Rolex Farr 40 Worlds at Sydney, Australia - Day 2
by Lisa Ratcliff 24 Feb 2011 09:29 GMT
23-26 February 2011
Transfusion takes the lead
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.
Belgiorno-Nettis says while it’s nice to have the lead in his pocket, “there is some big competition out there. There’s still a long way to go.” He knows all too well the perils of relaxing prematurely having lost last year’s Worlds in the deciding race.
Belgiorno-Nettis this evening praised Kostecki for some “beautiful calls”, and his team for “nibbling their way back in the last race” after they were buried back in the fleet.
Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori’s Nerone (ITA), has moved into second, putting on the afterburners following a shoddy start to the day, and nailing a 10th, 1st, 1st result to the door.
Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master (AUS) has slipped back into third, following a less than satisfactory 7th, 9th, 10th, compared to yesterday’s stunning performance which had them clubhouse leader.
Estate Master heads a chasing pack that struggled to keep pace with the leading pair. The gap has widened. Not insurmountably with four races remaining, but what margin for error that might have existed has disappeared completely.
Consistency and minimising damage have always been watchwords at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds. No less so this year, as the 14th Farr 40 class World Championship moves beyond the halfway point.
With the winds from the northeast initially struggling to stabilize around 8-10 knots, and a strong current heading north, the race area moved north from yesterday’s location to just off Manly Beach, affording crews and spectators an exceptional backdrop. By the last race the winds were up to a sprightly 12 – 15 knots. It was a long day and a late finish with the 20 tired crews arriving back at the host club, the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, after 7pm this evening.
Results after Day 2: (top three after six races)
1st Transfusion, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis 4 4 2 1 7 4, 22pts
2nd Nerone, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma 2 1 10 10 1 1, 25pts
3rd Estate Master, Lisa & Martin Hill 1 8 1 7 9 10, 36pts
Full results on the event website.
Is there a doctor Farr away?
The grey matter and the muscle power are on par among the Farr 40 crews contesting their World Championship in Sydney this week. International and local business elite have joined hands with many of the world’s best sailors and among the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds crews there are at least four specialised medical practitioners enjoying some time away from the stresses of their profession.
Andrew Hunn, owner/helmsman of one of two Tasmanian entries, Voodoo Chile, is a Hobart neurosurgeon delving into the sphere of one design racing with his majority Tassie crew.
They finished seventh in last weekend’s national titles and on day two of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds they are ninth after five races from a hot fleet of 20 Farr 40s representing five countries.
Scott ‘Doc’ Holmgren is the mainsail trimmer on the USA entry Plenty, owned by Alex Roepers. Hailing from the great Oklahoma plains, Holmgren is an oral maxillofacial surgeon, or in layman’s terms, he’s a facial trauma surgeon with 20 years under his surgical belt.
Over 25 years of sailing, 10 of those in the Farr 40 class, ‘Doc’ has treated numerous lacerations and fractures with the simple medical kit he carries to regattas, something that has become increasingly difficult given the tightening up of airport security in recent years.
On his first trip to Sydney Holmgren said today, “Sydney was on my bucket list, the people are fantastic”. Speaking on the famous lumpy conditions off Sydney Heads he says he hasn’t been disappointed with a trip to the sauna after day one of the nationals, the only way to soothe the bumps from his experience in the “washing machine”.
German husband and wife team of Wolfgang and Angela Schaefer, owners of Struntje Light, met at Kiel Week as students some 40 years ago when Angela’s family boat caught Wolfgang’s eye.
These days the pair run a private hospital and practice at Lueneburg in northern Germany where she is a cardiologist and he is a gynecologist. They have also treated their share of injuries over the years, mainly stitching cuts.
The Schaefers, one of three husband and wife combinations racing this week, have contested at least six Farr 40 World Championships since 2001. With four of the 10 race series put to bed they are well placed in third on the pointscore and leading Corinthian entry thanks to their consistent three thirds and a 13th place.
On the boat’s moniker, Struntje, meaning ‘vagabond’, is also the name of their S & S 47. Light refers to the lightweight Farr 40 compared to the classic sturdy timber build of the Sparkman Stephens design. “It’s not a beer,” laughs Angela, referring to the common assumption that the boat name relates to a low alcohol German brew.
The fleet of 20 Farr 40s are about to start race six. Two races are scheduled each day for the second half of the competition with the 2011 World Champion to be crowned Saturday afternoon. Currently Australia’s Guido Belgiorno-Nettis is leading the series results with Transfusion after race four, creating some breathing space between them and the second placed Estate Master, also an Australian entry.
Day 2 Video: