Transfusion defend their title

Farr 40 Australian Championship concludes

After nine races over three days of racing in Sydney, Guido Belgiorno Nettis and the team on Transfusion have defended their 2009 title and won the 2010 Farr 40 Australian Championship.

“It’s been a privilege to sail against Estate Master and they have made us lift our game and we had to galvanise as a team," said an ecstatic Belgiorno-Nettis as he accepted the trophy. " You can never give up in this game, this fleet is very competitive and the competition is there this is why we are in this one design fleet.” He continued: “I have to thank Tom (Slingsby) for putting us in the right spots and Bob (Wilmot) for getting the team together. It’s great to have Brett and the White Cloud guys come over and sail again with the Australian fleet”.

Day three of racing was held on the Macquarie Circle, off Sydney's Macquarie lighthouse, in a lighter breeze than the fleet experienced yesterday with a direction of ESE and reaching a top of 10 knots. The lumpy sea state settled a little but still tested the mettle of everyone aboard.

The defending Champion Belgiorno Nettis and the Transfusion team applied the pressure to overall leaders, Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master in race eight of the series by winning the race and in turn making the final race of the nine race event the decider.

Jeff Carter’s Edake sailed their best day of the series to finish second in race eight and nine. Chris Way’s Easy Tiger II and Brett Neill’s White Cloud finished race eight in fourth and fifth respectively which put them in equal third going into the final race.

The ninth and final race of the series and Transfusion repeated their result from race eight to win both race eight and nine of the series and wrap the regatta up with a two point separation over Estate Master in second.

“I’d like to thank Guido and his team, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for hosting the event and their race committee. The competition was a really high quality over the last three days and we are looking forward to the 2011 Worlds. An important part of this class is the Corinthian division and we would encourage owners to being involved”, commented Hill, the Australian Farr 40 President.

New Zealander Neill’s White Cloud repeated their 2009 performance and finished in third overall in the 2010 Farr 40 Australian Championship.

Also decided at this event is the winner of the 2009-2010 Farr 40 Australian Circuit which Lisa and Martin Hill have won on seven points. The best five results of the six event circuit count and this is the first time Lisa and Martin Hill have won the Farr 40 Australian Circuit.

The Farr 40 class would like to thank Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for hosting the event and the race committee.

Estate Master and Transfusion are heading to Dominican Republic next moth to take part in the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship and the event will then move to the waters of Sydney for 2011 when the Australian fleet play host to the international fleet.

2010 Farr 40 Australian Championship Final Results:
1 Transfusion Guido Belgiorno-Nettis RSYS 17
2 Estate Master Lisa & Martin Hill MHYC 19
3 White Cloud Brett Neill RNZYC 31
4 Easy Tiger II Chris Way RPAYC 32
5 Edake Jeff Carter MHYC 36