2003 FARR40 WORLDS

Porto Cervo (Sardinia) - Italy

July 2-3-4-5

 

 

 

2003 Worlds - Final Day  - Nerone crowned World Champion on a busy, windy day. Illbruck’s Nela keeps second, Coumantaros' Bambakou takes third

05/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA The fourth day of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship saw Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori crowned as the new world champion after another impressive performance. Three races were run on the last day of the event, and Mezzaroma’s team, which includes tactician Vasco Vascotto, had effectively won the regatta with a race to spare after posting a 2nd and a 1st in the first two races. Second overall was Michael Illbruck’s Nela and third was Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Race Committee succeeded in its ambitious task of catching up on yesterday’s lost races, nine of the ten scheduled races were run. Wind conditions today were again near the top of the range although sunshine and warm waters meant that spectacular action and enjoyment was again to the fore. Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio had brought the fleet out an hour earlier than originally scheduled to try and get three races in, the early rise not suiting Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad however as the dark blue American boat was recalled from a premature start in the first race. The 37-boat fleet opted mostly for the left hand side of the course again although the first two boats at the top mark, Scott Harris and Alex Geremia’s Crocodile Rock and Michael Illbruck’s Nela found the right to be the side to be on, rounding the first mark in the top two slots, with the ever present Nerone following round in third place. The order remained the same for the next lap until Mezzaroma’s boat again found overdrive on the last run to collect a handy second place. The second start saw Richardson’s Barking Mad win the start at the committee boat end and storm off upwind. The points leader Nerone starting further down the line and Mark Heeley’s GBR-25 all came together near the starboard tack layline for a long stretch to the mark on port. With Heeley to windward and Nerone to leeward the Richardson’s American boat was eventually squeezed back into the pack, the former two rounding the mark in good order behind Vincenzo Onorato’s Breeze and Michael Illbruck’s lately consistent Nela. The port tack layline near the weather mark is always a dangerous place to be. Now firmly in the pack on the approach to the top mark Barking Mad on port, just got across the bow of Crocodile Rock before throwing in a hasty tack to windward. Crocodile Rock promptly came up right in the wind shadow, the crew on the weather rail could just watch as the mainsheet trimmer on Barking Mad eased the sheet to accelerate letting the boom run along the side of the leeward boat removing all the stanchions and lifelines to the mast, the last crewmember in the line sitting out to windward, co-owner Alex Germia, also collecting the boom in her face. Crocodile Rock retired, Barking Mad flew an ‘I’ flag accepting a 20% penalty, but the incident was to cost Richardson dearly when he ended up in the protest room later, was disqualified and lost any remaining chances of winning the championship. Back at the front of the fleet Onorato’s Breeze led all the way down the run and opted for the port rounding of the gate and the right hand side of the second beat. Breeze lost one place on the second beat to Eivind Astrup’s Norwegian Steam before the second weather mark and then lost another four when the spinnaker sheet became disconnected from the sail in the set. Mezzaroma’s Nerone, along with Wolgang Schaefer’s Struntje Light, pounced at this point and moved through to eventually finish first and second at the finish line, with Illbruck’s Nela finishing in third. By now the battle was for second place overall with Nerone having only to finish out of third last place to collect overall honours. Illbruck’s Nela, with John Kostecki calling the shots, had started the regatta slowly but had had nothing but a string of single digit results from the second day. Ultimately it was John Coumantaris’ Bambakou that collected third overall, followed by Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi in fourth. The next Rolex Farr 40 Worlds will be in San Francisco in September 2004. Quotes: “There are no words to describe how happy we feel as a crew right now. We have travelled all over the world for the last three years sailing Farr 40 regattas, but it was here at home with an all Italian crew that we became world champions with the biggest ever fleet. This is a 100% crew victory. For the last three years we have spent 10-12 weeks together as a crew, racing, training, travelling. It has all been worth it.” Massimo Mezzaroma, owner of Nerone, winner of the 2003 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. “Anyone who knows this class knows how hard it is to stay in touch. We had three bad starts at the beginning of the championship but then we settled in and things just ticked. Our objective was to finish in the top ten here. We are new in this class we have sailed only five events and to finish in second place is unbelievable. The intensity in this class is full time, and full on. There is no room for excuses. Mistakes cost dearly.” Michael Illbruck, owner of Nela, second overall in the 2003 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds. “It was great to win the last race. We won the last race at the Worlds in 2001 too. Its been a bit of a local Derby between ourselves and Alinghi, our tactician Grant Simmer is the head of the design team for Alinghi and we beat Ernesto and the boys by one place, so we’re pretty pleased about that. We’ve only used the Heavy and No 4 headsails all week. It has been a strong sailors’ regatta. Nerone has been working hard for three years. I first noticed them in Newport in 2001, they were already a well organised team. The key is commitment and consistency, they have showed both, they never had a bad race. We started in 27th place at the beginning of the week and we finish today with a win, we’ve progressed every day.” John Calvert-Jones, owner of Southern Star, winner of the last race of the 2003 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, fifth overall.   Pos. Sail # Yacht Name Owner Tactician R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 R 6 R 7 R 8 R 9 Total 1 ITA1972 NERONE Migliori/Mezzaroma Vasco Vascotto 14 1 2 2 4 7 2 1 18 51 2 GER931 NELA Michael Illbruck John Kostecki 19 16 18 1 2 4 3 4 7 74 3 USA52104 BAMBAKOU John Coumantaros Chris Larson 1 7 6 12 8 26 9 17 6 92 4 ITA2272 ALINGHI Ernesto Bertarelli Russell Coutts 10.5 12 7 15 13 6 4 8 24 99.5 5 AUS1770 SOUTHERN STAR John Calvert-Jones Grant Simmer 17 34 9 5 5 5 13 11 1 100 6 USA50955 BARKING MAD Jim Richardson Terry Hutchinson 14.5 2 14 4 1 3 10 38 15 101.5 7 GER40101 MORNING GLORY Hasso Plattner Dee Smith 13 20 3 7 3 17 8 22 9 102 8 USA46999 CROCODILE ROCK Harris/Geremia Vince Brun 2 38 31 9 7 1 1 8 12 109 9 GER5055 STRUNTJE LIGHT Wolfgang Schaefer Michael Coxon 3 18 11 13 27 11 6 2 19 110 10 ITA1161 SEVEN Alberto Signorini Tommaso Chieffi 8 10 15 14 24 8 19 23 5 126 11 USA69 WARPATH Fred/Steve Howe John Cutler 22 8 1 19 11 32 5 10 23 131 12 NOR40 NORWEGIAN STEAM Eivind Astrup Herman Horn Johannessen 5 19 13 23 12 35 18 3 4 132 13 USA46957 GROOVEDERCI Deneen/John Demourkas Mark Reynolds 7 30 10 6 21 29 11 15 3 132 14 USA40076 LE RENARD Steve Phillips Kevin Hall 4 3 23 22 23 10 17 6 26 134 15 NED40105 MEAN MACHINE Peter De Ridder Stuart Bannatyne 24 38 8 3 9 27 7 12 14 142 16 GBR7040R GAME ON Oswald/Bainbridge Anthony Haines 11 11 16 8 10 15 31 29 14 145 17 GBR9040R WARLORD Philip Tolhurst Chris Main 10 4 19 22 18 9 36 21 13 152 18 GBR8888L KATANGA Robin Paterson Ian Walker 18 9 22 10 19 22 28 16 11 155 19 GBR25R GBR25 Mark Heeley Iain Percy 9 6 34 29 29 21 12 9 8 157 20 GBR5R VICTRIC 5 Tony De Mulder Adrian Stead 6 31 12 23 28 2 22 13 21 158 21 FRA29039 HAGAKURE Michel Tiberini Francios Brenac 22 5 28 17 15 19 21 20 12 159 22 GRE42 ATALANTI George Andreadis Rod Davis 17 15 17 11 14 28 15 27 30 174 23 ITA13711 TWT Marco Rodolfi Tiziano Nava 12 38 21 24 17 18 14 18 16 178 24 JPN5095 SLED Takashi Okura Yutaka Takagi 30 24 4 32 25 25 33 14 2 189 25 USA40040 ALBABLU Renato Irrera Francesco Bruni 31 29 20 33 30 14 25 5 17 204 26 ITA4038 MADINA MILANO Dario Ferrari Thierry Peponnet 18 13 12 38 26 20 16 24 38 205 27 GBR46R ALEPH Lepic/Detroyat Luc Pillot 35 17 35 25 22 13 23 25 22 217 28 ITA1 BREEZE Vincenzo Onorato Flavio Favini 29 25 27 21 20 23 30 7 38 220 29 ITA103 BOTTADICULO Arrivabene/Mincione Sergey Chestov 28 21 32 38 6 12 20 38 38 233 30 ITA4088 ZZENZERO Renato Mazzeschi Matteo Ivaldi 25 26 37 34 31 16 26 26 20 241 31 USA50051 SARASTRO JP Delmotte Marc Bouet 32 14 25 28 32 30 34 19 28 242 32 AUS8888 KOKOMO Roger Hickman Ian Walker 27 23 30 20 35 38 29 33 10 245 33 ITA4080 RROSE Riccardo Bonadeo Gabriele Benussi 37 32 24 18 16 24 35 38 25 249 34 FRA9383 FARRFELU Alain Bompart Alain Fedensieu 26 28 26 27 33 31 32 28 29 260 35 ITA0091 SHINING SR. Domenico Cilenti Mitja Kosmina 33 22 33 26 38 34 27 30 31 274 36 GBR8940 FARRFALINA Rob Goddard Nick Meadow 34 34 29 30 34 33 39 31 32 294 37 AUS69R CACHARAZA Marcos Vivian Nick Haigh 36 35 36 35 38 36 24 32 27 299

 

2003 Mondiali - Giorno Finale  - Nerone di Massimo Mezzaroma e Antonio Sodo Migliori incoronato Campione del Mondo 2003

04/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA Con la vittoria degli armatori italiani Antonio Sodo Migliori e Massimo Mezzaroma su Nerone si chiude il Mondiale Rolex Farr 40, organizzato dallo Yacht Club Costa Smeralda a Porto Cervo e inserito nella manifestazione della “Settimana delle Bocche”. Le condizioni meteo, l’organizzazione del Club smeraldino, le consolidate sinergie con la Rolex, la folta presenza di Campioni e le spettacolari prove delle 37 imbarcazioni iscritte hanno fatto, di questo Mondiale, la più bella manifestazione velica del calendario internazionale dopo l’ultima, emozionante edizione dell’America’s Cup in Nuova Zelanda. Ed è proprio di Ernesto Bertarelli, vincitore della “Coppa dalle 100 ghinee” il commento più significativo: “..I Farr 40 sono i migliori scafi monotipo del mondo e le regate di Porto Cervo non solo sono state un grande spettacolo, ma anche un impegnativo e divertente momento per noi armatori e per tutti i componenti degli equipaggi”. Commenti che, in diversi punti del porto (dal Media Centre allestito in Piazza Azzurra alle colorate e movimentate banchine) si sono ripetuti con lo stesso tenore, e con più o meno enfasi, a significare che le regate dei monotipo hanno definitivamente conquistato tutte le componenti del mondo della vela, dopo i successi già avuti negli Stati Uniti e nei Paesi Anglosassoni. L’ultima giornata del Mondiale si è articolata in tre prove di circa 8 miglia l’una, sostenute ancora da un compiacente maestrale – leggermente calato rispetto a ieri – in un campo di regata tracciato davanti all’ingresso di Porto Cervo. Il primo bastone si è concluso con la vittoria dell’imbarcazione statunitense Crocodile Rock, seguita da Nerone al secondo e da Nela al terzo posto. In questa prima prova gli armatori Scott Harris e Alex Geremia hanno sempre tenuto la testa del gruppo e, poco prima dell’arrivo, Mezzaroma e Sodo Migliori sono riusciti a strappare il secondo posto al sempre più sorprendente Michael Illbruck. Nel secondo bastone di oggi, Nerone di Antonio Sodo Migliori e Massimo Mezzaroma (alla tattica Vasco Vascotto) attaccano sin dal primo tratto di bolina, concludendo al primo posto e precedendo così Struntje Light e Norwegian Steam. Nela si colloca al quarto posto. Vincenzo Onorato, con il suo Breeze, guadagna il settimo posto che rappresenta il suo miglior risultato. Nell’ultima e conclusiva prova – in totale sono state 9 le regate di questo Mondiale – ha vinto l’australiana Southern Star di John Calvert Jones, seguita dai giapponesi di Sled e, in terza posizione, dagli americani di Groovederci. Il nuovo Campione del Mondo si è limitato a controllare i diretti avversari: Nerone si è piazzato infatti al ventesimo posto a risultato oramai acquisito. Il Campionato Mondiale Rolex Farr 40 di Porto Cervo ha quindi visto il trionfo di Nerone (già vincitore del recente circuito del Mediterraneo) che ha avuto la meglio su avversari fortissimi come il tedesco Illbruck, che ha corso con i colori dello YCCS, e degli americani di Barking Mad. Altra sorpresa è stata quella di Ernesto Bertarelli che, pur confessando di non avere completato la preparazione su questo monotipo, ha, via via che le prove si svolgevano, guadagnato posizioni su posizioni, passando  dal 14^ posto di mercoledì scorso al 4^ in classifica generale. La felicità dei vincitori, al di là del classico spumante, si è manifestata col tuffo collettivo in mare subito dopo l’arrivo in banchina, tra i più felici il triestino Vasco Vascotto che, in dialetto triestino, ha detto ai giornalisti “mi sono limitato a dare indicazioni che professionisti come Antonio e Massimo non hanno bisogno, e i ragazzi a bordo si sono comportati alla perfezione. Per Italtel è il secondo Mondiale, e sono felice per il nostro sponsor”

 

2003 Worlds - Third Day  - Crocodile Rock wins only race in ‘limit’ conditions. Nerone still ahead overall

04/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA The third day of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championships proved to be a short one with only one race being sailed in the ever windy conditions. With 25 knots blowing across the course by late morning and more forecast for the afternoon, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Race Committee, headed by Peter Reggio, brought the fleet to a more sheltered part of the Costa Smeralda coastline, inside Caprera Island. The highly spectacular race was won by Scott Harris and Alexia Geremia’s Crocodile Rock but it is still Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone that leads overall. A short delay before the start saw the 37-boat fleet make final preparations for what was going to be a physical race on a new race track area that many of the entries had not sailed before. Due to shoal water on one side and the physical extremities of the landlocked bay a course of only 1.9 miles could be set. The fleet seemed more interested in the right hand side of the course, due to the shelter offered from the current by the Southern tip of Caprera Island. The same piece of land also meant a tack back onto starboard below the final weather mark layline, meaning the beat was indeed complex. The favoured right hand side meant plenty of congestion at the committee boat end and overall leader Nerone misjudged the approach and were blocked out to weather of the line at the gun, eventually crossing the startline in last position. Initially the left hand side looked favoured but half way up the leg when those that had chosen the right side started to feel the benefits of the tidal shelter starting last proved to be far from fatal, with Nerone moving swiftly through the fleet and back into contention. And indeed at the top mark those that were still unconvinced about the wind driven current had a sharp lesson as they saw what looked like a good layline call to the mark fall short by the time they reached the turn. Several boats in the cluster approaching the mark missed the buoy and finding no way out had to bare away and gybe around for another attempt to find the true layline, only to be confronted with a wall of starboard tack boats ultimately requiring a second go around and the loss of 20 places. Jim Richardson, owner of Barking Mad, has consistently been a leader at the first mark right through this regatta and today he rounded the top mark in the lead again. Next back was Crocodile Rock and Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi. The run was nothing other than fast with flat water and strong gusts propelling the fleet straight downwind. Gybing was an adventure for many, but the strong gusts were the real danger, boats that weren’t already planing when the gusts hit loaded up and many broached out one way or the other. The trick was to anticipate their arrival, make sure the boat was planing fast so that the gust just meant another few knots added to the already mid-teens boatspeed. Boathandling was key today and the leaders showed how easy it is to pull away from the pack of boats that weren’t so foot sure with the various manoeuvres required. By the first leeward gate Tony DeMulder’s Victric VII had passed Alinghi and then opted for the starboard hand leeward mark leaving Barking Mad and Crocodile Rock to head for the right hand side of the course for the second weather leg. By now the top ten had broken away from the following pack, the consensus still being to work the right hand side of the course, exploiting the shifts on the way. By the last weather mark, and with the wind building all the time, Crocodile Rock and Barking Mad were effectively overlapped, with Barking Mad to weather. Jim Richardson’s dark blue hull with a bit more speed on the spreader leg, rolled up beside the leader who then luffed to keep the agressor behind. Victric VII, just behind, used the opportunity to drive in to leeward and hoist the spinnaker before the others. The three way race for the lead lasted all the way down the high speed run, the boats reaching speeds of 18 knots at times in the puffs. Calling the moment for the final gybe was going to be key and once again boathandling would decide the outcome. By the finish Crocodile Rock had escaped from Barking Mad’s clutches and was now concentrating on keeping the British boat Victric VII behind who by now had moved up to second. Other consistent teams on the water today included Michael Illbruck’s Nela who with today’s fourth place moves into third overall. The most consistent boat to date is Nerone, who goes into the final day with an eight-point buffer on the second placed boat Barking Mad. The Race Committee’s decision to abandon hopes of further competition on Friday instigated an amendment to the race instructions which will allow three races to be held tomorrow, Saturday, the first of which will start at 10:30. The forecast is once again for fresh winds although they should moderate in the late afternoon.   Quotes: “A lot of fun today, we were really reaching the limits of what you can do in a Farr 40. The adrenalin was really pumping downwind. We had an average start, but we sailed amazingly well up the first beat. When we rounded in third place I couldn’t believe it. Russell (Coutts) as ever had a great first beat. We also seemed to have pretty good speed today.“ “I’m not sure this class is any harder than it was two years ago when we won the World Championship. We didn’t do a great job at the beginning of the regatta, but now we are getting better. The Farr 40 is the best One Design Class in the world right now, and being consistently strong makes you win regattas.” Ernesto Bertarelli, owner/skipper of Alinghi, fifth overall after six races

 

2003 Worlds - Terzo Giorno

04/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA Partenza alle 11.45 di questa mattina, in un campo di regata disegnato tra i ridossi del Golfo delle Saline, l’Isola di Caprera e Poltu Quatu, per le 37 imbarcazioni iscritte al Mondiale Rolex Farr 40, organizzato dallo Yacht Club Costa Smeralda e in svolgimento in questi giorni nelle acque di Porto Cervo. Solo qualche mugugno da parte di alcuni velisti, dovuto al forte vento di maestrale che si è intensificato in questa terza giornata di regate e che aveva suscitato qualche perplessità sulla possibilità di effettuare le tre prove previste oggi. In parte a ragione, in quanto dopo il primo bastone le regate sono state interrotte proprio a causa del vento che, verso  le 14, è riuscito a superare i 26 nodi con raffiche fino a trenta. Comunque il Campionato era già “salvo” in quanto superate le 5 prove valide per il Mondiale. Restano da effettuare le tre prove di domani sabato 5 luglio, che dovrebbero regolarmente concludere il Mondiale, salvo le bizze del nord-ovest. L’unica prova di oggi è stata vinta degli americani Harris e Geremia su Crocodile Rock, (che aveva già impressionato alla prima uscita, ma sfortunato per la rottura della randa) seguito dal britannico Tony Demulder su Victric 5  - alla tattica Adrian Stead – e, al terzo posto, lo scafo, sempre americano, Barking Mad di Jim Richardson, Presidente della Classe Farr 40. Quarto posto per Nela, con John Kostecki alla tattica, quinto per Southern Star, sesto per Alinghi e settimo per Nerone.  Sulla base pertanto dei risultati odierni, la classifica overall si viene così delineando:  - primo Nerone di Mezzaroma/Sodo Migliori (alla tattica Vasco Vascotto); - secondo l’armatore Richardson con Barking Mad; - terzo Nela di Michael Illbruck (che recupera due posizioni in classifica); - quarto Bambakou di John Coumantaros, alla tattica Chris Larson; - quinto Alinghi di Ernesto Bertarelli, in recupero di ben 11 posizioni (ricordiamo che il Campione di Coppa America ha  a bordo Russell Coutts come tattico); - sesto Hasso Plattner con Morning Glory. A questo punto la classifica sta assumendo un suo definitivo assetto e, tenuto conto dei distacchi, si può ragionevolmente affermare che Nerone e Barking Mad si contenderanno il titolo iridato, mentre per i restanti posti del podio la lotta si fa incerta e dipenderà dalle ultime regate di domani. Il vento di maestrale di oggi ha, com’era prevedibile, regalato emozioni non soltanto ai partecipanti ma a tutti coloro che hanno assistito alle evoluzioni dei velocissimi Farr 40, che sotto spi e in planata hanno raggiunto la velocità vicina ai venti nodi. Ieri sera, in occasione della serata degli Armatori tenutasi presso la Clubhouse dello YCCS, il Comandante Gianfranco Alberini ha consegnato  a Ernesto Bertarelli, vincitore dell’ultima edizione della Coppa America, un targa rievocativa dell’avvenimento.   Classifica generale dopo 6 prove: Pos BOW No. Boat Owner SAILN. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 1 45 NERONE A. SODO MIGLIORI M. MEZZAROMA ITA 1972 14.00 1.00 2.00 2.00 4.00 7.00 30.00 2 95 BARKING MAD JIM RICHARDSON USA 50955 14.50 2.00 14.00 4.00 1.00 3.00 38.50 3 98 NELA MICHAEL ILLBRUCK GER 93 19.00 16.00 18.00 1.00 2.00 4.00 60.00 4 14 BAMBAKOU JOHN COUMANTAROS USA 52104 1.00 7.00 6.00 12.00 8.00 26.00 60.00 5 01 MORNING GLORY HASSO PLATTNER GER 40101 13.00 20.00 3.00 7.00 3.00 17.00 63.00 6 22 ALINGHI ERNESTO BERTARELLI 2272 10.50 12.00 7.00 15.00 13.00 6.00 63.50 7 74 GAME ON JOHN OSWALD/JOHN BAINBRIDGE GBR 7040R 11.00 11.00 16.00 8.00 10.00 15.00 71.00 8 70 SOUTHERN STAR JOHN CALVERT-JONES AUS 1770 17.00 34.00 9.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 75.00 9 61 SEVEN ALBERTO SIGNORINI ITA 1161 8.00 10.00 15.00 14.00 24.00 8.00 79.00 10 66 WARLORD VII PHILIP TOLHURST GBR 7400 10.00 4.00 19.00 22.00 18.00 9.00 82.00 11 55 STRUNTJE LIGHT WOLFGANG SCHAEFER GER 5055 3.00 18.00 11.00 13.00 27.00 11.00 83.00 12 76 LE RENARD STEVE PHILLIPS USA 40076 4.00 3.00 23.00 22.00 23.00 10.00 85.00 13 99 CROCODILE ROCK SCOTT HARRIS/ALEX GEREMIA USA 46999 2.00 38.00 31.00 9.00 7.00 1.00 88.00 14 69 WARPATH STEVE & FRED HOWE USA 69 22.00 8.00 1.00 19.00 11.00 32.00 93.00 15 88 KATANGA ROBIN PATERSON GBR 8888 18.00 9.00 22.00 10.00 19.00 22.00 100.00 16 05 VICTRIC 5 TONY DEMULDER GBR 5R 6.00 31.00 12.00 23.00 28.00 2.00 102.00 17 78 ATALANTI GEORGE ANDREADIS GRE 42 17.00 15.00 17.00 11.00 14.00 28.00 102.00 18 57 GROOVEDERCI DENEEN & JOHN DEMOURKAS USA 46957 7.00 30.00 10.00 6.00 21.00 29.00 103.00 19 39 HAGAKURE MICHEL TIBERINI FRA 29039 22.00 5.00 28.00 17.00 15.00 19.00 106.00 20 40 NORWEGIAN STEAM EIVIND ASTRUP NOR 40 5.00 19.00 13.00 23.00 12.00 35.00 107.00 21 63 MEAN MACHINE PETER DE RIDDER NED 5764 24.00 38.00 8.00 3.00 9.00 27.00 109.00 22 38 MADINA MILANO DARIO FERRARI ITA 4038 18.00 13.00 12.00 38.00 26.00 20.00 127.00 23 25 GBR 25 MARK HEELEY GBR 25 9.00 6.00 34.00 29.00 29.00 21.00 128.00 24 71 TWT MARCO RODOLFI ITA 13711 12.00 38.00 21.00 24.00 17.00 18.00 130.00 25 21 BOTTA DI CULO G. ARRIVABENE/R. MINCIONE ITA 103 28.00 21.00 32.00 38.00 6.00 12.00 137.00 26 50 SLED TAKASHI OKURA JPN 5095 30.00 24.00 4.00 32.00 25.00 25.00 140.00 27 11 BREEZE VINCENZO ONORATO ITA 1 29.00 25.00 27.00 21.00 20.00 23.00 145.00 28 46 ALEPH PIERRE DETROYAT/HUGHES LEPIC GBR 46R 35.00 17.00 35.00 25.00 22.00 13.00 147.00 29 18 RROSE RICCARDO BONADEO ITA 18 37.00 32.00 24.00 18.00 16.00 24.00 151.00 30 44 ALBABLU RENATO IRRERA USA 40040 31.00 29.00 20.00 33.00 30.00 14.00 157.00 31 51 SARASTRO 3 J.P. DELMOTTE USA 50051 32.00 14.00 25.00 28.00 32.00 30.00 161.00 32 08 ZZENZERO 7 RENATO MAZZESCHI ITA 4088 25.00 26.00 37.00 34.00 31.00 16.00 169.00 33 93 FARR FELU ALAIN BOMPART FRA 9383 26.00 28.00 26.00 27.00 33.00 31.00 171.00 34 83 KOKOMO LANG WALKER AUS 8883 27.00 23.00 30.00 20.00 35.00 38.00 173.00 35 91 SHINING SR. DOMENICO CILENTI ITA 0091 33.00 22.00 33.00 26.00 38.00 34.00 186.00 36 43 FARRFALINA ROB GODDARD GBR 8940 34.00 34.00 29.00 30.00 34.00 33.00 194.00 37 96 CACHARAZA MARCOS VIVIAN AUS 69R 36.00 35.00 36.00 35.00 38.00 36.00 216.00

 

2003 Worlds - Second Day: Mezzaroma’s Nerone moves to the top on another perfect day at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds

03/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA The 37-boat Rolex Farr 40 World Championship has been blessed for the second day in a row with ideal sailing conditions. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Race Committee, headed by Peter Reggio, got off three full races in 19-23 knot winds that blew steadily all day from the North West. The action was again as tight as it can get in yacht racing, the big winner of the day being Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone, now holding an eleven point lead over John Coumantaris’ second placed Bambakou. Race three got off on time at 11:40 with a 2.2 mile long weather leg. The course had been set slightly further offshore than the day before but still the left hand side seemed to be the dominant option. The first start saw the fleet bunched at the pin end with Nerone moving out from the middle of the bunch half way up the beat. The Italian boat rounded the first mark in the lead, followed closely by Steve & Fred Howes’ Warpath and these two dominated the front of the fleet for the rest of the race battling all the way down the last run with final honours going to Warpath. Other new faces at the front of the fleet included Takashi Okura’s Sled and Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory. Race Four started almost as soon as the last boat had finished and Ernesto Bertarrelli’s Alinghi and the same Warpath that had won the first race were recalled for premature starts. The fleet was spread much more evenly along the line this time although once again the left seemed to be favoured with Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad rounding the first mark in the lead. The first run favoured those who found and worked the puffs the best, most boats getting up to planing speed in the stronger gusts. Michel Illbruck’s Nela moved sharply into the lead and proved impossible to catch for the rest of the race. The chasing pack was led again by Mezzaroma’s Nerone, being perfectly guided around a consistent day by tactician Vasco Vascotto. Nerone picked up another second place and moved into the lead overall on points. Race Five started just after 3pm into a building breeze, topping 24 knots in the gusts at the top of the course. Most of the fleet opting for their small No 4 jibs. Michael Illbruck placed his Nela at the leeward end of the line for a perfect pin end start, keeping the extreme left hand side of the fleet for most of the beat. Two thirds of the way up the leg, Kostecki called the tack that saw the German boat slip across the bows of three starboard tackers, the closest being John Calvert-Jones Southern Star, and off to the right to eventually round the weather mark with a four boatlength lead. Starting well in the middle of the line was Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad and after a long leg up the left hand side of the course rounded in second place behind Illbruck. These two then sailed away into their own private match race. Enthralling the spectator fleet the pair swapped the lead once on the first run and then chose opposite sides at the leeward gate for the second upwind leg. Illbruck again chose the left, Terry Hutchinson guiding Richardson on Barking Mad, felt the right was going to finally come good. Sailing away to the right for several minutes, Barking Mad dropped back onto starboard to stay in touch with Illbruck. But half way up the last leg Hutchinson felt he had blown it and that Nela would cross ahead again. The long awaited right hand shift of just a few degrees came good at the end allowing Barking Mad to round the last mark first but with a much diminished advantage. The final run in the strongest winds of the day and with by now a one metre swell, was a thriller. Both boats planing and surfing down the waves were locked in a battle to see who would make the first mistake. Just yards before the finish the advantage seemed to have swung back to the German boat but a last minute surf saw the boats cross the line overlapped with the American just ahead. For the second race in a row German boats were dominating with Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory picking up third. But the Italian Nerone was still there. Picking up its third top four place of the day and consolidating the overall lead in the process. Friday will be Day Three of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. The weather forecast is for 30 plus knot winds   Quotes: “This is big fun. It is a dream to be in this position right now. I think only Olympic classes racing could be better than this. The idea of this class is the real winner today. We have put in a lot of work over the last two years. We have sailed every race and have spent a lot of time two boat tuning with other boats. Our philosophy is to remain in the top ten in every race. Take no risks and stay out of the protest room.“ Massimo Mezzaroma, owner/skipper of Nerone, overall leader after five races. "There are always close races wherever you are in the fleet. If you make an error it doesn’t take long before you pay the price. Often you think you have buried the opposition and you look up again and they are right back in it. Our stated objectives before this regatta were to not lose this regatta in the first two days of racing. After today’s races we are still in the hunt and we feel pretty good about that.“ Jim Richardson, owner/skipper of Barking Mad, 3rd overall.

 

2003 Mondiali - Primo Giorno

02/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA La prima giornata del Mondiale 2003 Rolex Farr 40, organizzato dallo Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, ha visto la vittoria dello scafo statunitense Le Renard di Steve Phillips (già iridato nell’edizione 2002) che, grazie al 4^ e 3^ posto raggiunti nelle due regate odierne, guida la classifica con sette punti. Ha vinto anche il maestrale (che ha avuto la meglio sul libeccio previsto dal meteo) che ha soffiato forte sin dalle prime ore del giorno raggiungendo i 20 nodi con raffiche sino a 25. In questa prima giornata di regate si sono svolte due prove a bastone, di circa 9 miglia l’una, su un campo di regata posizionato davanti all’ingresso del porto di Porto Cervo, consentendo così a molti appassionati di vela di assistere alle evoluzioni dei Farr 40. Un vero spettacolo di vele, di ingaggi e coraggiose manovre ai giri di boa che solo questi scafi – disegnati dal neozelandese Bruce Farr – riescono a dare grazie anche alla grande manovrabilità dell’armo. Stamane hanno pertanto preso il via tutte le 37 imbarcazioni iscritte – in rappresentanza di 11 nazioni – con l’armatore al timone, così come prevede il regolamento di questa Classe, il cui Campionato mondiale è arrivato alla sesta edizione, e quest’anno viene inserito nell’ambito della Settimana delle Bocche. La prima delle due prove  effettuate oggi è stata vinta dallo statunitense John Coumantaros su Bambakou (ottavo e nono agli ultimi due Mondiali), seguito dall’altro scafo USA Crocodile Rock, e al terzo posto il tedesco Wolfgang Schaefer su Struntje Light. Nella seconda regata odierna è passato subito in vantaggio alla prima boa di bolina un altro statunitense, Jim Richardson su Barking Mad (solo 22^ nella prima prova) che ha mantenuto la prima posizione sino all’ultimo tratto del bastone, quando si è visto superare dall’italiano Nerone di Massimo Mezzaroma e Antonio Sodo Migliori (alla tattica il triestino Vasco Vascotto) che si aggiudicava così la seconda  prova di oggi. Molto sfortunati gli statunitensi di Crocodile Rock che si sono dovuti ritirare per la rottura della randa in carbonio proprio in fase di partenza. Tra gli italiani, la migliore posizione in classifica è quella di Nerone, che con 14 punti si trova al terzo  posto, separata da Le Renard  dall’altro statunitense Bambakou. Buono anche il piazzamento di Alberto Signorini che occupa, sempre al termine di questa prima giornata, il sesto posto. Ernesto Bertarelli, vincitore dell’ultima Coppa America con il suo Alinghi, si trova al tredicesimo posto e ha dichiarato “ci siamo molto divertiti ma ci manca un po’ di allenamento su questo tipo di barca”. Domani 3 luglio sono previste 3 prove. Il Mondiale Rolex Farr 40 chiude sabato dopo quattro giornate di intense regate.    Bando di regata,  lista iscritti e comunicati su www.yccs.it   Ufficio Stampa YCCS: pressoffice@yccs.it

 

2003 Worlds -  Phillips' Le Renard remains the standard windy day one of Rolex Farr 40 Worlds

02/07/2003  Porto Cervo ITA Perfect sailing conditions greeted the 37-boat fleet on the first day of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship which is being sailed in front of Porto Cervo, Sardinia and organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda this week. 25-knot winds, flat warm water and bright sunshine left nothing but smiling faces on the 370 crew who stepped ashore after finishing the first two races late this afternoon. The happiest crew in town being the group that sail on board Steve Phillips¹ Le Renard, the defending world champion who leads the fleet after the first day¹s racing. With extremely tight action all day today the Farr 40 Class is once again proving why it is the most competitive large One-Design keelboat around. No one can question the action. There is always enough close racing to make even the hardest of sailors come ashore smiling. Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio was initially forced to delay the first start for 45 minutes whilst his race committee crew attempted to make the committee boat anchor hold in the prevailing conditions. The first race saw the 37 boat fleet sail a 2-mile weather leg to a top mark positioned just offshore from Capo Ferro, the Costa Smeralda¹s famous lighthouse. The leaders at the first corner came from the right side of the course and it was John Coumantaros, at the helm of Bambakou, that rounded in front with a healthy four-boat length lead. By the time the fleet had got to the leeward gate Coumantaros, assisted by tactician Chris Larson, had opened a 30 second lead, something that is hard to touch on a stable fresh day like today. The fresh conditions saw broaches, loss of control in gybes, spinnaker blowouts and even missed approaches at the laylines. On board each boat the nine crew, supporting their helmsmen, felt warm seawater, fresh breeze and the close contact of another 30 boats at all times. The next two boats back were Crocodile Rock and Struntje Light, both managing to stay out in front of the pack and the latter not quite managing to pass Crocodile Rock in a late, high speed charge to the finish. But then came the pack, who at every mark rounding saw a different set of pretenders, surging forwards, dropping back, making boathandling mistakes, exploiting opportunities to give the order of the next 34 places. The skipper who extracted himself from this the best and finally finishing in fourth place was Phillips, steering Le Renard. The second race got underway shortly after 1400 hours and saw the fleet spread evenly along the long start line. Jim Richardson¹s dark blue Barking Mad made the best exit from the blocks at the committee boat end. Just to weather and slightly behind was the morning¹s winner Bambakou. This pair set the pace for the first lap of the course, with Coumantaros making all the running, demonstrating enough extra boatspeed to draw level by the second weather mark. A slight boathandling error by the Bamabakou crew meant that what was planned as a close port tack dip astern of Barking Mad ended up with a stalled rudder and an emergency tack to leeward of the leader. Having committed a foul in the process, Bambakou exonerated herself with a 360-degree penalty turn. At this level of competition that kind of mistake costs places and five boats sailed past. One of the boats to slip through and eventually pass the leader too, was Massimo Mezzaroma¹s Nerone who added a win to a 13th place in the first race. Another was Phillips¹ ever present Le Renard, finishing third to post the best results of the day. The fleet tonight is full of stories of what turned out to be a brilliant start for some and what might have been for others. The warning signal for the first of three scheduled races tomorrow will be given at 11:30. The weather is expected to give more moderate sailing conditions. Quotes:   "I'd have to put the reason for our success today down to the fact that we spent more than 40 minutes sailing around upwind on the race course area before anyone else left the dock this morning. We really managed to settle in and understand the conditions. We had speed and the crew never once let me down with boat handling." Steve Phillips, owner/skipper of Le Renard, defending world champion and overall leader after two races.   "We had a good first race finishing 6th. But in the second race, in spite of a great start we just seemed to fall back into the pack all the time. Must have been a speed problem. But on a day like today how can you complain, this is the best place in the world to sail, its impossible to beat." Tony deMulder, owner/skipper of Victric 5, 20th overall.   "In the first race we had a great start and that coupled with good speed and tactics got us to the first mark first. Believe it or not after that it is pretty straight forward in this fleet to stay ahead when you have a buffer. This afternoon was initially a similar scenario, we started well and were in second place catching Barking Mad. At the second top mark we were ducking them on port, the rudder stalled out and we tacked and fouled them. We did a penalty turn and lost five places in the process." John Coumantaros, owner/skipper of Bambakou, 2nd overall.   Results - Day One After Protests Pos. Sail # Yacht Name Owner Tactician R 1 R 2 Total 1 USA40076 LE RENARD Steve Phillips Kevin Hall 4 3 7 2 USA52104 BAMBAKOU John Coumantaros Chris Larson 1 7 8 3 ITA1972 NERONE Migliori/Mezzaroma Vasco Vascotto 13 1 14 4 GBR9040R WARLORD Philip Tolhurst Chris Main 10 4 14 5 GBR25R GBR25 Mark Heeley Iain Percy 9 6 15 6 USA50955 BARKING MAD Jim Richardson Terry Hutchinson 14.5 2 16.5 7 ITA1161 SEVEN Alberto Signorini Tommaso Chieffi 8 11 19 8 GER5055 STRUNTJE LIGHT Wolfgang Schaefer Michael Coxon 3 19 22 9 GBR7040R GAME ON Oswald/Bainbridge Anthony Haines 11 12 23 10 ITA2272 ALINGHI Ernesto Bertarelli Russell Coutts 10.5 13 23.5 11 NOR40 NORWEGIAN STEAM Eivind Astrup Herman Horn Johannessen 5 20 25 12 FRA29039 HAGAKURE Michel Tiberini Francios Brenac 21 5 26 13 GBR8888L KATANGA Robin Paterson Ian Walker 18 10 28 14 USA69 WARPATH Fred/Steve Howe John Cutler 21 8 29 15 ITA4038 MADINA MILANO Dario Ferrari Thierry Peponnet 17 14 31 16 NED40105 MEAN MACHINE Peter De Ridder Stuart Bannatyne 23 9 32 17 GRE42 ATALANTI George Andreadis Rod Davis 16 16 32 18 GER40101 MORNING GLORY Hasso Plattner Dee Smith 12 21 33 19 GER931 NELA Michael Illbruck John Kostecki 18 17 35 20 GBR5R VICTRIC 5 Tony De Mulder Adrian Stead 6 32 38 21 USA46957 GROOVEDERCI Deneen/John Demourkas Mark Reynolds 7 31 38 22 USA46999 CROCODILE ROCK Harris/Geremia Vince Brun 2 38 40 23 USA50051 SARASTRO JP Delmotte Marc Bouet 31 15 46 24 ITA103 BOTTADICULO Arrivabene/Mincione Sergey Chestov 27 22 49 25 AUS8888 KOKOMO Lang Walker Roger Hickman 26 24 50 26 ITA4088 ZZENZERO7 Renato Mazzeschi Matteo Ivaldi 24 27 51 27 AUS1770 SOUTHERN STAR John Calvert-Jones Grant Simmer 17 35 52 28 GBR46R ALEPH Lepic/Detroyat Luc Pillot 34 18 52 29 JPN5095 SLED Takashi Okura Yutaka Takagi 29 25 54 30 FRA9383 FARRFELU Alain Bompart Alain Fedensieu 25 29 54 31 ITA1 BREEZE Vincenzo Onorato Flavio Favini 28 26 54 32 ITA0091 SHINING SR. Domenico Cilenti Mitja Kosmina 32 23 55 33 USA40040 ALBABLU Renato Irrera Francesco Bruni 30 30 60 34 GBR8940 FARRFALINA Rob Goddard Nick Meadow 33 35 68 35 ITA4080 RROSE Riccardo Bonadeo Gabriele Benussi 36 33 69 36 AUS69R CACHARAZO Marcos Vivian Nick Haigh 35 36 71 37 ITA13711 TWT Marco Rodolfi Tiziano Nava 38 38 76

 

2003 Worlds -  Weather Report

29/06/2003  Porto Cervo ITA North Sails will be providing detailed daily weather forecasts for all sailors racing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championships in Porto Cervo, Italy from July 2-5. This complimentary service is part of North's continuing sponsorship of the Farr 40 Class and the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds. Printed forecasts will be available each morning at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda or you can sign up to receive the forecasts via  email by visiting http://www.farr40.org/racing/03worlds/general.htm North Sails has partnered with Chris Bedford of Sailing Weather Services, who will be writing the daily forecasts. Bedford, who was the meteorologist for the winning Volvo Ocean Race team illbruck Challenge, has been providing consulting and forecast services to sailors, adventurers and the marine industry for seventeen years. Best wishes for great sailing.

 

2003 Worlds - Worlds Schedule of Event

19/06/2003  Porto Cervo ITA ROLEX FARR 40 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003   SCHEDULE OF EVENTS    June 24-26      0800-1700     Boat weighing, inspections at Porto Rotondo  Tue-Thu                              Sail measurement at Porto Cervo (place to be confirmed)        June 26           0800-1700     Crew weighing at Porto Rotondo Yacht Club Thu   June 28           1800              Farr 40 Executive Committee AGM in Porto Rotondo   June 30           0800-1700      Boat inspections/sail measurement in Porto Cervo Mon                1700              Farr 40 Owners’ Annual General Meeting – YCCS Upper Terrace                       2000              Owners’ Dinner hosted by Vincenzo Onorato in Porto Cervo   July 1              0800-1330       Crew weighing at YCCS Sports Centre Porto Cervo Tue                                       Boat inspections/sail measurement at Porto Cervo and registration at YCCS Club House                       1800               Skippers Briefing at the YCCS – Upper Terrace                       1830               Tacticians Briefing at the YCCS – Upper Terrace                       1900               Opening Ceremony - YCCS   July 2              1130               Racing (2 Races) Wed                1730               After race drinks – Piazza Azzurra                       2000               Rolex Cocktail reception for Owners and a guest – YCCS Aqua Bar                       2100               Rolex Dinner for owners, crews and officials –YCCS Club House   July 3              1130               Racing – (3 Races) Thu                 1730               After race drinks – Piazza Azzurra                       2100               YCCS Dinner for Owners and VIPs – YCCS Club House                         July 4              1130               Racing (3 Races) Fri                   1730               After race drinks – Piazza Azzurra                         July 5               1130               Racing (2 Races) Sat                  1830               Rolex Awards Ceremony – Piazza Azzurra

 

2003 Worlds - Sail Measurement locations

19/06/2003  Porto Cervo ITA Here you have a comunication from the International Class about the worlds: Sail measurement on June 25 and 26 will be at the Cantieri Porto Cervo boatyard (in Porto Cervo) and at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda on June 30 and July 1, in the car park underneath the club, past the Piazza Azzura yacht club entrance, at the end of the building closest to the harbor entrance.

 

Worlds Entry List

05/06/2003  Milano ITA Here is the world championship entry list updated at june 5.th. An impressive participation of sailors from all over the world and the most well known tacticians. We expect a great show in Sardinia... stay with us !   Bow # Sail # Yacht Name Owner/driver Relief Driver Tactician 1 USA40040 ALBABLU Renato Irrera    Francesco Bruni 2 GBR46R ALEPH Hughes Lepic/Pierre Detroyat Pierre Detroyat  Luc Pillot 3 SUI ALINGHI Ernesto Bertarelli    Russel Coutts 4 GRE42 ATALANTI George Andreadis    Rod Davis  5 USA52104 BAMBAKOU John Coumantaros   Chris Larson 6 USA50955 BARKING MAD  Jim Richardson Mark Sims Terry Hutchinson 7 GBR98R BIT OF A COUP Tony Buckingham     8 ITA103 BOTTADICULO Giovanni Arrivabene Raffaele Mincione  Sergey Chestov  9 ITA1 BREEZE Vincenzo Onorato    Flavio Favini  10 USA46999 CROCODILE ROCK  Alex Geremia Scott Harris   11 UK FARRFALLINA Rob Goddard      12 FRA9383 FARRFELU Alain Bompart   Alain Fedensieu 13 GBR7040R GAME ON John Oswald  John Bainbridge Anthony Haines  14 GBR25R GBR25 Mark Heeley Duncan MacDonald Iain Percy 15 USA46957 GROOVEDERCI Deneen Demourkas  John Demourkas Mark Reynolds 16 FRA29039 HAGAKURE Michel Tiberini    Francois Brenac  17 GBR8888L KATANGA Robin Paterson Adam Gosling Ian Walker 18 AUS8888 KOKOMO Lang Walker Roger Hickman Roger Hickman 19 USA40076 LE RENARD Steve Phillips Alan Nakanishi Andy Norton 20 ITA4038 MADINA MILANO  Dario Ferrari Enrico Isenburg Thierry Peponnet  21 NED40105 MEAN MACHINE Peter De Ridder  Roderick Voerman  Stuart Bannatyne  22 GER40101 MORNING GLORY  Hasso Plattner Lorenz Jensen  Dee Smith 23 GER931 NELA Michael Illbruck Niels Sodemann John Kostecki 24 ITA1972 NERONE Antonio Sodo Migliori Massimo Mezzaroma  Vasco Vascotto 25 NOR9339 NORWEGIAN STEAM  Eivind Astrup Jacob Nordenstrom Herman Schansen  26 ITA4080 RROSE Riccardo Bonadeo    Gabriele Benussi  27 USA50051 SARASTRO JP Delmotte     28 ITA1161 SEVEN Alberto Signorini  Ugo Giordano Tommaso Chieffi  29 JPN5095 SLED Takashi Okura   Yutaka Takagi  30 AUS1770 SOUTHERN STAR  John Calvert Jones    Grant Simmer  31 GER5055 STRUNTJE LIGHT  Wolfgang Schaefer    Xavier Rohart  32 ITA13711 TWT Marco Rodolfi    Tiziano Nava  33 GBR5R VICTRIC 5  Tony De Mulder Paul Burton Adrian Stead  34 GBR9040R WARLORD  Philip Tolhurst  Jeremy Tolhurst  Chris Main  35 USA69 WARPATH Steve Howe  Fred Howe  John Cutler  36 ITA4088 ZZENZERO Renato Mazzeschi    Enrico Passoni 37  AUS CHACHARAZA Marcos Vivian