Australian Farr 40 class set for another busy season

Kokomo and Nutcracker downwind at the MHYC One Design Trophy © Crosbie Lorimer

The long-standing Australian Farr 40 class is assembling for another busy season with a great group of enthusiastic returning owners plus a new father and son team ready to re-enrol at the school of hard knocks that is one design racing.

A social regatta later in September kicks-off the Farr 40's 2017-18 season a month earlier than previous years, then the four weekend regattas staged between Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and Newcastle lead into the NSW title coinciding with the Middle Harbour Yacht Club's (MHYC) established Sydney Harbour Regatta in March. Finally the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) will host the National Championship: John Calvert-Jones Trophy, also in March.

Alan and son Tom Quick took ownership of what was the Farr 40 Transfusion at the end of the 2016-17 season and spent the winter months racing the renamed Outlaw on Sydney Harbour.

On the first season of class racing since their Sydney 38 one design days Tom said: "We will build on our CYCA Winter Series social crew and import a few seasoned Farr 40 people into mix, to hit the ground running. Julian Plante will be tactician and David Chapman is going to start on main, plus we have a few from the Voodoo team. Mark Langford has signed up for most of the season and Pete Sheldrick will be in pit, so we'll have a good number from various high-level programs who will be subbed in and out as they move between classes. Dad and I will share the helming on Outlaw."

Speaking on the requirement for crew weigh-ins for the states and nationals only Tom adds, "It makes it friendlier and easier to get out on the racetrack with competent crew."

Farr 40 fleet at the Newcastle OD Trophy - photo © Allan Coker Photography

Gordon Ketelbey is standing for another Farr 40 association presidency term and says, "It's a solid fleet of ten. Roughly this number reoccurs each season and it's still the very best of one design racing. The class is alive and well and kicking with a strong association and professional administrator. The 2017-18 circuit is similar to last time and MHYC, where five of the 40s live, will run most of the regattas."

Ketelbey's Zen crew finished fifth overall and second Corinthian at this year's Rolex Farr 40 Worlds at Porto Cervo. They'll line up against the 2016-17 season and Australian champion, Martin Hill's Estate Master, and the rest of the strong Sydney fleet plus Newcastle based Good Form and the two Melbourne boats, Double Black and Nutcracker, which were dry-docked in Sydney over winter.

Well-known sailing family, the Treleavens, are planning to add to the Farr 40 tally when the father and daughter team of Ian and Janey join the fleet for the 2018-19 season. The pair bought the former Queensland based boat, The Fat Controller, and plan to spend the next year converting what is now called Finn from offshore mode back to one design.

Entries for the Farr 40 2017-18 season:

1. Estate Master - Martin Hill, MHYC
2. Double Black - Rob Pitts, Sandringham Yacht Club and MHYC
3. Edake - Jeff Carter, MHYC
4. Exile - Rob Reynolds, MHYC
5. Forty - Sam Hill, RSYS
6. Good Form - Joe de Kock, Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club
7. Kokomo - Lang Walker, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
8. Nutcracker – Rob Davis & Andy Baker, SYC
9. Outlaw – Alan & Tom Quick, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
10. Zen - Gordon Ketelbey, MHYC

Regattas and dates: