Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship - Day 2
by Sam Crichton 23 Feb 2008 11:15 GMT
22-24 February 2008
Kokomo maintains lead in Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship
Day two of racing in the 2008 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship was held today off Sydney Heads on the area known as the Macquarie circle. Lang Walker’s Kokomo scoreboard of three second places for the day kept them in the front of the 10 boat fleet with a separation of seven points.
The three races gave every teams surfing skills a work out as the four metre swell provided plenty of liquid mountains to conquer. The day started out with the breeze in the south and by the end of race six for the series the 14 knot breeze had swung to the south east.
Ivan Wheen’s Sputnik was the boat of the day with two bullets and a fourth place moving them up the leader board to second overall on a countback from Guido Belgiorno Nettis’s Transfusion.
“It was hard work out there today with the swinging breeze and the large swell to contend with”, commented Sputnik tactician Tom King.
Racing as crew members on a number of the Farr 40's competing are Australian Olympic representatives. Sailing with Transfusion as tactician is Laser sailor Tom Slingsby and 49er representative Nathan Outteridge is on Estate Master both will be representing Australia in Beijing this August. Former Olympians Colin Beashel and Tom King are tacticians on Kokomo and Sputnik respectively.
Three of the teams racing in this regatta will soon be lining up against their fellow Farr 40 classmates at the 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Miami in April. Kokomo, Marcus Blackmore’s Hooligan and Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master will fly the Australian flag in what is expected to be a 35 boat fleet.
Racing for the 2008 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Championship finishes tomorrow, with the forecast for light winds, turning moderate from the south east. Two winners will be announced – the 2008 Hamilton Island Farr 40 Australian Champion and the winner of the 2007-08 Australian Farr 40 Circuit.
Provisional Results after Day 2:
1 Kokomo, Lang Walker (CYCA) 13pts
2 Sputnik, Ivan Wheen (RSYS) 20pts
3 Transfusion, Guido Belgiorno Nettis (MHYC) 20pts
4 White Cloud, Brett Neill (RNZYS) 26pts
5 Estate Master, Lisa and Martin Hill (MHYC) 30pts
6 Hooligan, Marcus Blackmore (RPAYC) 36pts
7 Orion, Michael Blumentals (CYCA) 39pts
8 Wot Now, Graeme Wood (CYCA) 43pts
9 Night Nurse, Russell McCart (RQYS) 46pts
10 Revolution Edake, Jeff Carter (MHYC) 57pts