Barking Mad World Champions

The penultimate day was no less enthralling than the first two. Barking Mad (USA) heads the table after another day of conservatism, whilst Nerone (ITA) stands six-points behind in second, after a performance of truly mercurial liberalism. Two opposing race strategies seemingly on a collision course.

Three races today in a building westerly, with an underlying sea swell running, made for excellent racing conditions. Again, we had three different winners. Vincenzo Onorato looked to have put yesterday behind him, carving out a fine victory on Mascalzone Latino. The next two races though were killers for his Championship aspirations, as Mascalzone scored 13, 13. Massimo Mezzaroma's Nerone picked the plum in race two, following a second in race one. All this good work was almost wiped out as he started the third race too early. In that race, Marco Rodolfi and TWT (ITA) finally showed their true potential passing Helmut Jahn and Flash Gordon (USA) on the final leg to win.

The first race was notable for Joe Fly being over early. Giovanni Maspero's crew could finish no better than nineteenth, pushing them back in the standings, while Mascalzone's first and Nerone's second place had enabled them to close the gap to Barking Mad which finished sixth.
Come the second race, conditions had picked up further and the tension on the racecourse was becoming tangible. As the initial beat unwound at the first windward rounding, Mascalzone's recovery looked to be short lived as she struggled round in mid-fleet. At the front, Nerone led with Barking Mad in fifth - a result that would level their scores. But the race was far from over.
As it was, the third race of the day proved to be the more critical. In keeping with his character, Vascotto looked to seize the initiative early. One of a clutch of boats aiming to secure the pin end of the line, Nerone looked to have hit the line perfectly and at speed. A few seconds later, the heros to zeros were heading back to restart. One of two boats caught over early by the vigilant race officials.

Final day, June 27. Tremendous racing conditions with a building Mistral and a lumpy sea, made worse by the constant attention of the spectator fleet. Two races were sailed in winds from the northwest that gusted to the mid-twenties and stretched the already tired crews on the last day of competition. The scene was fit for a Championship finale and the two leading contenders made sure the curtain did not fall on the regatta without a flourish from those on stage. Nerone put her marker down to win the first race of the day and set up a winner takes all, second and final race - the tenth in this intensely fought series. Mascalzone Latino, the three times World Champions won the race, but the all-too significant result was Jim Richardson and Barking Mad crossing the line ahead of Massimo Mezzaroma's Nerone to secure the title for a third time. The first time an American boat has won outside of their home waters.

STANDINGS
1. BARKING MAD Jim Richardson USA, 1-6-4-1-6-6-3-3-6-2-38.00
2. NERONE Massimo Mezzaroma ITA, 5-1-13-2-4-2-1-8-1-8-45.00
3. JOE FLY Giovanni Maspero ITA, 4-5-5-4-1-19-2-6-2-5-53.00
4. MASCALZONE LATINO Vincenzo Onorato ITA, 2-10-2-9-8-1-13-13-7-1-66.00
5. FLASH GORDON Helmut Jahn USA, 20-4-3-11-11-20-4-2-3-3-81.00
6. PLENTY Alex Roepers USA, 12,13,19,13,10,4,15-5-4-7-102.00
7. TWINS Erik Maris FRA, 14-8-15-14-5-5-6-18-8-9-102.00
8. TRANSFUSION Guido Belgiorno-Nettis AUS, 9-7-1-3-20-25-5-4-17-13-104.00
9. ESTATE MASTER Lisa & Martin Hill AUS, 8-18-10-7-15-21-9-10-5-10-113.00
10. TWT Marco Rodolfi ITA, 6-9-14-19-13-13-7-1-20-15-117.00

Farr40 Worlds, Day 2

Two races, two winners, no change at the top. Three boats held their nerve the best. Jim Richardson and Barking Mad (USA), Giovanni Maspero and Joe Fly (ITA), Massimo Mezzaroma and Nerone (ITA) kept the damage to the minimum and lead the fleet going into day three. Neither race got away cleanly. The first race required two attempts, the second three. In the first race two boats still got it wrong second time around despite the threat of a Z Flag - which adds an irredeemable three-point scoring penalty at this regatta if you are over early. In the second race eleven boats sailed the course under the shadow of the penalty flag. Those got away cleanly through luck or judgement had a relatively easy day. Both Barking Mad and Joe Fly led their races; both sailed in mid-teen westerlies, from start to finish. The Italian crew had the better day posting a fourth in the first race to keep all their scores so far in the top five. The Americans posted a sixth in the second race, but stay in first overall. These two are separated by one point, with Nerone's score line of 2, 4 sufficient to lift them into third place, seven points off the pace. Transfusion took a solid third in one race and hefty twenty in the other. Vincenzo Onorato did only slightly better, with a combined score of seventeen-points, but the Z-flag in the second race suggests a chink in the usually impregnable armour of Mascalzone Latino (ITA).

Barking Mad has been on the Farr 40 circuit longer than anyone competing here. For a long time Farr 40s were sailed with nine crew, but in recent years there has been a move to ten and more often than not the tenth member is female and the reasoning is not just weight-related. About three years ago, the class changed from fractional kites to big mast head kites and now the boats sail completely differently within the manoeuvres. It is a good combination to have a good, strong, light person such as Olympic level sailors in that tenth position.

Farr40 Worlds

Porto Cervo put on one of the feasts for which it is famous in the sailing world: A cobalt blue sky, solid warm breeze, decent waves and three excellent races. All on day one of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2009. Barking Mad (USA) sits atop the heap this evening, with a narrow three-point lead over the 2008 Worlds sparring partners Mascalzone Latino (ITA) and Joe Fly (ITA). Today was all about keeping clean and trying to stay mean. Some got it right, others did not. The three race winners were Barking Mad, Nerone (ITA) and Transfusion (AUS). All three sit in the top five and will be happy to have held it together on a day when only four boats posted results inside the top ten in each race. Current World Champion, Vincenzo Onorato on Mascalzone, sits in second place after quietly going about his business to score a 2, 10, 2. All three races were held in a breeze that varied between 16 and 22 knots over the day, but stayed pretty consistently from the west. All three races were won from the front and clearly getting of the line cleanly, in good position was key. The second key to a successful day was minimising the points spread. According to Vasco Vascotto, tactician on Nerone the left hand side of the course looked the best, certainly for the first two races where their tactic of winning the pin worked well. In the third race, Nerone went hard left again and was more than a little disappointed to find itself the wrong side of a shift, which bumped the crew hard down the rankings to mid-fleet.

Farr40 Worlds

Representing 10 nations (AUS, DEN, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, ITA, SUI, UKR, USA), 26 Farr 40s are ready and waiting for the start tomorrow of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS). Racing will take place from June 24-27 with a maximum of 10 races scheduled for this highly competitive class in which victory often hangs on a team’s performance in the final race of the series. The majority of the Farr 40 fleet has been in Porto Cervo for several days giving owners and teams a chance to eyeball the competition during practice sessions and making them well aware of the task ahead.

Acura Key West 2009

Opening day of Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica, showcased the international flavor of the event with foreign entries seizing the early lead in four of the grand prix classes. Italian entries set the pace in a pair of the premier one-design fleets while British teams surged to the front of two top tier handicap classes.

Competition in North America’s largest winter regatta got underway in ideal conditions with strong westerly winds allowing organizers to hold two races. An ominous squall put a brief damper on the proceedings, but moved through quickly and allowed the action to continue under sunny skies.

Vincenzo Onorato and his team aboard Mascalzone Latino overcame the unexpected loss of three sailors to win both races and the Nautica Watches Boat of the Day in the Farr 40 class. Two crew members took ill while another suffered an injury in practice – forcing the three-time defending world champions to scramble. One substitute was flown in from Italy while the team coach and chef filled the other vacancies onboard.

Joining Onorato on the podium for Nautica Watches Day was fellow Italian skipper Lorenzo Bressani, who steered UKA UKA Racing to a pair of bullets in Melges 24 class – largest of the regatta with 33 boats. Gabriele Benussi is calling tactics while two-time United States Olympian Jonathan McKee is serving as trimmer aboard UKA UKA Racing, the reigning world champion. McKee is taking a break from his duties in the after-guard of Puma Racing, one of the top contenders in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Both IRC classes have seen an increase in entries this year and the British showed their colors on Monday. Skipper Tim Powell steered the Reichel-Pugh-designed Ran to a pair of first place finishes in IRC 1 while owner Tony Buckingham and his team aboard Ngoni seized the early lead in IRC 2 on the strength of a 1-2 line.

Sardinia Rolex Cup

The duel between teams Spain and Italy is heating up as Spain sits in first place just one point ahead of home-team Italy after today’s distance race in the Sardinia Rolex Cup organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The Race Committee set an Island Race today which took the 15-strong fleet (each team is composed of a Farr 40, a Swan 45 and a TP52) north up the stunning Sardinian coastline using the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago as natural buoys and rounding the Barretinelli islands before a final long downwind run for a total of approximately 30 nautical miles. Conditions were impeccable once again with west north-westerly winds of 15 to 20 knots and blazing sunshine providing picture-perfect racing. Team Spain’s best result came from Massimo Mezzaroma’s San Miguel Telefonica Nerone which took first place among the Farr 40s ahead of Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino.

Rolex Commodores' Cup

Close of Challenges for the 2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup was on Monday 26th May. The result: 6 nations and 15 teams, two up from 2006. With the weeklong competition commencing on 29th June, team managers are putting final touches to some of the combinations and continuing the process of honing skills.

Event Organisers, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), are understandably delighted with the increase in interest. The participation of Spain and Hong Kong is extremely positive and, along side the strong, multiple challenges from Ireland, France, The Netherlands and the UK, bodes well for some intense action on the water.

Following a review of the 2006 event, RORC has instituted some changes to the racing format, introducing a round the Isle of Wight course as part of the offshore component and making a double-points inshore course the last race of the series. RORC Commodore David Aisher was quick to express the club's deep satisfaction with the level of Challenges and anticipates a tight contest that will be decided on the last race, "with Challenges received from 6 countries for a total of 45 boats we are delighted that the Rolex Commodores' Cup has once again proved itself attractive to top level amateur sailors. The number of entries is a solid endorsement of the revised format event. With the last race being inshore and carrying double points it should take the competition right to the wire!"

Farr40 Worlds

Vincenzo Onorato and his Mascalzone Latino are the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Champions, achieving a first in the sailing world - three back-to-back victories in this ultra-competitive one design class. This evening in addition to the World Cup, Onorato was presented with a commemorative Rolex timepiece at the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship Awards party. The day initially lined up as an all-Italian battle pitting defending champion Mascalzone Latino (ITA), the leader of the series since the first race, against Joe Fly (ITA), the second-place, well-sailed boat. In reality Barking Mad (USA) became part of the winner's fate when it was fouled by Joe Fly during the first mark rounding of race nine (Saturday's first race). Mascalzone rounded in the same group and filed a protest against Joe Fly. Next year, the Class will travel to Europe to Porto Cervo, Sardinia for the 2009 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship.

1. Mascalzone (ITA), Vincenzo Onorato
2. Joe Fly (ITA), Giovanni Maspero
3. Mean Machine (MON), Peter de Ridder
4. Nanoq (DEN), HRH Crown Prince Frederik
5. Calvi Network (ITA), Carlo Alberni
6. Alinghi (SUI), Ernesto Bertarelli
7. Ramrod (USA), ), Rodrick Jabin
8. Barking Mad (USA), Jim Richardson
9. Opus One (GER), Wolfgang Stolz
10. Nerone (ITA), Massimo Mezzaroma/ Antonio Sodo Migliori

Farr 40 Worlds

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. Two-time world champion Barking Mad (USA) climbed up from seventh place into third overall. America's Cup champion Ernesto Bertarelli and his Alinghi slipped from third and finished the day in fifth overall. The Greek team Atalanti also managed to climb from 8th to 6th overall.

Farr40 Worlds Start

Current World Champion Mascalzone Latino charged to the head of the 33-boat fleet on the first day of racing during the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. With three races completed in the 10-race series, there are at least a dozen boats that can win the overall title, however today belongs to the Italians. "It's a long time left to sail and we just have to enjoy ourselves on the water," said Onorato moments after returning to the dock. "The others feel the pressure; we are two-time world champions and we are here to enjoy ourselves."

Despite a last minute change of tactician with American Morgan Larson arriving this morning on the red eye from the West Coast to fill in for Adrian Stead who returned home for the birth of his first child, Onorato had nothing but praise for Larson's ability to jump in and assist with a 3-12-1 scoreline. "Of course he (Larson) did a very nice job and we dedicate this victory to the new Lucas Stead, born yesterday. If you look, we are sailing with a blue stripe on the back of the boat for him."

Rolex Farr 40 Worlds

Sometimes the days can seem endless when you're spending time in a tropical paradise such as Miami Beach, Florida, but not so for the 33 international teams making last-minute preparations for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. The regatta - scheduled for April 16-19 and the 11th in the Class's history - has brought together the top names in professional sailing that will be found alongside some of the best amateur sailors in one design racing.

After sailing in the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds, April 11-12, followed by two days of further sail measurement, crew weigh-in and boat tuning, no one can be accused of slacking off before the big event. Most teams put in full days of training and tuning, and today many can be seen out on the Atlantic Ocean lining up in practice starts and mark rounding maneuvers as boat-handling consistency is one main ingredient for obtaining the top-10 scores needed in each race to assure a victory in this cut-throat fleet.

Rolex Farr 40 World Championship

Among the 33 entered teams, 10 countries are represented, with the bulk of the fleet (18) consisting of American and Italian entries. At the top of the list for favorites is Mascalzone Latino, Onorato's entry. He will have his work cut out for him as there are three past world champions among the fleet - Barking Mad (USA), Jim Richardson's two-time winner (2004/1998); Nerone (ITA, 2003), co-owned by Antonio Sodo Migliori and Massimo Mezzaroma; and Alinghi (SUI, 2001), owned by Ernesto Bertarelli and the 2007 runner-up - and about a dozen other teams capable of winning the coveted title. The sentimental favorite of the group may be Richardson, who won the Class's first world championship, also held in Miami in 1998. Barking Mad has retained a core group of professional and amateur crew since the 2004 world championship win, with tactician Terry Hutchinson alongside Richardson. Earlier this year they collected back-to-back first place finishes at Key West Race Week and Acura Miami Grand Prix, which many see as an early predictor to the Worlds.

As always, the fleet is home to notable professional sailors from America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and one-design fame. In addition to Barking Mad, some of the stellar names are Adrian Stead on Mascalzone Latino; Paul Cayard on Steve & Fred Howe's Warpath (USA); Gavin Brady on Rod Jabin's Ramrod (USA); Brad Butterworth on Alinghi; Ian Walker on Doug Douglass's Goombay Smash (USA); Ray Davies onboard Peter de Ridder's Mean Machine (MON); Vasco Vascotto on Nerone (ITA); and Bouwe Bekking serving as tactician aboard HRH Crown Prince Frederik's Nanoq (DEN).

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.

Farr 40 World Championships 2009-2011

The Farr 40 Class announced the venues for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championships from 2009-2011.

The 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, in Miami Beach, will run from April 16-19. Upwards of 40 boats are expected, with a solid group of Farr 40s that have been racing in southern Florida this winter, plus several new boats that are joining the class. The fleet will be based at the Miami Beach Marina. The Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds will take place from April 11-12.

>From June 24-27, 2009, the Farr 40 class will return to the azure waters off Porto Cervo, Sardinia. The Worlds' fleet was there in 2003, enjoying great sailing in the 25-30 knot breezes, and will again be hosted by the prestigious and sporting Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

In the winter of 2010, the class will explore an exciting new destination -- the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean - based out of the luxurious Casa de Campo resort. The newly-expanded Casa de Campo Marina & Yacht Club will play host for the World Championship.

The following winter 2011, finds the class returning Down Under to summer in spectacular and magical Sydney, Australia. The ever-keen Australian fleet continues to grow and will offer spirited competition and, as always, great sailing conditions off Sydney Heads, with the racing run by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Rolex Farr40 Worlds

The cold and rainy weather continued but with it, finally, some good breeze for the third day of racing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship off Copenhagen. With more than enough wind, the race committee was able to get off three races, though postponing a few starts to contend with the shifting breeze and squalls that came through the race area.

Eight races have been sailed till 31 August and each one has had a different winner - the leader board changing race to race. Though at the end of day three, a clear leader has emerged in Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino (ITA) with 37 points (a race average of better than 5th/race). The Italian team is sailing strongly, and with a 3-5-3 today, appears almost untouchable.

Second overall to date is Jim Richardson's Barking Mad (USA) with a 14-6-2 today and stands on 61 points, and third is Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi (SUI), with 75 points. The Swiss team effectively lessened their chances for first place overall when they were over the starting line early in the last race of the day and had to return to restart. After that Alinghi went to the right side of the course and were never able to claw their way back to the front.

What a difference a few hours made for the final day of racing at the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark. After a delayed start of over three hours, PRO Peter Reggio and the Royal Danish Yacht Club race committee had patience and managed to add one final race to the scoreline, with nine races run in total. Winner overall and World Champion Vincenzo Onorato and his team on Mascalzone Latino (ITA) didn't need much to lock in their lead, finishing with a healthy 35-point lead over 2nd placed Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi (SUI).

Mascalzone becomes the 2nd team to win the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds twice (Jim Richardson's Barking Mad is the other), though the Italian team is the first to do it back to back. Dockside the team was presented with the Farr 40 World Champion trophy, sprayed with champagne and all crew members treated to a dunking in the chilly water off the Royal Danish Yacht Club marina. The day's race provide a few shake-ups in the top of the scoreboard as Barking Mad's (USA) 26th place and Alinghi's 7th place resulted in the American team finishing 3rd overall. Other boats made some impressive gains with a good showing in the last race including John Thomson's Infinity (USA) which, with a 3rd place today, moved from 15th to 7th overall.

Rolex Farr40

After day two of racing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2007, the top four boats overall are all familiar names - Mascalzone Latino, Alinghi, Nerone, and Barking Mad - all are previous Rolex Farr 40 World Champions. Yet several other boats picked the shifts well enough on a difficult day to move up in the standings. Struntje Light (GER), Siragusawa (FIN), Nanoq (DEN), and Norwegian Steam (NOR) all had a top five race finish. For the second day of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, weather conditions continued to affect the leaderboard. The day was overcast with scattered rain and a WSW breeze at 12-14 knots at the first race start, dropping to 8 knots for the second race. A third race was postponed as the wind was forecast to drop further. The Farr 40 fleet was back to its more aggressive race mode at the first start with two general recalls. In the third restart, several boats were over the line early and had to return to restart, including day one leader, Antonio Sodo Migliori's Nerone (ITA). Racing continues tomorrow, Friday 30 August with a first race start at 1100; three races are planned.

Farr 40 World

With the northwesterly breeze shifting steadily, and the pressure up and down throughout the day, on the Oresund Strait on day one of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, fortunes were won and lost throughout the day. The race committee ran three races - all windward/leewards, comprising four 2.2 mile legs - and all starts got off cleanly with no general recalls. Wind speed was close to 20 knots at times and down to below 10 knots during a couple of the races, but mostly in the 14 -16 knot range, nice conditions when it was steady and not shifty - which was rare. Massimo Mezzaroma/Antonio Sodo Migliori's Nerone (ITA) sailed most consistently with a 3-6-1 to edge out Mascalzone Latino by one point overall for the day. Some top teams clearly have not hit their pace yet and almost all had fairly inconsistent scorelines, and this highlighted the challenging and shifty wind conditions, which are apt to remain for the duration of the regatta. In past Worlds, an average of 7-8 place per race would put a boat in contention overall, though with top boats in the upper scoreline, that most likely won't be the case in Copenhagen. Racing continues tomorrow, Thursday 29 August with a first race start at 1100; three races are planned. The Rolex Farr 40 World Championship celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2007. The World Championship has been sailed in North America, Europe or Australia every year since the class was established in 1997.

The Farr40 Class

Ten years ago, the world’s first Farr40 One Design was launched at Carroll Marine in Newport, R.I. with the hope of creating an exciting new one-design class that could compete on the international stage. Fast forward to 2007 and the Class is about to celebrate the 156th boat built. With owners in 19 countries and a recent surge in boat construction there will be a lot to celebrate at the upcoming 2007 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Copenhagen. Since being granted recognized one-design class status in 1998 by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the Class has continued to grow, attracting new owners to the helm and impressing every level of sailor along the way. “Outside of the America’s Cup, without a doubt, the Farr 40 Class is the most successful big boat racing today. The caliber of amateur owners driving their own boats never ceases to amaze me” said Geoff Stagg, president of Stagg Yachts, the management company behind the Farr 40 Class. The Farr 40 Class maintains an extensive international schedule that revolves around regional fleets in the U.S., Australia, Southern Europe and the Nordic region.

Farr 40 Europeans

Two more races, two more winners and one final change in the overall standings. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans have been nothing if not consistent in painting a totally new picture every race and every day. In the end there was no doubt about the winners, Massimo Mezzaroma & Nerone stole the show on the final day to post a fourth and a first, winning by six points from overnight leaders Mascalzone Latino, with Kokomo from Australia a further eight points back in third. From the off all eyes were on Mascalzone and Nerone. The first mark of the first race proved to be the real turning point. Nerone, in sixth place at this point, approached the mark confidently and found plenty of room to round cleanly. By contrast, Mascalzone found themselves in trouble. On port tack and no gaps in the line-up to the mark they eventually rounded in last place. The eight-point cushion from the previous day had evaporated in the Sardinian heat. Mezzaroma and his experienced crew were not about to be upstaged by the class newcomers, overtaking the Finns on the first downwind run to minimise any problems from that quarter.

In the final race a fading wind strength and a huge shift, saw Stratis Andreadis & Atalanti XI start in last place after being caught over the line early and proceed to beat the entire fleet to the first mark after taking a flier and going out to the right-hand side of the course whilst the rest of the boats went left. Of more significance was the sight of Nerone rounding in 5th position followed by Mascalzone in 13th after the two boats had started the race side by side in true gunslinger style. Third by the leeward mark, Mezzaroma and Vascotto had worked themselves into the lead by second windward mark. Onorato and tactician Adrian Stead would not give up until the very end, working their w! ay through the fleet once more to finish the race in 6th. But by then, the Rolex Farr 40 European crown had passed to Mezzaroma and the crew of Nerone, who were celebrating a hard-fought victory with no little sign of relief. Farr 40 Class President, Jim Richardson - a two time Rolex Farr 40 World Champion - also believed the regatta had been one of the best and certainly one of the toughest, but is confident it demonstrates the strength and attractiveness of the class to the Owners and crew.

1) Nerone - Massimo Mezzaroma

2) Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato

3) Kokomo - Lang & Sue Walker

Farr 40 Europeans

Three more races, three more winners and more change at the top of the leader board. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans are exciting. Friday June 8 saw racing in north-easterly winds reaching 12 -13 knots at times. As the wind increased so did the pressure. Tacticians were much more certain in their aims and were prepared to fight hard for position. At times, mark roundings appeared chaotic with boats seemingly homing in from all angles as crews over stood laylines, unwound penalties and ducked in on port tack at the last moment. Whoever held their nerve the best would come out on top and with an apparently effortless score line of 4, 2, 9, current Rolex Farr 40 European and World Champions Mascalzone Latino have sneaked into a seven point lead. But as tactician Adrian Stead remarked, there are still two races to go and a possible 42 points to be gained if it all goes wrong.

Mascalzone's assault on top spot was by no means as straightforward as it might appear. After a tiring campaign at the America's Cup, Owner/Driver Vincenzo Onorato and crew could be forgiven for being a little off the pace. But if the Cup has taught them anything it is that hard work pays dividends, "coming from the Cup to this makes you realize how important attention to detail is. We're working on things a lot harder to be the best we can here. Maybe also because we are a little rusty we are thinking about what made us good last time and what can make us better. But we are getting the hang of the (new) boat now and Vincenzo's getting back into the swing of things. We're not as confident as we were in the old boat yet, but it is encouraging." On their current form, it is probably anything but encouraging for the rest of the fleet. Mascalzone in the final race of the day they moved from a lowly 17th at the first mark to 9th at the finish. In second place overnight are Massimo Mezzaroma and Nerone who had a day of mixed results posting a 7, 15 & 2. Nerone is in a similar position to Mascalzone, with key personnel having been engaged in the Cup till now.

1/Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato
2/Nerone - Massimo Mezzaroma
3/Kokomo - Lang & Sue Walker