Forecast looking good

Top sailors such as Coutts and Butterworth give their pre-race view on Acura Key West race week

Event director Peter Craig could not have ordered up more ideal conditions for the 20th anniversary of the largest winter regatta in North America. Forecasts call for warm weather, sunny skies and strong winds for Acura Key West 2007, presented by Nautica.

People in the northeast region of the United States are pulling out parkas. Those in the midwest are dodging nasty ice storms. Meanwhile, as many three thousand sailors will be enjoying 75-80 degree temperatures and 10-20 knot winds on the turquoise-colored waters off the southernmost point of the U.S.

"If you are a serious sailor, you never want to miss Key West," said Adrian Stead, sailing with Farr 40 World Champion Vincenzo Onorato. "Back in Southampton, it’s cold and nasty right now. Here, the conditions are always awesome and the competition is always fantastic."

Sailors throughout the world know that Key West delivers in January, which is why they have come back religiously year after year. Organizers can just about guarantee eight or nine races over five days so competitors certainly get their money’s worth.

"We have only lost two days of racing during the 20 years we’ve been holding this regatta. That’s an incredible ratio," said Craig, president of Premiere Racing.

In addition to the promise of warmth and wind, this regatta has earned a reputation for being well run. Craig and his team have consistently provided top-notch organization on and off the water, another factor the racers find attractive.

"I think the venue is terrific and the organization is tremendous. This is one of the most proficiently organized regattas in the entire world," said Alinghi's Brad Butterworth, who has been racing at Key West on and off since 1995, on this occasion on the Alinghi Farr 40.

Acura Key West 2007 begins on Monday and runs until Friday and has drawn another top-notch fleet of 260 boats in 17 classes. America’s Cup competitors, world champions and even a crowned prince have come to the Conch Republic to help Premiere Racing celebrate two decades of success.

Big names abound and none is more notable than Russell Coutts, the three-time America’s Cup winning skipper. The New Zealand native is serving as tactician aboard Artemis, a Swan 601 owned by Torbjorn Tornqvist of Stockholm, Sweden.

Coutts called tactics on Mascalzone Latino at Acura Key West 2006, helping the Italian team to victory in Farr 40 class. This year, Coutts will try to work his magic in IRC 1, which features the largest entries in the regatta.

Tornqvist, an oil broker, has been sailing his Swan 601 solely in Europe. He is making his Key West debut with a star-studded team that also includes America’s Cup veteran Lexi Gahagan as navigator, well-known sailmaker Larry Leonard as mainsail trimmer and Quantum sail designer Per Andersson as jib trimmer.

There are a total of four Swan 601 entries sailing in IRC 1 class and they will battle one another for sub-class honors. BonBon, a Reichel-Pugh 81-footer, is the largest entry in the 20-year history of Key West, and is also in IRC 1, along with a Farr 60, a Carroll Marine 60 and a Judel-Vrolik 66. "It’s a very good fleet and a lot will depend on the conditions. We are familiar with the other 601s and know we will have our hands full," Coutts said.

Moneypenny, owned by Jim Swartz of Park City, Utah, narrowly edged Artemis for class honors at the Swan Rolex Cup last summer. Cuordileone (Leonardo Ferragamo, Italy) and Spirit of Jethou (Sir Peter Ogden, UK) were also competitive in Sardinia and Swartz expects quite a battle between the sister ships. "All four boats are very well sailed and very capable of winning this series,” said Swartz, who has Dee Smith on board as tactician.

As usual, the competition figures to be extremely tough in the Farr 40 class, which features 17 professional-laden teams.

Alinghi Racing, the current America’s Cup holder, has brought its Farr 40 program here for just the second time. Ernesto Bertarelli, a Switzerland native who made his fortune in the biotech industry, is the founder and head of the Alinghi syndicate. Bertarelli is an outstanding sailor in his own right and will be aboard Alinghi as strategist when the team defends the Cup later this year off Valencia, Spain.

Bertarelli will serve as skipper/helmsman aboard his Farr 40 and will have four members of his America’s Cup team aboard, including tactician Brad Butterworth. Both Bertarelli and Butterworth feel Key West is a great training ground.

"It’s good to get out on a smaller platform in a big fleet once in a while and work on boat-handling and tactics," Butterworth said. "Obviously, it’s a bit different than match racing, but it is still very helpful."

Bertarelli plans to also compete in Farr 40 class at Acura Miami Race Week. After the Cup is completed, he will compete in the Farr 40 World Championship, being held Aug. 29-Sept. 1 off Copenhagen, Denmark.

"The guys always enjoy a bit of a break from the Cup grind. This is somewhat of a working vacation," said Bertarelli.

This is Bertarelli’s second appearance at Key West and he did not hesitate when asked what he likes about the event: "The number of boats, the weather and the atmosphere of the town,” said Bertarelli.

Key West has once again attracted a highly-competitive Farr 40 fleet with seven of the top 10 finishers from the 2006 World Championship in attendance. Mascalzone Latino, owned by Vincenzo Onorato of Napoli, Italy, is both the reigning world champ and the defending Key West champ. However, he won both events with three-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts aboard. Couttts is racing in the Swan 601s this year at Key West, but Onorato has found a capable replacement in Stead, who has numerous America’s Cup campaigns under his belt.

"While the number of boats is down a bit, the fleet is as strong as ever. It’s going to require a very strong week of sailing to come out on top," said Stead.

The Farr 40 class will test a major change at Acura Key West 2007. All boats are now allowed to carry masthead spinnakers after previously only using fractional kites.

"I think it’s a good change for the class. The boats definitely perform better downwind, they are more lively," Stead said. "However, there is a big learning curve for the crew in terms of handling."

Jim Richardson, owner of Barking Mad and the Farr 40 International Class President, said the change was made to modernize the boats and make them go faster. He admitted that Key West, which is renowned for its strong winds, will be a tough venue to debut the masthead spinnakers. "It could get very interesting. I’m sure there will be a few wipeouts,”" said Richardson, a Newport, R.I. resident who placed third at the 2006 Worlds.

Another notable entry in the Farr 40 class is Nanoq, skippered by His Royal Highness Prince Frederik. The crown prince of Denmark is making his Key West debut and has Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking aboard as tactician.

Melges 24 is once again the largest class at Acura Key West with 48 boats. Defending champion Dave Ullman, a sailmaker from San Diego, headlines a typically star-studded fleet that also includes 2004 winner Philippe Ligot (La Rochelle, France) and 2003 winner Franco Rossini (Lugano, Switzerland).

J/105 is the second-largest class with 33 entries and is headlined by a two-time champion in Masquerade, skippered by Thomas Coates of San Francisco. Ullman and Coates are among nine winners from Acura Key West 2006 who have returned to defend their titles.

A new class has emerged in force this year with the Melges 32 fielding 20 boats in just its second year in existence. Two new designs - the Beneteau 10R and J/92 - also make their debut with enough entries to earn one-design sub-class status.

The Acura Grand Prix Awards – presented to the combined class winners of Acura Key West and the Acura Miami Grand Prix (March 8–11, 2007) are destined to become some of the most sought after trophies on the international racing circuit. Perpetual awards are in the offing to the Farr 40, Mumm 30, Melges 32 and IRC big boat classes.
Title Sponsor Acura is the Official Vehicle. Presenting Sponsor Nautica Watches is the Official Timekeeper. Day Sponsor Mount Gay® Rum is the Official Rum. Supporting sponsors are B&G (Official Marine Electronics), Everglades Boats (Official Mark Boat), Lewmar (Official Marine Hardware), New England Ropes (Official Rope), SLAM (Official Technical Gear), and Sperry Top-Sider (Official Footwear). Supplier Spaten is the Official Beer.

Acura Key West is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council. The Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight is the Official Site.