Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (USA) continues to lead the overall classification after the third and penultimate day of racing in the 2009 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, organized in Porto Cervo by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Three races were held today in approximately 14 knots of Mistral breeze to bring the fleet to a total of eight races run in the series. Although the Americans on Barking Mad, with Terry Hutchinson on tactics, lead the classification, today’s winners were all Italian: victory went to Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino, Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly and Marco Rodolfi’s TWT in the three races. A 6-3-3 scoreline was enough for Richardson, two-time winner of the Farr 40 World title (1998, 2004) to extend his overall delta to six points. With a 2-1-8 scoreline today, Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone (ITA) was able to leapfrog Joe Fly to sit in second place in the overall standings while Maspero now sits ten points behind thanks mainly to a disastrous OCS in the first race of the day. Two more races may be held in tomorrow’s final day of racing to bring the series to the maximum ten. As is traditional in this class victory could go to a number of teams and tension will be high tomorrow as every decision counts and even the smallest mistakes will weigh heavily. Conditions were once again almost ideal and Race Six, today’s first, started on schedule in 14 knots of wind from 300° at 11.05 am. Mascalzone took the start and led the fleet of 25 competing Farr 40s around the first windward mark followed by Struntje Light (GER), owned by Wolfgang Schaeffer, and Alessandro Canavesio’s Mangusta Risk (ITA). At the leeward gate Mascalzone was followed by Nerone, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics, and Nanoq, with owner Prince Frederik of Denmark at the helm, and all three held their positions to the finish. Joe Fly was one of the four boats over early and was last in the fleet after returning to start correctly but did manage to make up some ground to finish 19th. Race Seven saw Nerone start well and the former World Champion (2003) led Joe Fly and Doug Douglass’ Goombay Smash (USA) at the first windward mark with winds of approximately 14 knots from 285°. By the second windward mark Barking Mad had moved up to third place behind Nerone and Joe Fly. A battle of tactics between Vasco Vascotto and Francesco Bruni saw Joe Fly almost succeed in closing the gap but Nerone managed to cross the finish line a few lengths ahead of Maspero with Barking Mad arriving third. The wind held for the 2.15 pm start of the third and final of today’s races. Helmut Jahn’s Flash Gordon (USA), TWT, with tactician Tiziano Nava, and Barking Mad led the fleet the whole way around the course. TWT managed to overtake the American Team on the last leeward leg so the finish order was TWT, Flash Gordon, Barking Mad. The overall classification after Race Seven had seen Nerone just one point behind Barking Mad, but an OCS at the start of this final race of the day left her in serious trouble. In a spectacular comeback however, the team managed to claw their way back to finish eighth in the fleet. “The third race kind of messed things up for us”, confirmed Vasco Vascotto on his return to Porto Cervo marina this afternoon, “ the guys did really well though and we got back up to eighth. We are sailing well, teamwork is good and it’s not over yet. The American’s on Barking Mad know how to handle things, this is a great battle! A great world championship in a fantastic place for racing, I have a lot of good memories here.” Racing will conclude tomorrow, June 27th, with the first starting signal scheduled for 11am. Major Filippo Petrucci, meteorologist on site for the event, predicts similar conditions to today with a continued Mistral wind which could reach approximately 20 knots. The Rolex Farr 40 World Champion 2009 will receive the World Cup trophy and a specially engraved Rolex timepiece during the Prize giving scheduled to take place at 19.30 in the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Piazza Azzurra. For further information on this regatta please visit www.farr40worldchampionship.com , www.yccs.it , www.regattanews.com or contact the press office. YCCS Press Office
Jill Campbell
Tel +39 0789 902 200
Fax +39 0789 91213
Mobile +39 340 167 4755 Email pressoffice@yccs.it
www.yccs.it Key Partners (KPMS)
Susan Maffei Plowden
M: +39 389 092 5146
E: suma@regattanews.com
General Classification Overall (Provisional): Position. Boat, Owner, (Nationality) R1,R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8. Tot. 1. Barking Mad, Jim Richardson (USA). 1, 6, 4, 1, 6, 6, 3, 3. 30 2. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma (ITA). 5, 1, 13, 2, 4, 2, 1, 8. 36 3. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero (ITA). 4, 5, 5, 4, 1, 19, 2, 6. 46 Nerone, Joe Fly. Credits Kurt Arrigo/Rolex
Porto Cervo - 26 June 2009 19:32
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