2015 Results and Reports

Dress Rehearsal

Dress Rehearsal

While not a full-fledged dress rehearsal, the 15 teams readying for the 2015 Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship availed themselves of the opportunity for some practice runs today, once the morning haze was dispersed by sunshine and a 10 knot west-southwest breeze. 

Preparation is key in this competitive class which will see
New York financier Alex Roepers, the defending Rolex Farr 40 North American Champion, attempting to fend off the assault of Italian shipping magnate and entrepreneur Alberto Rossi.  Roepers’ PLENTY dominated the Farr 40 International Circuit in 2014, as has Rossi’s Enfant Terrible this current season.  Racing gets underway tomorrow, August 18, and when it concludes on August 22, the title, and a specially-engraved Rolex timepiece, will reward the ultimate victor.

Not to be overlooked is the rest of this talent-laden fleet, which also includes an additional Rolex Farr 40 World Champion:  Chicago architect Helmut Jahn (Flash Gordon 6), the 2012 champion.

New to the Farr 40 class is San Diego’s Rick Goebels who took delivery of Insanity just this past February.  While the competitiveness of this class is regularly cited, Goebels has put his mark on his inaugural season and is in position to take the Corinthian division of the 2015 International Circuit.

Goebels said he was always thinking about getting into the class, especially with the fleet building on the west coast.  “This year, with everything on the west coast again, this was the perfect year to do it.  The Farr 40 is a real race boat.  It’s like the Formula 1,” said the structural engineer and naval architect who grew up sailing in Western Canada and raced on Canada II, the America’s Cup boat.  Geobels’ objective for the Rolex Farr 40 North American’s is focused on beating a pro boat; if his streak continues, he is likely to meet that goal.

In a concerted effort, the welcome mat for the 15 teams who have descended on this picturesque California town has been put out by the beachfront clubhouse of host Santa Barbara Yacht Club, officials with the Santa Barbara Harbor and, especially, the local commercial fishing fleet who temporarily relocated for the Farr 40s.

Additional information on the 2015 Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship, including daily race reports, full results and photos will be found online at www.farr40.org. Follow the event via Twitteror on Facebook
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The Farr 40 Class would like to thank: Title Sponsor Rolex USA, Race Day Sponsors North Sails, Quantum Sail Design Group, Santa Barbara Yacht Club; Official Beer Coronado Brewing Company; Official Graphics provided by North Sails Graphics.

2015 Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship Roster of Entries Starting 
Blade II, Michael Shlens, Palos Verdes Estats, Calif., USA
Enfant Terrible, Alberto Rossi, Ancona, ITA
Estate Master, Martin Hill, Sydney, AUS
Flash Gordon 6, Helmut Jahn, Chicago, Ill., USA
Flyer, Stanford Shaw, Santa Barbara, Calif., USA
Foil, Gordon Leon, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., USA
Groovederci, John Demourkas, Santa Barbara, Calif., USA
Insanity, Rick Goebel, San Diego, Calif., USA
Nightshift, Kevin McNeil, Annapolis, Md., USA
Plenty, Alex Roepers, New York, N.Y., USA
Struntje light, Wolfgang Schaefer, Lueneburg, GER
Temptress, Ray Godwin, Huntington Beach, Calif., USA
Twisted, M. Tony Pohl, Alamo, Calif., USA
Voodoo Chile,
Lloyd Clark, Tasmania, AUS
White Knight
, Zoltan Katinsky, San Pedro, Calif., USA