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| On the Water - Rolex Farr 40 Worlds Day 3 - Slam Race Day | | Print | |
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Reported from the main race committee boat by Ian Burman of Stagg Yachts 1610 - The overall results after 3 days have now been posted - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/70/1/. Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino holds a slim one point lead over Giovanni Maspero's Joe Fly. Special thanks today to Bob Fisher, who provided priceless commentary to add to this report. More thanks goes to regatta scorer Cindy Saunders and Jury Chair Tom Ehman for their photos of the action. Thanks to Rolex and SLAM for making today possible. We will be back on the water at 1000 on Saturday morning for the thrilling conclusion to the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship.
1530 – The scoring is taking a little longer while Cindy makes sure all of the Z flag penalties are applied correctly. Backbone has hailed its intention to protest Joe Fly and Heartbreaker has hailed its intention to protest Asterisk.
1520 - I can’t wait until tomorrow, but I shant lose sleep tonight like Vincenzo Onorato and Giovanni Maspero will. Just a single point separates the two on the championship scoreboard after 8 races. With two to come on the final day, the betting is on for all-Italian match racing, but Maspero will first have to satisfy the jury that Joe Fly did not foul Backbone on the starting line. - from Bob Fisher 1510 – The leaders have finished race #8 and are on their way back to
1500 – The order of the fleet at the final mark rounding of Race #8 has been posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/83/38/ Alinghi’s lead seems to have only increased and Mascalzone was passed by Flash Gordon to fall to fourth. If nothing changes on the run, Joe Fly and Mascalzone Latino will be tied heading into the fourth and final day of the regatta.
1445 - Today is Slam Race Day, named for our sponsor, SLAM Advanced Technology Sportswear. Slam makes some of the best technical clothing and sailing gear on the planet and we’re thrilled to have them involved in the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. Slam has a booth set up here in the regatta village, so if you’re in
1430 - The Italian battle rages on – After 4 miles of the eighth race, Joe Fly of Giovanni Maspero leads Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino by a boat’s length – they are 55 seconds astern of Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi that jumped the fleet on the first beat. These positions, if unaltered, would put the two Italian boats just one point apart, with the advantage still running for the Latin Rascals. - from Bob Fisher
Alinghi rounds the weather mark alone in front in Race #8 - Tom Ehman photo
1425 - The complete order of the boats around the first mark is posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/83/38/. The RC is signalling a change of course at the gate to a new bearing of 100 degrees to the weather mark. Alinghi's lead is 55 seconds at the gate ofer Joe Fly in second. Mascalzone Latino is right behind in third.
1415 - Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi, with a huge lead, is doing its best to make up for the 10% penalty it acquired from the general recall. Joe Fly has gotten around in second, ahead of Mascalzone Latino in fifth. Jim Richardson and the Barking Mad team are having a tough race, rounding ahead of only five boats.
1355 – The Z flag was up for the first attempt at the start of race #8 as well. Ramrod, Infinity, Groovederci 127, Atalanti, Plenty, Alinghi, Backbone, and Nerone will be receiving 10% penalties for being caught over the line in that start. Asterisk, Sled, Nerone, Infinity, Nanoq, Hooligan, Morning Glory, Heartbreaker, and DSK Comifin will be receiving 10% penalties for being over the line and restarting in the start that counted. For Infinity and Nerone, the penalties will accumulate and they will be penalized 20% in total.
1350 – Race #8 is underway, but not without some excitement. With the Z flag penalty in effect, 10 boats were called over early and had to re-start. Infinity didn’t hear its number called until it was well up the beat and ended up setting its spinnaker to get back to the line. Joe Fly got stuck in a tight spot in between Backbone and the keep away buoy hanging off the back of the RC boat. The International jury was right on the spot and was blowing whistles right before the starting horn sounded. We’ll see what effect, if any this incident has on Joe Fly’s chances of claiming the World Championship title.
1340 – The AP has dropped and the race committee has posted a new bearing of 085 degrees to mark 1. The Z flag will be displayed again for this start, so all who are over the line within the last minute will receive a 10% scoring penalty per the NOR. 1325 - The Z flag was flying with three minutes to go to the start when all of a sudden it started to blow in a different direction when another left shift came across the course. Two sounds blasted from the RC boat and the AP went up while Luigi figures out what to do with this new wind direction. 1320 - The fleet lined up for an attempt to start race #8, but cooler heads did not prevail and the third general recall of the day was signalled. Expect Luigi to hoist the Z flag to get this race underway. 1320 - The plot thickens, or sickens, take your choice. Vincenzo Onorato and his fellow countryman Giovanni Maspero are such close rivals after 7 races that less than a boat length separated them on the finish line for fifth and sixth places and only two points in the overall score, with the advantage still remaining with the defending champion, and Jim Richardson, the class president, is not making things easy for either of them, picking up one place on the run home to be second and is just thirteen points behind the leader. - from Bob Fisher on the committee boat
1315 - The updated overall results have been posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/70/1/. Mascalzone Latino hld a slim two point lead over Joe Fly, with Barking Mad, Alinghi and Mean Machine lurking. Race #8 will be course 4 at a distance of 2.0 nm and a bearing of 095 degrees to the weather mark. The wind has lightened slightly and we now have about 8 to 10 knots on the racecourse.
1300 – On the run to the finish, a major left shift came through the course and Helmut Jahn and his team aboard Flash Gordon were caught on the wrong side. Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master was the major beneficiary, capturing the victory in Race #7. Jim Richardson's Barking Mad was second, followed by Flash Gordon. Nanoq crossed the line in fourth and Joe Fly and Mascalzone Latino held their spots in fifth and sixth, respectively. 1250 – The complete order of the fleet a the second weather mark has been posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/82/38/. Wolfgang Stolz’ Opus One is the big mover in the fleet moving from 32nd place at the first mark all the way up to 19th.
1245 - At the second weather mark, Flash Gordon has moved into the lead, followed by Estate Master and Barking
1215 – It couldn’t be closer at the gate of Race #7. Estate Master and Flash Gordon rounded opposite gates simultaneously with Silver Bullet right on Helmut Jahn’s tail. Joe Fly remained in fourth and Barking mad was still fifth, but Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino caught a number of boats on the run to move into sixth position and regain its lead in the overall standings. The complete rounding order from the first mark has been posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/82/38/
1200 - The fleet is around the top mark and Lisa and Martin Hill's Estate Master leads the fleet downwind, followed by Flash Gordon and Silver Bullet. Joe Fly and Barking Mad came around in fourth and fifth respectively, giving Joe Fly the overall lead at this moment over Mascalzone Latino, who was around in ninth.
1155 - “A pro would have a hard time beating these guys,” said Tommaso Chieffi, the Fiamma tactician, last night. But the owner / drivers displayed resolute amateurism when it came to starting the seventh race of this championship. Eager, over eager and over early, they aroused sufficient ire in Luigi to warrant a Zed flag at the third attempt, but perhaps they can be forgiven, as there is much at stake with four races to go. The determination showed through when eventually the pack did get away and their skills were finally tested. - from Bob Fisher on the Committee Boat
1130 – Finally, the fleet behaved enough to get the start off for race #7. Erik Maris’ Twins was again the most aggressive starter and paid the price, having to return to the line. Twins will be scored with a Z flag penalty in race #7. Mean Machine slid a little bit further down the line this time, starting about five boats down from the Committee Boat.
1125 – The fleet is feeling feisty on the line today. With a minute to go, Erik Maris’ Twins and Lang and Sue Walker’s
1117 – The wind has shifted back and the AP has been lowered. The warning signal will raise at 1118.
1115 – A good Race Committee can adjust on the fly and the committee we have here is one of the best. Luigi decided to go into postponement before the second attempt of the start of Race #7 when a wind shift came down the course and made the starting line uneven. We may have to shift some of the marks around before we go again. 1105 – The fleet was very aggressive setting up for the start and Luigi signaled a general recall. Most of the boats were only a few boatlengths from the line with 45 seconds to go and didn’t have enough runway to accelerate while staying under the line. A new sequence will begin momentarily. 1100 – The Farr 40 class flag has been hoisted and the sequence is underway for the start of race #7. Barring a postponement or general recall, the first race of the day will begin at 1105.
1055 – Both ends of the start line are set and the competitors are taking turns luffing up on both ends to ping the RC boats with their GPS units. The clouds have returned to the racecourse and with them the breeze has dropped a few knots. Race for the series will be contested on course #4 at a distance of 2.2 nm and a bearing of 120 degrees to mark #1. 1045 – As the start time approaches, the skies are clearing and the wind is holding steady at around 12 knots. Today is shaping up to be a typical day of racing in Miami with the beautiful warm weather and fluffy southeasterly breeze. 1030 – As the competitors practice and tune up for the day, the wind is increasing slightly and shifting to the right. We’re now seeing about 12 knots of breeze out of the Southeast. The RC is planning on running two races today and two more tomorrow to close out the event. The first warning for each day is scheduled for 1100. 1000 - Good morning from Day 3 of the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Slam Race Day. Today, the wind is out of the east at 8-10 knots and the skies are mostly cloudy this morning. North Sails has provided us with a full weather report for the day which can be seen here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/80/36/. The Race Committee is setting up in the same racing area we’ve been in for the past 2 days, about a mile and a half off Key Biscayne, three and a half miles south of Government Cut. Throughout the day, I will be posting live information, including mark rounding orders, results, and start and finish times as well as commentary from the racecourse with photos taken from committee boat. Fantastic photos and reports are also available at www.regattanews.com.
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