New owners

An update on the Aussie Farr 40 fleet from Sam Chrichton

After an extremely successful season completed by the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship the Australian fleet has grown to 22 with two new boats joining the ranks. Black Snake, formerly Norwegian Steam has been purchased by Michael Milne and has joined the Sydney fleet. Wired, purchased by Stephen Boyes, was previously part of the USA West Coast fleet and now joins Hughie Lewis’s Euro Central racing on the Derwent River in Hobart.

Along with Black Snake new owners Don Telford and Andrew Short have been racing in the CYCA BMW Winter series. Andrew Short joins brother Matthew Short in the Farr 40 class and is looking forward to some close one design class racing. Telford, who bought Shockwave will be steering the boat that took second place by the slimmest of margins from Richard Perini’s Evolution in the Rolex Farr 40 2005 World Championship and won the Rolex Farr 40 2005 Pre Worlds.

2002 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner Bob Steel has joined the Farr 40 fleet recently purchasing David Gotze’s Brighton Star. Steel has been racing his Farr 40 Star in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s BMW Winter series on Sydney Harbour against a number of other Farr 40’s including Matthew Short’s Short Shipped, Ivan Wheen’s Sputnik, Andy Offord's Marsim Weapon, Shockwave, Andrew Short Marine and Black Snake.

Current Farr 40 World Champion Richard Perini is heading to France to defend his other one design world champion title in the Mumm 30 class with racing occurring June 1-4 being hosted by Society Nautique de la Trinite-sur-Mer, France. Joining Perini as tactician on the Mumm 30 will be Sydney Olympic gold medallist Tom King. Jim Richardson owner of the successful Farr 40 Barking Mad will be racing in the Mumm 30 world championship after recently winning the 18 boat Mumm 30 fleet in the Lands' End Annapolis NOOD Regatta, USA. This regatta was Richardson’s first in the Mumm 30.

The Australian Farr 40 2005-06 racing schedule will commence on October 14-16 with the annual Peppers Anchorage Port Stephens Farr 40 regatta. The 2005-06 Australian Farr 40 racing schedule is posted on the Farr 40 website. For more information go to the Farr 40 website at http://www.farr40.org