Key West Race Week 2001 - Day 4

PEGASUS TOPS CHAOS AT KEY WEST; 2-BOAT RACE FOR 1D35 TITLE

Russell Coutts, New Zealand's America's Cup winner, was asked how the Farr 40 competition at Yachting Key West Race Week 2001 would be if all those world-class sailors were driving the boats instead of calling tactics for the wealthy owner-drivers.

"Not that different," Coutts said, thoughtfully caressing a post-race brew. "It might be worse."

Hard to imagine. After a day when 17 of the 37 boats were called for starting early in the first of two races, the class had its fourth leader in four days: Philippe Kahn's Pegasus from Santa Cruz, Calif. But Kahn and his tactician -- two-time Olympic and world Star class champion and Sperry world sailor of the year Mark Reynolds -- had to win battles on the water as well as in the jury tent. Pegasus was one of those charged with jumping the gun.

"No way we were over," Kahn said. "We were late. We have witnesses from other boats."

The race committee started calling the bow numbers of OCS (on course side) boats two minutes after the gun. Pegasus didn't hear its number 23 because the radio had been turned off. "We knew we were late so we turned it off," Kahn said. "We were startled to arrive back at the dock and learn we were OCS."

They appealed for redress and won. Pegasus won the second race. George Andreadis' defending champion Atalanti XII from Greece, with Robbie Haines as tactician, was second. Entering today's final race, Pegasus has 60 points; Atalanti XII is tied with Brack Duker's Revolution, Marina del Rey, Calif. (Peter Isler) six points behind.

Coutts is not in contention. He is calling tactics on Cavallino for Ernesto Bertarelli, his new billionaire boss with the Swiss America's Cup team. They won Thursday's first race, then fell back to 12th in the second, matching their previous best finish.

Life was simple in the 1D35 fleet. "It's come down to a two-boat race tomorrow," said Farley Fontenot, sailmaker and main sail trimmer for Owen Kratz's Joss from Houston, Tex., which has a four-point lead on W.S. Shellhorse's Avalanche, Lake Wesley, Va., after a modest 3-6 in the tough 20-boat fleet Thursday. Kara Zylstra's Wild Thing, San Diego, is 10 points back.

A few of the 1D35s have glamorous tacticians, too. Joss's is 2000 Olympic 470 class silver medalist Paul Foerster. "Paul has an ability to pick [wind] shifts out of nothing," Fontenot said.

That's been important this week. The breeze never topped 10 knots Thursday, but it's hard to complain when the temperature is in the high 70s, the 78-degree turquoise water looks and feels like a swimming pool and one can sail in shirtsleeves or with no shirt at all.

Avalanche has won three of the seven races, but Joss has a steadier string with no finish worse than fourth.

"We just have to stay on the same water with him," Fontenot said. "He has the burden to put boats between us."

Harry Melges, who runs the Melges 24 factory in Zenda, Wis., seized control of that 59-boat class by winning both races Thursday and leads Neil Sullivan's M-Fatic from Annapolis, with '92 Olympic silver medalist Morgan Reeser driving and Dave Chapin on tactics, 11 points behind.

The IMS big boats are in a virtual three-way deadlock. Bache Renshaw's N/M 49 Virago, Portsmouth, R.I., shares first place with George David's N/M 50 Idler, New York, N.Y., with Makoto Uematsu's Farr 50 Esmeralda, with Ken Read driving, one point behind.

Read said, "Idler and Virago have been good light-air boats and they're being sailed very well. We're just hoping for a lot of wind Friday."

He may get it. The forecast for the final race is for south-southeast winds to 18 knots with gusts to 22. If that develops, it would be the windiest day of the week.

NOTES: Italy's three designated boats lead the 14-team International Team competition, with USA Great Lakes and USA East Coast within striking distance. . . . Boat of the Day Wednesday was W.S. Shellhorse's 1D35 Avalanche, which leads the class. . . . There were some late legal developments Wednesday. Jim Richardson's Farr 40 Barking Mad, Newport, R.I. (tactician Terry Hutchinson), was disqualified on a foul at the start, dropping to 11th place overall. . . In IMS, Makoto Uematsu's Farr 50 Esmeralda, Newport, R. I., took a 20 per cent penalty for an incident with Bache Renshaw's N/M 49 Virago, Portsmouth, R.I.

Sponsors and Suppliers of Yachting Key West Race Week 2001 include Mount Gay Rum, Lewmar Marine, SailNet.com, B&G Electronics, Grand Banks Yachts, the Kenwood Cup, Sam Adams, Saucony and Vascodagama.

Since 1998 the Florida Keys & Key West, their Tourist Development Council, local businesses and the community have been major supporters of Race Week, embracing this early winter regatta which attracts sailors from around the world.

Leaders (after 7 of 8 races):

DIVISION I

CLASS 1A-IMS (9 boats)
Idler (N/M 50), New York, N.Y., 2-2-3-4-2-5-3, 21

CLASS 1B-PHRF 1 (9 boats)
Chessie Racing (Farr 52),George Collins,Gibson Island,Md.,1-2-2-1-2-5-2,15

CLASS 1C-PHRF 2 (11 boats)
Strabo (J/145), Marty Fisher, Annapolis, Md.,4-2-1-4-3-2-1, 17

CLASS 1D-ID35 (20 boats)
Joss, Owen Kratz, Houston, Tex., 2-7-3-1-2-3-6,24

CLASS 1E-PHRF 3 (14 boats)
Tiburon (Melges 30 OB),Michael T.Gray,Metairie,La.,1-1-1-3-2-1-1,8

CLASS 1F1-PHRF 4 (10 boats)
The Wall (Mumm 36), Gordon Shiff, Tampa,Fla., 2-2-1-3-2-7-1, 18

CLASS 1F2-PHRF 5 (9 boats)
Claddagh (N/M 40), L. Fallon/J.Flanagan,Marblehead, Mass.,4-1-1-1-1-3-1,12

DIVISION II

CLASS A-PHRF 6 (8 boats)
Abbey Normal (B-32), Jeffrey Gale, Hope Town,Abaco, 2-1-1-5-2-2-1,14

CLASS B-PHRF 7 (9 boats)
Whacko (Soverel 33), Norm Dean, Boston, Mass.,8-3-3-4-1-1-2,22

CLASS C-PHRF 8 (8 boats)
Eclipse (Frers 33), Warren Hudson, Boston,Mass., 3-1-1-1-12-2,11

CLASS D-J/80 (25 boats)
352, Kerry Klingler, Larchmont, N.Y.,1-1-1-1-12-10-1, 27

CLASS E-PHRF 9 (15 boats)
Dream Cookie (Tripp 26), Peter DeBeukelaer,Jackson, Miss.,1-2-1-3-1-2-1,11

CLASS 5-PHRF 10 (10 boats)
Rugger (S2 7.9), John and Jeff Sampson,Detroit, Mich.,1-2-3-4-3-3-4,20

DIVISION III

CLASS A-MELGES 24 (59 boats)
Zenda Express, Harry Melges, Zenda, Wis.,1-1-10-14-3-1-1,31

CLASS B-J/105 (25 boats)
Tern V, Robert Johnstone, Charleston, S.C.,7-2-4-4-8-2-3, 30

CLASS C-J/29 (17 boats)
Samson, Brandon and Cindy Flack, Stonington,Conn., 2-1-5-2-4-5-1, 20

DIVISION IV

CLASS A-FARR 40 (37 boats)
Pegasus, Philippe Kahn, Santa Cruz, Calif.,2-7-20-12-4-14-1,60

CLASS B-MUMM 30 (31 boats)
Turbo Duck, B&N von der Wense, Annapolis, Md.,1-3-9-4-4-3-4, 28

More Information:

• www.Premiere-Racing.com