Acura Miami Grand Prix ready to rock

Warm Sunshine and Ocean Breezes Welcome International Fleet

Sailors from seven countries and 14 states are preparing to do fierce, yet friendly battle in the ocean waters off America’s Riveria. Led by top-notch TP52 programs that all competed at Acura Key West in January, this truly is a grand prix event.

Ennio Staffini, the US TP52 entry in the IRC 1 class commented: “The field will be very competitive and each of the four boats has a legitimate shot at winning the regatta. Our team performed much better than we would have hoped in Key West and improved greatly during the week. We look forward to a rematch, sailing again against the TP52s in Miami.”

Staffini’s Anema & Core hails from Annapolis, MD. This is the third year in Miami for Sergey Pichugin’s Synergy (Moscow, RUS and Gibraltar). The two UK entries are new this year. Nicklas Zennstrom’s RAN won Acura Key West 2009 and Charles Dunstone’s RIO was not far behind in 3rd place.

The Farr 40 fleet bears its usual hallmarks of highly competitive, international entries. The tactician list reads like a who’s who in grand prix competition. Bill Hardesty, on Helmut Jahn’s Flash Gordon 6, just achieved an impressive win in the Etchells Jaguar Mid-Winters on nearby Biscayne Bay. 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the year Terry Hutchinson is again with Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad, and Adrian Stead brings his Olympic and multiple world championship experience to Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino team. And there are more you’ll be reading about in the coming days in Miami.

The Melges 32s, the largest class with 19 boats, also has an impressive grand prix flavor. Mike Carroll and Marty Kullman’s New Wave is the 2008 Gold Cup Champion and defending 2008 Acura Grand Prix Champion. The St. Petersburg, Fl team faces two recent Key West podium finishers in Joe Woods’s Red (Torbay, UK) and Jason Carroll’s Argo (Larchmont, NY). They placed 2nd and 3rd last January.

IRC 2 will be plenty competitive too, with new models, local sailors, and plenty of experience on board all boats. Dan Kerckhoff’s Santa Cruz 37 Southern Crescent is so new he sailed it for the first time yesterday. The Naples, Fla owner is “looking forward to a great sailing and having a wonderful time”. Two recent Acura Key West champions are in this class. Jon Halbert won the Swan 42 class in Vitesse (Dallas, TX) and Dan Woolery took class honors in IRC 2 with his new King 40 Soozal (Point Richmond, CA).

Four days of racing begins Thursday March 5. For scratch sheet and event information see www.premiere-racing.com

The 2009 Acura Grand Prix Championship scoring for the Farr 40 and Combined IRC class is based on the lowest cumulative points scored for both Acura Key West 2009 and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix combined. For the Melges 32 class it is based on the lowest cumulative points scored for the 2008 Melges 32 Gold Cup, Acura Key West 2009 and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix combined.

Acura Grand Prix Championship (standings after Acura Key West 2009)

IRC Combined
1. Ran (TP52), Niklas Zennstrom, Hamble, GBR 18 pts
2. Soozal (King 40), Daniel Woolery, Pt. Richmond, CA, 19 pts
3. Rio (TP52),Charles Dunstone, Cowes, GBR, 28 pts

Farr 40
1. Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, Napoli,ITA, 32 pts
2. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, Como, ITA, 35 pts
3. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, 35 pts

Melges 32
1. New Wave, M Carroll/M Kullman, Clearwater, FL, 76 pts
2. Red, Joe Woods, Torbay, GBR, 100 pts
3. Ninkasi, John Taylor, Big Sky, MT, 120 pts