Press
Release
3rd July 2003 Mezzaromas
Nerone moves to the top on another perfect day at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds
The
37-boat Rolex Farr 40 World Championship has been blessed for the second day in
a row with ideal sailing conditions. The Yacht Club Costa Smeraldas Race
Committee, headed by Peter Reggio, got off three full races in 19-23 knot winds
that blew steadily all day from the North West. The action was again as tight
as it can get in yacht racing, the big winner of the day being Massimo Mezzaromas
Nerone, now holding an eleven point lead over John Coumantaris second placed
Bambakou.
Race
three got off on time at 11:40 with a 2.2 mile long weather leg. The course had
been set slightly further offshore than the day before but still the left hand
side seemed to be the dominant option. The first start saw the fleet bunched at
the pin end with Nerone moving out from the middle of the bunch half way up the
beat. The Italian boat rounded the first mark in the lead, followed closely by
Steve & Fred Howes Warpath and these two dominated the front of the
fleet for the rest of the race battling all the way down the last run with final
honours going to Warpath. Other new faces at the front of the fleet included Takashi
Okuras Sled and Hasso Plattners Morning Glory.
Race
Four started almost as soon as the last boat had finished and Ernesto Bertarrellis
Alinghi and the same Warpath that had won the first race were recalled for premature
starts. The fleet was spread much more evenly along the line this time although
once again the left seemed to be favoured with Jim Richardsons Barking Mad
rounding the first mark in the lead. The first run favoured those who found and
worked the puffs the best, most boats getting up to planing speed in the stronger
gusts. Michel Illbrucks Nela moved sharply into the lead and proved impossible
to catch for the rest of the race. The chasing pack was led again by Mezzaromas
Nerone, being perfectly guided around a consistent day by tactician Vasco Vascotto.
Nerone picked up another second place and moved into the lead overall on points.
Race
Five started just after 3pm into a building breeze, topping 24 knots in the gusts
at the top of the course. Most of the fleet opting for their small No 4 jibs.
Michael Illbruck placed his Nela at the leeward end of the line for a perfect
pin end start, keeping the extreme left hand side of the fleet for most of the
beat. Two thirds of the way up the leg, Kostecki called the tack that saw the
German boat slip across the bows of three starboard tackers, the closest being
John Calvert-Jones Southern Star, and off to the right to eventually round the
weather mark with a four boatlength lead.
Starting
well in the middle of the line was Jim Richardsons Barking Mad and after
a long leg up the left hand side of the course rounded in second place behind
Illbruck. These two then sailed away into their own private match race. Enthralling
the spectator fleet the pair swapped the lead once on the first run and then chose
opposite sides at the leeward gate for the second upwind leg. Illbruck again chose
the left, Terry Hutchinson guiding Richardson on Barking Mad, felt the right was
going to finally come good. Sailing away to the right for several minutes, Barking
Mad dropped back onto starboard to stay in touch with Illbruck. But half way up
the last leg Hutchinson felt he had blown it and that Nela would cross ahead again.
The long awaited right hand shift of just a few degrees came good at the end allowing
Barking Mad to round the last mark first but with a much diminished advantage.
The final run in the strongest winds of the day and with by now a one metre swell,
was a thriller. Both boats planing and surfing down the waves were locked in a
battle to see who would make the first mistake. Just yards before the finish the
advantage seemed to have swung back to the German boat but a last minute surf
saw the boats cross the line overlapped with the American just ahead.
For
the second race in a row German boats were dominating with Hasso Plattners
Morning Glory picking up third. But the Italian Nerone was still there. Picking
up its third top four place of the day and consolidating the overall lead in the
process.
Friday
will be Day Three of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. The weather forecast
is for 30 plus knot winds
Quotes:
This
is big fun. It is a dream to be in this position right now. I think only Olympic
classes racing could be better than this. The idea of this class is the real winner
today. We have put in a lot of work over the last two years. We have sailed every
race and have spent a lot of time two boat tuning with other boats. Our philosophy
is to remain in the top ten in every race. Take no risks and stay out of the protest
room. Massimo Mezzaroma, owner/skipper of Nerone, overall leader after
five races.
"There
are always close races wherever you are in the fleet. If you make an error it
doesnt take long before you pay the price. Often you think you have buried
the opposition and you look up again and they are right back in it. Our stated
objectives before this regatta were to not lose this regatta in the first two
days of racing. After todays races we are still in the hunt and we feel
pretty good about that. Jim Richardson, owner/skipper of Barking Mad,
3rd overall.