Leaders and Challengers Ready for Final Day.

 Skipper Giovanni Maspero and the Joe Fly team tacked on two more good results on Thursday and now hold a solid 11-point lead in the Farr 40 class. Tactician Francesco Bruni has made all the right calls this week as the Italian boat has finished fourth or better in seven of eight starts, notching its first victory of the regatta in Race 8.

Barking Mad, an American boat skippered by Jim Richardson of Newport, R.I., notched a second and third on Thursday to move from fifth to second in the overall standings. Tactician Terry Hutchinson believes Barking Mad has been sailing relatively well all week and finally caught some breaks.

  “I’m incredibly happy with our performance today. We started the day by setting a team goal of finishing on the podium and this was certainly a step in the right direction,” he said. “Joe Fly is sailing really well and will be hard to beat. We just have to continue sailing the way we did today and be in position to capitalize if Joe Fly makes any mistakes.”

Results, photos and news: www.Premiere-Racing.com

Key West - 22 January 2010 09:58