Rolex Farr 40 World Championship

With European boats making up over half of the fleet - 18 out of 33 boats - currently registered for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship due to be held in Miami Florida from 16^th April and close to forty members now registered, the Farr 40 European Fleet is gearing up for an exciting 2008 season. A series of regattas are scheduled to be held throughout the Mediterranean and Northern Europe using a new formula introduced this year which will allow owners to choose between two separate circuits: Circuit Med, with four events to be held in Italy and France; and Circuit North, with four events to be held in Denmark, Germany and Norway. The European Championship will be held as part of the Rolex Baltic Week 2008 in Travemeunde, Germany from 26^th to 31^st August.

The fleet includes two-time Farr 40 World Champion Vincenzo Onorato with his Mascalzone Latino (ITA) and current European Champion Massimo Mezzaroma with his Nerone (ITA). With thirteen nations competing in the European fleet this year however, (Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ukraine) the recent Italian domination of the class could be under threat.

The first event of the calendar, the Rolex Capri Sailing Week from 21^st to 24^th May, is part of the European Circuit Med and will be followed by the Audi Farr 40 Cup in Porto Cervo from 12^th to 14^th June. The action then moves to France for the French Farr 40 Challenge in Le Lavandou from 3^rd to 6^th July before returning to Italy for the fourth and final series of the circuit in the Settimana Velica dell’Argentario in Cala Galera from 19^th to 21^st September.

Meanwhile, the European Circuit North sets off from Larvik in Norway with the Larvik Race Weekend from 24^th to 25^th May. The second leg of the circuit will be held during Kiel Week in Kiel, Germany from 26^th to 29^th June and the third will be the Farr 40 Cup in Copenhagen, Denmark from 24^th to 27^th July. The fourth and final series of the circuit North will take place together with the European Championships in Travemeunde.

The decision to create two separate circuits was taken following consultation with European Farr 40 owners at a meeting held at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda during last year’s European Championship and is intended to allow maximum flexibility for the entire fleet. Each competing craft must enrol in their chosen circuit at the beginning of the season and may compete in up to two events of the other circuit. Final scoring will be based on 4 regattas so that should a competitor participate in six regattas, which is theoretically possible, he would have two discards. The overall winner of each circuit will be awarded an identical European Circuit Trophy.