Winning Weapon

Sam Crichton reports from the Corinthian Doors Farr 40 Port Stephens Regatta in Australia

Rob Skinner on Weapon has won the Corinthian Doors Farr 40 Port Stephens Regatta
Racing. The last day of the regatta saw two new race winners in Steve Ellis on Buon Giorno, and Steve O'Rourke on Panther taking the guns in races eight and nine of the series.

A building northeast breeze of 10 knots saw the fleet racing on the inshore course at Port Stephens. Buon Giorno charged over the start in race eight and was placed well to lead the fleet around the three-lap course. During the race, Dennis McDonald on One Step Ahead had a bad spinnaker hoist, which saw the crew have to send the bowman Mitch White, up the rig to untangle the sail from the spreaders and rehoist it.

Panther had a headsail come out of the forestay and wrap around the spreaders, which required them to drop the sail and rehoist, which allowed the fleet to get away from them.

A building breeze in race nine saw the left side of the first work paying for Marcus Blackmore on Emotional Hooligan, Panther and One Step Ahead having these three boats rounding the mark in the top three spots. A number of boats had to do penalty turns in this race, after hitting marks at the rounding's, which cost spots in the fleet. Panther, maintained a consistent second place during the race, to then move into first at the last mark rounding and managed to hold out Richard Perini on Corinthian Doors over the finish line.

After leading the series since day one, Kokomo, being steered by Matt Allen at his first Farr 40 regatta as helmsman, finished fifth and ninth in today's races to put them in third overall on a count back.

The next regatta in the Farr 40 class Australian calendar is the Inner Circle Rum regatta, at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Pittwater on November 1-2, followed by the Rhodes Waterside Regatta at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Sydney on November 14-16.

Final results:

1. Weapon (R.Skinner - CYCA) 2,7,3,5,3,2,3,4,3 32
2. Emotional Hooligan (M.Blackmore - RPAYC) 4,5,1,10,2,1,1,3,7 34
3. Kokomo (M.Allen - CYCA) 1,2,4,2,1,6,4,5,9 34
4. Corinthian Doors (R.Perini - RSYS) 3,8,6,1,5,5,2,2,2 34
5. Buon Giorno (S.Ellis - RPAYC) 6,3,5,3,4,4,7,1,4 37
6. One Step Ahead (D.McDonald - CYCA) 5,1,7,6,6,8,9,7,5 54
7. Rapscallion (D.Voorderhake - CYCA) 9,8,2,4,7,7,5,6,6 54
8. Panther (S.O'Rourke - CYCA) 7,9,8,8,9,3,8,9,1 62
9. Leroy Brown (W.Wieckmann - RPAYC) 8,6,9,7,8,9,6,8,8 69