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| On the Water - Rolex Farr 40 Worlds Day 4 - Rolex Race Day | | Print | |
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Reported from the main committee boat by Ian Burman of Stagg Yachts 1735 - We have a champion!!! For the third straight year, Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino has claimed the title of Rolex Farr 40 World Champion. After a tense hearing, the jury has decided unanimously to disqualify Joe Fly from race #9. Congratulations to Vincenzo Onorato and his team for a very well sailed regatta. Final Results have been posted here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/70/1/
1725 - The testimonies are over and all of the competitors have left the jury alone to deliberate. You can feel the tension in the air as victory in the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship hangs in the balance.
1710 - And the protest continues. . . After hearing testimony from the first three boat representatives, representatives from Mean Machine and Nerone have been called in as witnesses to the incident.
1700 - Today is Rolex Race Day, named for our generous title sponsor Rolex. Rolex has been the sponsor of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship every year since 2001 and each winner of the event receives a prestigious engraved Rolex time piece. Rolex also produces the fantastic “Spirit of Yachting” video, which features the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship prominently. The Farr 40 class is extremely fortunate to have Rolex as the title sponsor of its championship.
1655 - Mascalzone Latino has filed its protest on shore within the protest time limit. Representatives of Mascalzone Latino, Barking Mad and Joe Fly are in the room now, telling thier stories to the international jury. Apparently, the protest has been deemed valid and will be heard. The protest time limit has now expired and this is the only protest which has been recieved by the jury.
1540 - The provisional results have been posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/70/1/. When all outstanding protests have been solved and the results are declared final, we will post them here right away. 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 for making today possible. Congratulations to Giovanni Maspero and Vincenzo Onorato and their teams for sailing a fantastic event, no matter the outcome in the room. 1535 - Everything comes to those to wait and waiting is essential in determining the 2008 World Champion in the Farr 40 class. On the water, Giovanni Maspero was victorious, but he has to face the international jury to discover whether his three point advantage over the defending champion Vincenzo Onorato will be upheld. Maspero’s Joe Fly was involved in an incident in the first beat of the ninth race and protests have been lodged against this Italian boat. Justice must be seen to be done before the champion is declared. - from Bob Fisher
1525 - And the title will be decided on shore – After Wolfgang Stolz Opus One claimed the victory in race #10 over Carlo Alberini’s Calvi Network and
1515 - Today is Rolex Race Day, named for our generous title sponsor Rolex. Rolex has been the sponsor of the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship every year since 2001 and each winner of the event receives a prestigious engraved Rolex time piece. Rolex also produces the fantastic “Spirit of Yachting” video, which features the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship prominently. The Farr 40 class is extremely fortunate to have Rolex as the title sponsor of its championship.
1505 - Now is when it really gets exciting. At the second weather mark, Joe Fly is around in fourth and Mascalzone Latino is around in seventh, giving Giovanni Maspero’s team a one point lead over Vincenzo Onorato’s at this moment. On the run to the finish, do the Latin Rascals have the magic to come back on the run to the finish? 1455 - The order of the fleet at the gate has been posted here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/89/38/. The wind has increased to 8 to 9 knots as the boats head back upwind and the fleet is evenly distributed across the course.
1445 - The Farr 40 class racing is truly living to its reputation – penthouse to outhouse moves are a common occurrence, even in the best adjusted households and the battle for the championship is shifting away from the top places in the tenth race. But that is not all, as this championship could be decided in the protest room. On the water, Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly was a few places clear of Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino at the halfway stage, sufficient for the defending champion to lose his hold on the title. The outcome will be decided on outstanding protests from race 9 in which Joe Fly is involved on the defensive side. - from Bob Fisher
1435 - At the gate, Wolfgang Stolz’ Opus One has claimed the lead, just ahead of Calvi Network, Fiamma and Estate Master. Joe Fly has passed a few boats and got around in six, with Mascalzone Latino making a major gain on the run and rounding just a few places behind Giovanni Maspero’s team. This one is far from over.
1430 - The complete order of the fleet at the first mark has been posted here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/89/38/. As the fleet heads downwind, the breeze is light and shifty, so there will be many chances for gains and losses in the raining two and a half legs of the regatta.
1425 - At the weather mark, Mascalzone Latino has dug itself a hole by rounding in 22nd place, 15 places behind Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly. While Joe Fly is now in a commanding position on the scorecard, remember there is a pending protest from race 1 between the two Italian teams.
1415 - As the fleet approaches the first mark, the RC has signalled a course change to reflect a wind direction of 125 degrees. Carlo Alberini's Calvi Network is leading the fleet into mark #1.
1355 – The tenth and final race of the Farr 40 World Championship is underway and the much anticipated match race between the two leaders never materialized. In fact, the two boats were on opposite ends of the line with Joe Fly near the committee boat end tacking out to the right and Mascalzone Latino down near the pin end continuing out to the left. Helmut Jahn’s Flash Gordon was seen taking a penalty turn right after the gun and Asterisk barely made it across the bow of Mean Machine after tacking off to port on the starboard end of the line.
1345 – The wind has steadied out and the final race of the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship is set to start. In a light southeasterly, the fleet will be competing on course 4 at a distance of 2.0 nm and a bearing of 135 degrees to mark #1.
1340 - Mascalzone Latino and Joe Fly aren’t the only Italian teams making some noise during the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. Carlo Alberini’s Calvi Network and it’s brilliant metallic paint job, currently lying 8th overall, is also having a strong regatta. “This 2008 Rolex World Championship is definitely exciting for our Calvi Network Team! We ended up the Pre-World in sixth place, the first day of Worlds we placed fourth just before very relevant teams,” an exuberant Alberini said this morning. “The second day wrong tactical decisions brought us down in the overall ranking, but yesterday we had another great day as we finished both races at 7th place. Today, we strongly want to defend our results!”
1315 - Right now, there is about 6 knots of breeze on the racescourse and the chances are looking good that we get the final race of the regatta in this afternoon. Luigi is planning on waiting for a little while to give the sailors a break and hope for some more breeze to fill in.
1305 - The overall results heading into the final race have been posted here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/70/1/. Peter de Ridder’s Mean Machine has moved into third place behind the two Italian leaders who are separated by two points.
1255 - The thickness of a fly’s wing was all that separated the two leading contenders for the championship at the end of race 9. Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino sneaked ahead of Joe Fly by attacking the pin end of the line while the Italian challenger came across the finish close by the committee boat. Seventh place was good enough for the Latin Rascals to gain one more point to be two ahead before the final race. Oh yes, the race was won by Rod Jabin’s Ramrod who cruised past Peter de Ridder’s Mean Machine on the final leg. - from Bob Fisher
1250 – When the wind get’s light, Chesapeake Bay sailors feel at home and that’s what happened to Rod Jabin and his Ramrod team from
1235 - The complete rounding order for race #9 at the second weather mark has been posted: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/88/38/. The wind has gone extremely light and the chances of getting a second race done today are decreasing. The run to the finish in race #9 could be for all the marbles.
1225 - Peter de Ridder’s Mean Machine is the new leader of Race #9, but in these light conditions, he’ll have a long time to keep his competitors behind him on the run to the finish. Ramrod ghosted around in second and Joe Fly lies third. Goombay Smash and Mascalzone Latino round out the top five. If the positions remain this way at the finish, the two Italian teams will trade places at the top of the leaderboard with Giovanni Maspero’s team holding a one point edge.
The complete order for the fleet around the first mark has been posted here - http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/88/38/. The wind has lightened significantly and we’re seeing 4-7 knots on the course right now.
1200 - The lightening breeze produced Mediterranean-like conditions that seemingly suited the Italians. Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone carved a narrow lead over Peter de Ridder’s Mean Machine and Rod Jabin’s Ramrod on the 1.8 mile run to the gate while the championship battle was favoring Giovanni Maspero’ Joe Fly, two places ahead of Vincenzo Onorato’s Latin Rascals. - from Bob Fisher
1155 - At the gate, Ramrod rounded on the outside of Mean Machine on one side at the same time Nerone was rounding the other gate. The next boat around was pre-Worlds winner Goombay Smash, before Joe Fly entered the gate two places ahead Mascalzone Latino.
1140 - Ramrod leads the fleet at Mark 1 of Race 9. Joe Fly rounded ahead of Mascalzone Latino with Jim Richardson's Barking Mad in between the two. There was a close tacking situation between the three boats and there was much yelling and a flag displayed from Mascalzone.
Ramrod leads the fleet at the first mark or Race 9 - Tom Ehman photo 1130 - As the fleet approaches the weather mark, the wind has shifted to the left and the RC has placed a boat in the vicinity of the offset displaying flag C. The downwind leg is being repositioned for a wind direction of 120 degrees, indicating a ten degree left shift after the start.
1120 - The Farr 40 sailors were on their best weekend behavior for the start of race 9 in a pleasant southeasterly, notably the eager Helmut Jahn flashed Gordon ahead of the rest and was recalled. The all-Italian battle for mastery of the class saw Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino clear from a midline start while Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly appeared to stick in a bunch at the pin, but the two mile windward leg in the shifty breeze may see considerable changes in fortunes. – from
1105 – And they’re off!! Kokomo, Warpath and Flash Gordon were called over early and were forced to re-start. The start was done under the P flag, so those boats will not receive a scoring penalty for being over. Masclazone Latino and Joe Fly both started down near the pin boat end, with Giovanni Maspero’s team getting a slightly better start. Vincenzo Onorato, however, had a clear lane t o tack and was able to escape Joe Fly’s grasp off the line.
1050 - The classic Miami sea breeze is developing and the RC has posted course 4 at a distance of 2.0nm and a bearing of 130 degrees to mark 1. We're seeing about 8 knots on the course right now, but we're expecting an increase with a slight shift to the right.
1045 – The wind has shifted to the southeast and increased a knot or two since we’ve been out here. Luigi is “a lot more optimistic now than when we left the dock” that we will have a great day of racing in the Atlantic today. The first warning is scheduled for 1100 and we’re expecting a battle between the two leading Italian teams.
1000 - Good morning from the fourth and final day of the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Rolex Race Day. After 8 races, the competition for the title could hardly be closer with two defending champion Vincenzo Onorato and his Mascalzone Latino team holding just a one point advantage over fellow countryman Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly. Overall Results can be found here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/70/1/. Today, the wind is out of the east at 6-7 knots and the skies are clear. North Sails has provided us with a full weather report for the day which can be seen here: http://www.farr40worlds.com/content/view/86/36/. The Race Committee is setting up in the same racing area we’ve been in for the past 3 days, about a mile and a half off Key Biscayne, three and a half miles south of Government Cut and is planning to conduct 2 races to decide the title. 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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