Italian domination

Mascalzone Latino and Joe Fly head ranking after day two of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Miami

In a stark contrast to yesterday's 18 knot winds and lumpy seas, today's light air conditions gave the international fleet competing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship a new challenge. With a total of six races completed so far in the 10-race series, Italian teams hold the top two spots - Mascalzone Latino in first, with a three point lead, over Joe Fly in second.

Stepping into the tactician's role on Mascalzone Latino was John Kostecki, who assisted owner and helmsmen Vincenzo Onorato in putting together finishes of 14-3-5. The 2003 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and winner of the 2001/02 Volvo Ocean Race as skipper onboard illbruck, Kostecki is one of the world's top sailors. An Olympic silver medalist (1988) and 10-time world champion in a range of one-design classes, he has also been involved in four America's Cup campaigns as tactician.

Two time world champion Barking Mad (USA) climbed up from seventh place into third overall. "The conditions are difficult to sail in," said owner Jim Richardson. "It was a decent day for us. We were over early in the first race and managed to get a few good breaks and ended up second, so that was a great start of the day." In addition to Barking Mad, Groovederci 127 (USA), Twins (FRA), and Plenty (USA) were called OCS and required to re-start.

Opus One (GER) led the fleet from start to finish and finished over three minutes ahead of second-placed Barking Mad. "We didn't have a good day yesterday, so we came out knowing we had to do a good job to do for Wolfgang (Stolz, owner)," said Opus One's tactician Kelvin Harrap. "We didn't have a good start, but we managed to get out to the left hand side of the course and it was the way to go up that beat. I think Barking Mad came out with us after being over early. We had a bit of luck and got our nose out there. We had enough of a lead to sail our own race the entire time and managed to extend after that and lead all way. If you can get a little break out at the top mark your options are wide open. It's not always that easy."

The second race of the day was a little less textbook for Opus One than the first, however the team now stands in seventh place overall. "Tomorrow we have to go as well as we can," said Harrap. "We have not been starting well, and we need to get off the line to give us a chance. The boat is going well, we have good crew and Wolfgang is doing a great job, so it's up to me."

The second race - the fifth in the series - was won by Nerone (ITA) co-owned by past world champions Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio sodo Migliori. Mascalzone Latino led on the first lap but Henrik Jensen's Silver Bullet (DEN) slipped by and took the lead, followed by Nerone, Ramrod (USA) and Morning Glory (GER). Silver Bullet held onto the lead but was challenged on the last downwind leg by Nerone, which crossed the finish line inches ahead of the Danish boat.

In the final race of the day, Peter de Ridder's Mean Machine (MON) won followed by Joe Fly (ITA) and Asterisk (DEN). "We did a good job in minimising the damage," said de Ridder of the race. "At one stage in the race we were pretty deep, but we had a good (downwind) run and got into the first half of the results with a 14th."

Tactician Ray Davies explained the race strategy: "The key for us today was to try and get clear air off the line and sail in decent water. We did that quite well in a couple of races and still managed to make a couple of mistakes and end up back in the pack. The team we have with us is fantastic. We fought and had some good recoveries."

De Ridder gave credit to his team, especially Davies with whom he has sailed since Mean Machine won the 1990 Admiral's Cup. "He'll stay forever," he said. "He's a team leader, a good guy and a good tactician as well."

Tomorrow's forecast for less wind doesn't seem to bother the seasoned helmsmen such as de Ridder. "If we have good starts and the breeze settles, I think we have pretty good boat speed," he said. "We're one of the quickest boats around and if we can utilize our tools we'll be fine, but better is always looming around the corner."

Second overall is Giovanni Maspero's Joe Fly, which counts among its talented crew tactician Francesco Bruni. "We are very pleased, very happy, it's been a great day," said Bruni. "We started with a 15th. We didn't have a good start, but we had fantastic speed upwind. The guys are doing a great job keeping the boat fast."

For Bruni, who is one of Italy's most talented sailors, having competed in the Olympic class Star and the America's Cup, the tactician's role has a bit of pressure on it. "A little bit," clarified Bruni. "At the beginning we want results in the top 10. Today, with results in the top five, that is a dream. We never thought it was possible. Results in the top three? Oh my god. For sure it's not going to be easy. We have Barking Mad behind and other people who are usually at the top on the score list." Joe Fly came second in the final race to hold its second place overall.

America's Cup defender Ernesto Bertarelli and his Alinghi slipped from third and finished the day in fifth overall.

Racing continues tomorrow, Friday, April 18 at the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship (April 16-19) on the Atlantic Ocean south of Government Cut.

Results

Pos	Sail no	Boat	Owner	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Tot
1	ITA 1	MASCALZONE LATINO	Vincenzo Onorato	3	12	1	14	3	5	38
2	ITA 1805	JOE FLY	Giovanni Maspero	9	1	8	15	6	2	41
3	USA 50955	BARKING MAD	Jim Richardson	23	5	3	2	16	6	55
4	MON 40	MEAN MACHINE	Peter de Ridder	24	3	9	9	14	1	60
5	SUI 81818	ALINGHI	Ernesto Bertarelli	8	14	6	6	7	20	61
6	GRE 40	ATALANTI	Stratis Andreadis	5	2	25	7	24	11	74
7	GER 5565	OPUS ONE	Wolfgang Stolz	15	16	21	1	5	23	81
8	USA 46999	RAMROD	Rod Jabin	22	8	17	3	10	21	81
9	AUS 8883	KOKOMO	Lang Walker	20	7	20	12	15	7	81
10	USA 69	WARPATH	Fred & Steve Howe	12	13	14	24	11	8	82
11	DEN 7	NANOQ	HRH Crown Prince Frederik	13	15	16	20	17	9	90
12	USA 46957	GROOVEDERCI 57	Deneen Demourkas	11	6	5	16	29	24	91
13	ITA 1972	NERONE	Massimo Mezzaroma	19	19	2	29	1	25	95
14	JPN 5095	SLED	Takashi Okura	2	10	18	11	25	31	97
15	ITA 252	FIAMMA	Alessandro Bamaba	4	17	28	5	31	12	97
16	ITA 40102	CALVI NETWORK	Carlo Alberini	6	9	12	33	26	14	100
17	USA 7289	GROOVEDERCI 127	John Demourkas	28	4	19	17	8	26	102
18	GBR 1640R	ASTERISK	Ole van der Heide	10	31	11	30	22	3	107
19	FRA 007	TWINS	Erik Maris	27	26	7	25	19	4	108
20	USA 60059	PLENTY	Alexander Roepers	21	11	4	27	28	17	108
21	USA 50092	HEARTBREAKER	Robert Hughes	1	21	22	13	27	27	111
22	DEN 112	SILVER BULLET	Henrik Jansen	17	29	32	22	2	10	112
23	GER 40126	MORNING GLORY	Hasso Plattner	29	20	13	18	4	29	113
24	AUS 615	ESTATE MASTER	Lisa & Martin Hill	31	18	30	4	18	13	114
25	USA 2	GOOMBAY SMASH	William Douglass	25	25	15	8	20	22	115
26	USA 4040	INFINITY	John Thomson	7	24	23	31	13	19	117
27	USA 50001	FLASH GORDON	Helmut Jahn	14	23	31	10	30	16	124
28	AUS 5077	HOOLIGAN	Marcus Blackmore	18	22	10	28	23	33	134
29	ITA 1161	CANNONBALL	Dario Ferrari	32	32	26	19	9	18	136
30	BRA 2283	DSK COMIFIN	Danilo Salsi	16	34 dsq	29	23	12	32	146
31	GER 5055	STRUNTJE LIGHT	Wolfgang Schaefer	26	27	24	32	33	15	157
32	DEN 2900	BACKBONE	Thomas Kiaer	30	28	27	26	21	28	160
33	USA 51990	NIMBUS BLUE	Hunt Lawrence/USMMA	33	30	34 dnc	21	32	30	180