Miami Race Week fires up

A very strong fleet of 140 boats will make up this year's 'SORC renaissance'

Racing sailors from 22 states and 10 foreign countries are converging on the waters off Miami Beach for the 2006 edition of Acura Miami Race Week. The ‘SORC Renaissance’ will feature over 140 boats racing on four separate courses.

Racing sailors are looking forward to ideal conditions - the long term forecast calls for 75-80degC temperatures and winds ranging from 12-20 knots every day. Ten races are scheduled over the next six days.

Star-studded, international Farr 40, TP52 and IRC fleets are the big boats on the ocean divisions that begin racing on Thursday while the Melges 24, Etchells and J/24 classes begin racing on Biscayne Bay on Friday.

Key West 2006 champions Mascalzone Latino (Farr 40), Stay Calm (TP52) and Aera (IRC 1) lead the line-up in their respective classes.

Vincenzo Onorato and Russell Coutts proved in Key West that they are a formidable Farr 40 team, but 18 other Farr 40s with the likes of Kostecki, Appleton, Chieffi and Harrap in the afterguard, will certainly challenge a repeat win. The World Champion combination of Terry Hutchinson and Jim Richardson makes Barking Mad one of the pre-regatta favorites.

The 2006 Rolex TP52 Global Championship kicks off race week on March 7. This inaugural event brings together high performance thoroughbreds from Europe, Hong Kong and across the US. Monday’s practice race took place in ideal conditions. PRO Tom Duggan was all smiles as he came off the water, remarking that the fleet was ready to go on Tuesday with racing that includes a distance and coastal contest.

IRC 1 features a Key West rematch with Jim Swartz’ Swan 601 Moneypenny against Nick Lykiardopulo’s Ker 55 Aera, Jim Madden’s swing-keel R/P 66 Stark Raving Mad debuts this week with Dave Ullman and Robbie Haines aboard. Jim Bishop’s venerable J/44 Gold Digger, Larry Bullman’s newly acquired Farr 40, and four Swan 45s round out the big boat class.

All four Swan 45s competed in the Gold Cup World Championship at Acura Key West in January. William Douglass’ Goombay Smash finished just two points shy of a Gold Cup win.

Melges 32 and Mumm 30s complete Division 2. Mike Carroll’s New Wave won the Melges 32 one design class debut in Key West and he’ll be defending against a field of proven veterans like Brian and John Porter’s Full Throttle (Lake Geneva, WI) and Joe Woods’ Red (Torquay, UK).

Peter de Ridder’s Monaco-based Mean Machine Mumm 30 crew and Deneen Demourkas’ Groovederchi from Santa Barbara, Cal. team will see a lot of each other this week as they look forward to their November World Championship in Miami.

Three PHRF classes and a J/105 class comprise the third ocean division. PHRF 2’s big boats to watch are Rick Wesslund’s J/120 El Ocaso and Greg Manning’s Beneteau 40.7 Sarah. They finished first and second in class at Key West, with Wesslund also taking home PHRF Boat of the week honors.

Biscayne Bay racing begins on Friday. The Melges 24, Etchells and J/24 Floridians will need to apply whatever home field advantage they can muster. Melges 24s have traveled from France, Italy, Germany, the UK and nine different states to prove their skills in the bay waters. Eight races are scheduled over the three days. Headquarters is again based at the Shake-A-Leg facility in Coconut Grove.

The Etchells fleet boasts 28 entries - many of them looking for rematches and second chances following their recently completed Jaguar series. Local favorites Scott Piper and Buddy Cribb will be looking to repeat their Acura Miami Race Week success from 2005. They were 2nd and 3rd at last years inaugural.

Key West set the stage for the Acura Grand Prix trophies to be awarded at the conclusion of Acura Miami Race Week. These prestigious awards debuted in 2005 and recognize the top boats with the best combined score from both Key West and Miami Race Weeks. TP52s, Swan 45s, Farr 40s, J/105s, Mumm 30s and Melges 24s are eligible.

Title Sponsor Acura is the Official Vehicle. Supporting Sponsor Mount Gay® Rum is the Official Rum. Rolex is the Official Sponsor and Official Timekeeper for the 2006 TP52 Global Championship. Suppliers include Spaten, the Official Beer and Sperry Top-Sider, the Official Footwear.