading the fleet around the course to take the gun for the second last race of the series.  Transfusion finished third and Kokomo crossed the line in eighth place which moved Transfusion into the lead.

The race committee managed to get the final race of the series started within one minute of the cut off time for a start sequence and this race ultimately decided who would take the final place on the podium. 

New Zealander Brett Neill and his team on White Cloud managed to pick the shifts and cross the line in front of the eight of boats and this secured third place overall for them for the 2009 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship.

“We’ve spent three years chipping away and I am sure Brett is very pleased to finish up this event in third”, said White Cloud crew member Phil Douglas.   

The Farr 40 class would like to thank Hamilton Island and the Oatley family for their support of the Australian class, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for hosting the event and their race management team and Denis Thompson for his professional delivery of racing during the 2008-09 season.

2009 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship Final Results:

Place

Boat

Skipper

Yacht Club

Pts

1

Transfusion

Guido Belgiorno Nettis

MHYC

21

2

Kokomo

Lang Walker

RSYS

30

3

White Cloud

Brett Neill

RNZYS

40

4

Estate Master

Lisa & Martin Hill

MHYC

41

5

Sputnik

Ivan Wheen

RSYS

42

6

Wot For

Graeme Wood

CYCA

46

7

Easy Tiger II

Chris Way/Ian Burns

RPAYC

52

8

Edake

Jeff Carter

MHYC

61

9

VooDoo Chile

Lloyd Clark/Andrew Hunn

RYCT

72

2008-09 Australian Farr 40 Circuit:
1 Guido Belgiorno Nettis
2 Lisa and Martin Hill
3 Lang Walker

For more information please go to www.farr40.org or  contact Sam Crichton ph # +61 0407 63 64 16 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.