Farr 40 One Design Trophy at Sydney SORC - Day 1

Farr 40 One Design Trophy at Sydney SORC day 1 © Jon Reid / SaltWaterImages

Farr 40 One Design Trophy at Sydney SORC day 1 © Jon Reid / SaltWaterImages

Farr 40 One Design Trophy at Sydney SORC day 1 © Jon Reid / SaltWaterImages

Transfusion leads in Sydney

Olympic gold medallist and America's Cup winning strategist Tom Slingsby worked his magic on day one of the Aberdeen Asset Management Farr 40 One Design Trophy as tactician on Guido Belgiorno-Nettis' Transfusion.

This evening, Saturday November 30th, Transfusion holds a slender lead over Lloyd Clark's Voodoo Chile after four races.

Transfusion's innings opener was shaky. They narrowly avoided a collision with Martin and Lisa Hill's Estate Master and made sure the race officials on the start boat were fully awake at the start of the maiden race of the two-day series.

"The crew had to fend off to stop us hitting the start boat," said Belgiorno-Nettis. "We did our penalty turn and started last; to come back to second in that race was quite an achievement. Tom [Slingsby] applied his magic, he found us the right lifts and knocks and we got back in synch."

It's been years since Belgiorno-Nettis and Slingsby paired up. Slingsby's Olympic and big boat campaigns have kept him pretty busy in the last couple of years. The last time he was on a Farr 40 was for the 2011 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Sydney sailing on Estate Master.

"That was my last time sailing with a spinnaker pole," Slingsby said dockside this afternoon at host club, Middle Harbour Yacht Club. "It was excellent to get back in the class today; there are lots of familiar faces and friends".

Oodles of experience, a cool head, and an uncanny ability to read the wind are fundamental to Slingsby's brilliance. He reckoned patience won today. "It was a tricky day. Racing in a southerly up to Watsons Bay top mark you had to really stay patient. It was a case of 'my turn your turn'. The ones who did well were the ones who waited for the shifts".

Belgiorno-Nettis also paid tribute to trimmer Joe Turner, a champion Moth sailor who grew up with Slingsby and has added his name to Transfusion's crew list aiming for next year's worlds in San Francisco.

"The visitors have come and tomorrow we will give our nemesis, the 'Tasmaniacs' a good run for their money," the Australian Farr 40 class president warned.

'Tasmaniacs' is Belgiorno-Nettis' term of endearment for the Voodoo Chile crew who are sitting in second by one point. Given the tight margin the young component of the crew have been instructed not to hit the town tonight by the older, more sensible heads. "They don't usually take any notice so I can't guarantee anything," laughed owner Lloyd Clark.

"We are pretty happy with our results," he added. "Conditions were difficult but our crew did a fantastic job. It was a very difficult for the tacticians, the wind was shifting and changing direction quite often."

On taking on the strong Sydney contingent on their home ground Clark says, "We learn something every time we race against them".

Voodoo Chile is Lang Walker's second Kokomo on charter to the Taswegians. Clark is wondering whether they might be asked to swap boats.

A second Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania crew, Stephen Boyes' Wired, has the third spot on the pointscore and a fair gap to close if they are planning to derail the frontrunners.

Walker's Kokomo is in fourth, on par with Estate Master's 16 points which has them sitting in fifth.

This weekend's Aberdeen Asset Management Farr 40 One Design Trophy is being conducted in conjunction with Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship.

This evening all Farr 40 crews enjoyed a dock party thanks to Aberdeen Asset Management. Tomorrow the class' naming rights sponsor will entertain on the harbour.

PRO Phil Yeomans was pleased with the opening day in 10-13 knot sou'easters and a comfortable swell, and was unfazed by the close encounter with Transfusion. "It was all very pleasant today; there were no issues or recalls," Yeomans said.

Racing is due to start at 11am inshore tomorrow, Sunday 1 December 2013, with two or three races completing the Farr 40 weekend regatta. Light south-west to south-easterly breezes are expected to turn east to south-easterly 10-15 knots late morning.

Results after Day 1: