Transfusion. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. Click to enlarge.

A courageous fight back in the penultimate race of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship by Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion and a second place in the decider has seen the Australians once again crowned world champions in their native habitat.

The defending champions Nerone (ITA) warned yesterday that Transfusion would have to force the win. That’s exactly what they did, sailing and recovering from a couple of debatable tactical choices superbly to finish two points ahead when the final points were tallied.

Top ten final results:

1. Transfusion, AUS, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, 35 points
2. Nerone , ITA, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma, 37
3. Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 62
4. Flash Gordon, USA, Helmut & Evan Jahn, 64
5. Estate Master, AUS, Lisa & Martin Hill, 70
6. Goombay Smash, USA, William Douglass, 82
7. Hooligan, AUS, Marcus Blackmore, 82
8. Kokomo, AUS, Lang Walker, 82
9. Struntje Light, GER, Wolfgang & Angela Schaefer, 85
10, Voodoo Chile, AUS, Andrew Hunn & Lloyd Clark, 90

At right: Transfusiion. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. Click to enlarge.

Defending Rolex Farr 40 World Champions, Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori's Nerone (ITA), now hold a one-point advantage over the local heroes, and Nerone's tactician Vasco Vascotto believes the most relaxed will be the ultimate victor.

"Tomorrow will be a big fight," admitted Vascotto this afternoon. It's a good opportunity for Transfusion to beat us after what happened last year [when Transfusion lost to Nerone on the final day of the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds], but we will let them try to force us and we will just stay relaxed, or as we say in Italian, 'tranquilli'."

Day 3 – Top 10 provisional results (pending protests)

Place, Boat Name, Country, Owner-Helm, R1-R2-R3-R4-R5-R6-R7-R8, TOTAL
1) Nerone , ITA, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma, 2-1-10-8-1-1-6-1, 30
2) Transfusion, AUS, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, 4-4-2-1-7-4-4-5, 31
3) Flash Gordon, USA, Helmut & Evan Jahn, 11-2-9-2-8-5-11-3, 51
4) Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 15-10-5-9-2-3-10-2, 56
5) Estate Master, AUS, Lisa & Martin Hill, 1-8-1-5-9-10-12-12, 58
6) Kokomo, AUS, Lang Walker, 19-5-4-7-5-9-3-7, 59
7) Struntje Light, GER, Wolfgang & Angela Schaefer, 3-13-3-21-4-13, 67
8) Hooligan, AUS, Marcus Blackmore, 13-3-6-4-16-14-8-4, 68
9) Voodoo Chile, AUS, Andrew Hunn & Lloyd Clark, 5-9-8-15-3-2-16-16, 74
10) Goombay Smash, USA, William Douglass, 9-6-17-10-11-16-1-6, 76

Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. Click to enlarge.

Top of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds pancake pile this evening is Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion (AUS), but only just, after posting a 1st, 7th, 4th scoreline to gain the overall lead by three points.

Transfusion finished bridesmaid to Nerone at last year’s Worlds staged in the Dominican Republic and this year the new duo of Belgiorno-Nettis and American tactician John Kostecki are combining well, and the teamwork on the boat is polished, like the stunning trophy they have in their sights.

Rolex Farr 40 World Championship
Day 2 – Top 10 provisional results – pending protests

Place, Boat Name, Country, Owner-Helm, R1-R2-R3-R4-R5-R6, TOTAL
1) Transfusion, AUS, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, 4-4-2-1-7-4, 22
2) Nerone , ITA, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma, 2-1-10-10-1-1, 25
3) Estate Master, AUS, Lisa & Martin Hill, 1-8-1-7-9-10, 36
4) Flash Gordon, USA, Helmut & Evan Jahn, 11-2-9-2-8-5, 37
5) Struntje Light, GER, Wolfgang & Angela Schaefer, 3-13-3-3-4-13, 39
6) Voodoo Chile, AUS, Andrew Hunn & Lloyd Clark, 5-9-8-17-3-2, 44
7) Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 15-10-5-11-2-3, 46
8) Kokomo, AUS, Lang Walker, 19-5-4-9-5-9, 51
9) Hooligan, AUS, Marcus Blackmore, 13-3-6-5-16-14, 57
10) Plenty, USA, Alex Roepers, 10-7-13-4-13-11, 58

At right: Estate Master. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. Click to enlarge.

Martin and Lisa Hill and their youthful Estate Master crew, which includes some of Australia’s finest sailing talent, hold top honours after the opening day of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship following today’s 1,8,1 results.

Day 1 – Top 10 Provisional Results
Place, Boat Name, Country, Owner-Helm, R1-R2-R3 TOTAL
1) Estate Master, AUS, Lisa & Martin Hill, 1-8-1, 10
2) Transfusion, AUS, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, 4-4-2, 10
3) Nerone, ITA, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma, 2-1-10, 13  
4) Struntje Light, GER, Wolfgang & Angela Schaefer, 3-13-3, 19
5) Flash Gordon, USA, Helmut & Evan Jahn, 11-2-9, 22
6) Hooligan, AUS, Marcus Blackmore, 13-3-6, 22
7) Voodoo Chile, AUS, Andrew Hunn & Lloyd Clark, 5-9-8, 22
8) Kokomo, AUS, Lang Walker, 19-5-4, 28
9) Sputnik, AUS, Ivan Wheen, 6-12-11, 29
10) Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 15-10-5, 30

At right: Estate Master and Wired. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

Today’s scenic four islands Sydney Harbour course for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship fleet was a relaxed entrée into what will be anything but a laid-back affair when the world title commences tomorrow.

It was all smiles among the crews today. Tomorrow poker faces will be worn when 20 Farr 40s representing five countries head into battle with three of the 10 race series scheduled off Sydney Heads signaling the opening day of competition.

After three practice starts, today’s short course exhibition race took the fleet around Shark and Clarke Islands and up under the Sydney Harbour Bridge before rounding Goat Island and heading back to the finish off the World’s host club, the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.