By Bill Wagner
In a real rarity and a true testament to outstanding sailing, winners of all four classes at the Acura Miami Grand Prix went wire-to-wire. Ran (IRC 1), Soozal (IRC 2), Nerone (Farr 40) and Bliksem (Melges 32) all led from start to finish, a remarkable feat, but they hadn’t clinched going into the final day and all sailed every race.
Competition was tight in all four classes of this powerhouse fleet of 42 boats from seven countries, but the Farr 40 was deemed to be the most competitive and that earned Nerone the Acura Boat of the Week honor. The Italian entry won six of 10 races, an almost unheard of achievement in the professional-laden Farr 40 class. Skipper Massimo Mezzaroma and crew finished the series in style, getting the gun in both races today to extend its lead on runner-up Goombay Smash (Doug Douglass, Newport, RI).
“To win such a great regatta and get Boat of the Week as well, I don’t know how we can beat this result,” Mezzaroma said. “We had great karma on the boat and the whole crew was on its game.”
America’s Cup veteran Vasco Vascotto called tactics on Nerone, which also won this regatta in 2000 and 2003. “We love Miami. For some reason, our boat and team performs very well here. We have never had this many firsts in one event… it really is unbelievable. We were very, very fast downwind and I think that was a big key.”
Temperatures in the 80s, sunny skies and winds that never dipped below double digits made the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix one of the best in recent memory. “I don’t know if I have ever seen so many happy faces leaving a regatta,” event director Peter Craig said. “The weather was phenomenal, the race committee work was outstanding and the competition in all four classes was very, very good. All the owners I spoke with are looking forward to coming back.”
Acura Miami Grand Prix Results - FINAL after 10 races
Farr 40 (12 entries)
1, Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, Italy, 1-1-2-7-1-7-1-4-1-1=26
2, Goombay Smash, Doug Douglas, Newport, R.I., 5-2-7-3-6-3-3-1-7-2=39
3, Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, Como, Italy, 2-5-4-4-4-4-2-2-9-8=44
The 2009 Acura Grand Prix Championship scoring for the Farr 40 and Combined IRC class is based on the lowest cumulative points scored for both Acura Key West 2009 and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix combined.
Acura has been the proud title sponsor and Official Vehicle of SORC and the Miami Grand Prix for the previous 9 years. They are joined by supporting sponsors Mount Gay Rum (Official Rum) and SLAM (Official Technical Gear and Retailer)
The Miami Beach Marina is the Official Site for this 2009 grand prix event. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels.
Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity of both the Acura Miami Grand Prix and Acura Key West. For information about them please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org
Thirty-six Industry Partners bring their support through a program that is now in its 8th year. Learn more about the Industry Partners and the Program on the event web site.
Acura Key West 2009 and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix are US Sailing sanctioned events.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced luxury performance vehicles through a nationwide network of more than 260 dealers throughout the United States. The 2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models, the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL premium performance sedan, the TSX premium sport sedan, the turbo-charged RDX premium sport CUV and the award-winning MDX premium performance CUV.
For more information about Acura vehicles, please visit Acura.com. For media inquiries, please go to Acuranews.com.
Miami - 09 March 2009 11:44
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