Rolex Farr 40 Worlds at Newport, Rhode Island - Overall
by Rolex Media Centre 11 Sep 2006 00:47 BST
6-9 September 2006
Vincenzo Onorato has finally won the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, a title that has consistently eluded him since he first took part in 1999. The first three days of the regatta, held in Newport, were light wind affairs, but with the sea breeze blowing up to 18 knots today, Onorato's Mascalzone Latino team turned in a masterful performance. In addition to the World Cup, Onorato was presented with a commemorative Rolex timepiece at this evening's Rolex Farr 40 World Championship Awards party, held at Marble House, one of Newport's Gilded Age cottages.
"It was not easy," admitted Onorato (Portoferrio, Italy). "The most difficult thing in this kind of racing is how we handle ourselves, because sometimes it is hard to stay confident. I have tried to win this for many years, and finally I have succeeded."
Ichi Ban's owner Matt Allen (Sydney, Australia) was delighted to have grabbed second overall. "We're ecstatic, it's a great result. Vincenzo, Russell and the guys did a great job and never really opened the door for anyone. They sailed a great regatta and they deserved to win."
Vincenzo Onorato has won many championships before, but for him this victory is the sweetest of all. "I have won four world championships as a helmsman, in IMS racing and in the Mumm 30, but this is the best. Sometimes I have won when I didn't deserve it, but this time we deserved to win. The Farr 40 is the best offshore boat in the world, she's beautiful, she's like a nice blonde. This is the best time of my life."
The recently created Corinthian Trophy was presented to John Thomson (Port Washington, N.Y.) and his team on Infinity for having the best performing team that declared itself in the Corinthian category. Basically, those teams have a maximum of two professional sailors on board and a reduced number of new sails in the calendar year. Corinthian Trophy competitors race with the rest of the fleet, and owners who register for the Corinthian trophy are also eligible for winning overall event prizes.