Barking louder

Jim Richardson wins the Farr 40 racing at Rolex Baltic Week

American Jim Richardson became the first winner at the Rolex Baltic Week 2007, when the owner/helmsman and his Barking Mad team came out on top in the Farr 40 fleet off Neustadt. In the process Richardson also won the class' European Circuit, a five race grand prix series for this prestigious international class. Richardson beat the Australians Sue and Lang Walker and their Kokomo in both competitions relegating her to second. Wolfgang Stolz and his Opus One team from Frankfurt, Germany finished fourth overall, the best German team. On the European Circuit, Stolz overtook Wolfgang Schaefer's sixth-placed Struntje light and finished third overall.



"It was a great regatta with nine thrilling races. We had to give everything," said Richardson (above right) after the last finish in which his chief rival Kokomo scored a bullet. But the American boat placed second for the fourth time and thus showed the most constant performance in the 13 boat fleet. With 33 points, Barking Mad finished 13 points ahead of Kokomo, allowing Richardson to move ahead in the European Circuit with 155 points over the Walker's 162.

In light to moderate winds with lots of shifts race officer Eckart Reinke had no easy job in setting fair courses. "The very changeable conditions made it difficult, but he managed excellently," commented Schaefer. Praise also came from the overall winner and President of the International Farr 40 class: "We felt comfortable not only on the water, but also ashore," said Jim Richardson. "The hospitality and the race village of the Rolex Baltic Week were brilliant."

The final day once again was a demonstration of how close the races of this one-design class usually are, particularly at this tense period just prior to the World Championship in Copenhagen. No discards are allowed in Farr 40 regattas. In todya's three races three different boats win - Siragusawa, owned by Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi from Finland, who finished overall third, Matt Allen's Ichi Ban and the Walkers' Kokomo. "In the last but one race we had some problems and suddenly dropped to back of the fleet," reported Terry Hutchinson, tactician on Barking Mad. "But as Kokomo was with us, too, we never got really upset."

A Rolex Submariner timepiece in steel was presented to overall winner Jim Richardson by Peter Streit, CEO of Rolex Germany. The European Circuit trophy was presented by Wolfgang Schaefer as President of the European Farr 40 fleet.

"I am happy we could welcome all the Farr 40 fans from overseas who have joined the first racing of our class in Germany," said Schaefer, "and I am sure they all will remember these waters." Jim Richardson and his tactician Terry Hutchinson agreed: "We definitely had to fight for our victory which is not obvious when you see the final result. The Rolex Baltic Week was the best test we can imagine for the Rolex Farr 40 World's starting in ten days."

Final results of the Farr 40 regatta after nine races:

1st Barking Mad (Jim Richardson, USA) 33 points
2nd Kokomo (Lang Walker, Australia) 46
3rd Sirwagusawa (Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi, Finland) 48
4th Opus One (Wolfgang Stolz, Germany) 54
5th Ichi Ban (Matt Allen, Australia) 58
6th Struntje light (Wolfgang Schaefer, Germany) 60
7th Fiamma (Alessandro Barnaba, Italy) 60,8
8th Groovederci (John Demourkas, USA) 63
9th Backbone (Thomas Kjær, Denmark) 68
10th Sputnik (Ivan Wheen, Australia) 75
11th Monkey Class (Ole van der Heide, United Kingdom) 79,5
12th Flash Gordon 5 (Helmut Jahn, USA) 81,5
13th Baloo 110 (Jens Erik Høst, Denmark) 91

Final results of the Farr 40 European Circuit after five race series:

1st Barking Mad (Jim Richardson, USA) 155 points
2nd Kokomo (Lang Walker, Australia) 162
3rd Opus One (Wolfgang Stolz, Germany) 225
4th Sirwagusawa (Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi, Finland) 237
5th Struntje light (Wolfgang Schaefer, Germany) 240

More pictures on the following pages...