Aussie Farr 40s kick off season

News of the forthcoming Corinthian Doors Peppers Anchorage regatta

After a busy winter season for many of the Australian Farr 40 teams, the 2006-2007 Australian Farr 40 season will kick off next weekend with the Corinthian Doors Peppers Anchorage Farr 40 Regatta October 13-15 at Port Stephens on the mid- north coast of New South Wales.

This annual event is now in its seventh year and 10 boats plan to be on the start line for the season opener. Matt Allen and his crew on Ichi Ban will return to racing with the Australian fleet after a very successful USA season culminating in a second place in the 38 boat fleet racing at the recent Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Newport Rhode Island in September.

Winner of last year’s Corinthian Doors Peppers Anchorage Farr 40 Regatta, Lang Walker and his team on Kokomo, who has also returned from racing at the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, will join class regulars and newcomers for this event.

Brothers Matthew and Andrew Short will be on the start line albeit in different boats. This will be a first for the Farr 40 class to have two brothers steering different boats in the one fleet. Matt will again race with his daughters and wife making it a true family affair while this will be Andrew’s first Farr 40 class event. Andrew has previously raced his Volvo 60 in the major Australian offshore and northern Queensland events.

Joining the class will be Ivan Resnekov’s Impi, which means ‘a squadron of warriors’ in Zulu. Resnekov previously sailed another Farr designed boat the Farr 11.6 Farr Horizons, as skipper, navigator and helmsman, on a number of offshore races up the east coast of Australia.

Ray Robert’s successful team on Quantum Racing will be back again as will Ivan Wheen’s Sputnik, Michael Milne’s Blacksnake, Don Telford’s Rushcutter and Leon Christianakis’s Cydon.

Over the past few months a number of Farr 40 teams raced in the Cruising Yacht Club’s annual BMW Winter series and at the Hamilton Island race week over the winter. Teams can look forward to a season that will see the class race in seven regattas over the 2006-2007 season.

Along with Corinthian Doors and Peppers Anchorage Port Stephens, Club Marine insurance are again sponsoring this Farr 40 regatta.

This regatta will be followed by the Rhodes Waterside F40 Regatta on October 27-29 being hosted by Royal Price Alfred Yacht Club, Pittwater.

Entries for the 2006 Corinthian Doors Peppers Anchorage Farr 40 Regatta:

Andrew Short Marine – Andrew Short
Blacksnake – Michael Milne
Cydon – Leon Christianakis
Ichi Ban – Matt Allen
Impi – Ivan Resnekov
Kokomo – Lang Walker
Quantum Racing – Ray Roberts
Rushcutter – Don Telford
Short Shipped – Matthew Short
Sputnik – Ivan Wheen