FARR 40 - En

"The course was covered with a couple of minefields," said US boat captain Mark Sims from "Opus One", "Always and everywhere there was the danger of getting into a calm or catching an unfavourable wind shift." After two good and two bad races the day before, the crew and helmsman got more and more used to the tricky conditions and "demonstrated what we are capable of". Sims: "The fickle and difficult conditions are a valuable test for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Copenhagen. Our World's team is more or less complete on board."
The other top yachts are also already looking towards Denmark, where the peak event of the season will take place at the end of the month. But the teams of "Barking Mad" and "Kokomo" are asking for more. "First of all, our goal is to win the Rolex Baltic Week," said Richardson, president of the international Farr 40 class. "This is our top priority." But his other aim is to stop the Walker's from gaining the European crown of the grand prix series, the Farr 40 European Circuit. After the second day and before the last three races, he is only three points short of snatching it from "Kokomo".

"Focussing on a match race with 'Kokomo' would be just too early at this stage," said Richardson with a glance to the high level competition in the class. Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi on "Sirwagusawa" (Finland) was the fifth different race winner in the sixth race. Richardson: "The one design boats are so equal in their speed potential. Just make a single tactical mistake and you loose ten places." The owner and helmsman praised Terry Hutchinson for being a clever and careful tactician on this day, "when nobody could predict how the wind would development". Hutchinson explained his strategy: "Sometimes it is better to act conservatively in order to keep the position instead of risking everything."

After two tenth places Wolfgang Schaefer and his "Struntje light" from Lueneburg, Germany dropped to overall ninth. "Nothing at all worked out," said the skipper. "In the second race we started too early and had to make it back to the line again. In cases like this, the race is over before you know it."

On Sunday (19 August), the last day of the Farr 40 regatta during the Rolex Baltic Week, the start is scheduled an hour earlier for 10:00 h local time. The last possible start will be at 14:00 h local time.