Perini wins Farr 40s

Sam Crichton reports from the Joico Regatta at the Prince Alfred Yacht Club

After a frustrating wait for over two hours under the 'AP' flag, the Farr 40s sailed the scheduled two races on their course off Barrenjoey Circle today.

As the breeze filled in from the south the race committee set the course with the breeze slowly building to seven knots for the start of race three. In the last minute of the start sequence for race three, the race committee raised the AP flag when the breeze swung by 20 degrees to the sou' east.

When the course was relayed the fleet got away with the majority of the boats jockeying for position at the pin end of the start line. Marcus Blackmore steering Emotional Hooligan started closest to the boat and tacked out to the right side of the course.

Rounding the top mark for the first time, all within seconds of each other, John Calvert-Jones led the fleet round with Richard Perini in second and Blackmore in third. Dick Voorderhake's Rapscallion rounded the first top mark in sixth position and on the first downwind leg pulled back two boats and another one and the second upwind leg. Voorderhake maintained his third position over the finish line behind Perini in first and Blackmore in second.

Race four had an increase in the breeze to 17 knots with downwind surfing conditions providing some close racing. Again the fleet favoured the pin end of the start line with Blackmore and Calvert-Jones taking the left hand side of the course on their first tack of the upwind leg.

At the first top mark rounding there were a few close calls between a few of the boats. Rob Skinner took a 360° penalty turn at this mark, which allowed the boats behind him make gains on the downwind leg. Blackmore rounded the first mark in the lead and stayed there for the entire race extending this lead over each leg.

Surfing waves to the finish Calvert -Jones managed to get his bow in front of Steve Ellis on Buon Giorno and Lang Walker on Kokomo positioned his boat to do the same to Steve O'Rourke on Panther. The finish line was busy with the nine boats crossing within 90 seconds from first to ninth. Many crews used this regatta for training aiming for the upcoming National Championships.

The final regatta for the Australian Farr 40 2003/04 season will be the Rosemount National Championships, being hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Pittwater on March 12-14. The winner of the Australian Point score circuit will also be decided at the National Championships next weekend.

Final Results:
1 Corinthian Doors (R.Perini - RSYS) 1,4,1,2 8
2 Southern Star II (J.Calvert - Jones - RPAYC) 3,2,4,3 12
3 Buon Giorno (S.Ellis - RPAYC) 5,1,7,4 17
4 Emotional Hooligan (M.Blackmore - RPAYC) 7,9,2,1 19
5 Kokomo (L.Walker - CYCA) 4,6,6,5 21
6 One Step Ahead (D.McDonald - CYCA) 2,5,8,7 22
7 Panther (S.O'Rourke - CYCA) 8,7,5,6 26
8 Weapon (R.Skinner - CYCA) 6,3,9,9 27
9 Rapscallion (D. Voorderhake - CYCA) 9,8,3,8 28