Porto Cervo, Italy: Plenty, owned by Alex Roepers with tactician Terry Hutchinson, the defending champions at the start of the event, are World Champions for the third time in the Farr 40 One Design Class. Theirs is the top spot on the podium at the 20th edition of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship organised in Porto Cervo by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of Title Sponsor Rolex and the Farr 40 Class Association.
Vice-Champion for 2017 is Alberto Rossi's Enfant Terrible with tactician Vasco Vascotto, whose excellent performance today let her finish the event just three points behind Plenty. Flash Gordon (Jahn/Reeser) was also very close, so it was a fight to the finish for the title. Corinthian World Champion is Bresciani's Pazza Idea with Matteo Ivaldi tactician and Claudia Rossi at the helm. At twenty-four years old, Rossi is the youngest person to win in the Farr 40 Class.
Porto Cervo, July 15, 2017. The 20th edition of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with Title sponsor Rolex and the Farr 40 Class Association, saw four races run today in north westerly breezes that built gradually from 6 to 12 knots from 11:00 AM when racing started to the late afternoon of a long day.
Today, Quantum Sails Race Day, saw hard fought racing in a tightly packed fleet as so often happens in the Farr 40 One Design fleet. There were several changes in the top positions in the four races run today with almost all of the top placed teams having a day of mixed results.
Porto Cervo, July 14, 2017. Being patient paid off at the end of the second day at the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with Title sponsor Rolex and the Farr 40 Class Association, but it was a long day of waiting, both on the part of the teams and on the part of the Race Committee, for the strong Mistral breezes to die down.
The Race Committee kept a close eye on the situation in the hopes of getting a race in. Finally at 5:00 PM, in the warm light of the late afternoon, the Farr 40 fleet headed out of port. The winds were at about 23 knots but built during the race making the competition a real thrill both for the teams participating and for the spectators watching the Farr 40s planing downwind at up to 20 knots.
Two more races sailed Saturday in moderate winds. Plenty continues to stretch out its lead. The forecast for Sunday is for much higher winds, approaching 25-30 knots.
Results after four races:
1. Plenty, Alex Roepers / Terry Hutchinson, USA, 1-2-1-2, 6 points
2. Enfant Terrible, Alberto Rossi / Basco Vascotto, ITAm 2-4-4-6, 16
3. Flash Gordon, Helmut and Evan Jahn / Morgan Reeser, USA, 4-7-5-1, 17
4. Zen (Corinthian), Gordon Ketelbey / David Chapnan, AUS, 7-1-8-4, 20
5. Pazza Idea (Corinthian), Pierluigi Bresciani / Matteo Ivaldi, ITA, 3-5-7-5, 20
6. Struntje Light, Wolfgang Schaefer / Hamish Pepper, GER,6-6-2-7, 21
7. Asterisk, Hasip Gencer / Nick Rogers, TUR, 9 (DNF)-3-6-3, 21
8. MP 30 + 10, Luca Pierdomenico / Michele Regolo, ITA, 5-8-3-8, 24
Porto Cervo, July 13, 2017. The Mistral breezes that were forecast for the first day of racing at the 20th edition of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship kicked in as expected in Porto Cervo with gusts at over 30 knots.
Today, ARCORA Lifestyle Race Day, saw the Farr 40 One Design fleet wait in port while the AP flag was hoisted at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, organizer of the event in collaboration with the Farr 40 Class Association and the Title Sponsor Rolex.