Barking Mad leads after Day One of Rolex Farr 40 Worlds

Porto Cervo, Italy. 24th June 2009. After recent weather fronts brought high winds and squalls to most of Italy, today the wind gods smiled on Porto Cervo and the first of four scheduled race days in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2009 was held in near perfect conditions. The event, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and taking place from June 24th to 27th * hosts 25 Farr 40 yachts and many of the world’s top racing sailors. West north westerly breezes varying from approximately 15 to 20 knots allowed the YCCS Race Committee to set 3 races today which were won by Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (USA), Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone (ITA) and Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion (AUS) respectively. The provisional overall classification now sees Barking Mad, with America’s Cup veteran Terry Hutchinson (2000, 2003, 2007) calling tactics, in the lead on 11 points. Owner Jim Richardson is President of the Farr 40 Class and has won the World Championship twice (1998, 2004) over the course of its 12 editions. Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino, (ITA) reigning World Champion, is in second place on 14 points with Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly (ITA), which placed second in last year’s World Championship, in third - also on 14 points.

 

Race One started on schedule at 11.05 in approximately 22 knots of wind from 285°. Barking Mad led Joe Fly and Mascalzone Latino round the first windward mark. By the second windward mark Mascalzone had overtaken Joe Fly and Maspero’s team then fell further back in the fleet to cross the finish line in fourth place behind Barking Mad, Mascalzone Latino and Alessandro Barnaba’s Fiamma (ITA) respectively.

By the start of Race Two the breeze had dropped to approximately 16 knots but held steady at 285°.  At the first windward mark Nerone, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics, led the fleet ahead of Alberto Rossi’s Enfant Terrible (ITA) and Lang Walker’s Kokomo (AUS). Nerone and Enfant Terrible, with Pietro D’Ali on tactics, held their lead through the leeward gate while Goombay Smash (USA), owned by Doug Douglass moved up to third place. Goombay, which has former North-American 49er Champion (2007) Morgan Larson calling tactics, overtook Enfant Terrible on the second windward leg to finish second behind Nerone.

The wind shifted slightly to become a true Mistral at 295° for the start of Race Three. Australia’s Transfusion took the lead from the start ahead of Flash Gordon (USA), owned by Helmut Jahn, and Barking Mad. Flash Gordon took the lead over Transfusion on the downwind leg and they were followed at the gate by Mascalzone Latino. Transfusion clawed back her lead on the final windward leg leaving Flash Gordon in second place ahead of Mascalzone. As the fleet reached the finish line Mascalzone had moved up to second place behind Transfusion and ahead of Flash Gordon.

“We had the kind of conditions we like today. The Mascalzone Latino team does well with brisk winds. We took second place overall today but there is still a lot of racing left in this championship” commented Onorato, winner of three consecutive Farr 40 World titles. “I think we have made an error: we didn’t go to sail on the Australian circuit where the winds are strong and constant so we haven’t fully completed our training for strong wind conditions.”

Tom Slingsby, tactician on Transfusion and 2008 Laser World Champion, was pleased with today’s performance. Although the team are current Australian National Champions, this is the first time they have sailed with an International fleet: “Definitely the unknown factor played a part today.  We didn’t know how we would go, being lined up with international fleet for the first time, but all in all we are happy with our first day and we hope to continue the trend!”

 “It was great to get a bullet on the first day in the best sailing location in the world”, confirmed  Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, owner of Transfusion. “The issue for us was to see how we sailed against the international fleet. The win in last race was the highlight of our day, the team put in when it was needed.”

Vasco Vascotto, tactician on Nerone and former America’s Cup tactician with Mascalzone Latino (2007, was disappointed with his team’s 13th place in Race Three: “Unfortunately, we did a really bad third race and it's quite bad for the results because we were leading after two races, and now we are 5th. Still a long way to go but obviously we're a little disappointed with the shift, it's something that we cannot control.”

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 20 knots which could drop slightly 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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