Farr 40 European Championship at Hamble Preview

by Farr 40 News 21 Sep 2000 20:34 BST

The Farr 40 European Championships will take place in the Solent hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club from the 22nd to 24th September. The event consists of seven races of which two will be raced on Friday and Sunday and three on Saturday.

The courses will consist of two-mile windward/leeward legs set in the central Solent. This will be part of the continuing preparation and the build up to next year's British Admiral's Cup selection trials and the 2001 Farr 40 World Championships that will be held in Cowes by the Royal Yacht Squadron next September.

Although the fleet appears small with only seven boats entering, it will not dampen the excitement. The class has attracted some very talented British and International sailors, and without a doubt the event will be a closely fought contest.

The Farr 40 was designed to offer fast, exhilarating, cost controlled, fun sailing for owners driving their yachts and is a true Grand Prix boat. For further information about the class please visit the class website at: www.farr40.org

The Boats:

2XL:

Many changes have occurred on 2XL over the year with the final one making David Murrin the sole owner of the boat. This crew have put in much hard work over the year and the many practice weekends have paid off, with them representing England in the 2000 Commodores' Cup. With the hours that they have spent on the water, working closely with John Brinkers and his team from UK McWilliam Sailmakers, they should be a very competitive boat.

A Bit of a Coup:

Had the advantage of attending the 2000 Farr 40 Worlds, but an unfortunate incident meant that the top British spot was taken away from her. Tony and his crew have been concentrating on other One-Design racing this year with success in the gruelling Tour de Voile 2000 in the Mumm 30 as well as racing in the competitive Corel 45 fleet. This will have been a great benefit to their crew work and will no doubt help them in the short windward/leeward courses. They also competed in the successful Channel Island team in this year's Rolex Commodores' Cup.

Dignity:

Fresh from victory at the Rolex Commodores' Cup representing the Channel Islands, Dignity has proven that she is the boat to watch. In Ford Cork Week 2000 they showed moments of excellent speed, but her crew work lacked consistency. However if they manage to iron out these problems she will definitely be in the running for a top overall result.

Game On:

Is the newest boat in the fleet and a delayed delivery meant that the boat has had only two practice weekends prior to the Europeans. Co-owned by John Bainbridge (of Prima 38, White Knuckles fame) and John Oswald, with the later helming. Even though this boat has only been on the water for a few weeks, it is most certainly one to watch. John Oswald has his twin brother Richard calling tactics and as they have proved before with recent success at the Mumm 30 Worlds, this is a winning combination. Also with previous experience in competitive one-design fleets such as the Mumm 36 and the Melges 24 they will settle into the fleet quickly and show some good results.

Hurrycane:

A Swedish boat kept in British waters which sailed at the Europeans last year and although they did not have the most successful championships, they have put much time into the boat this year with increased training in the Solent. Hopefully their hard work will pay off and show some promising results.

Victric V:

Top British boat at the Farr 40 World Championships in Newport, Rhode Island this year. She was part of the top English team in this year's Rolex Commodores' Cup, coming second. Tony de Mulder and his team have had a consistent year and the most time on the International circuit, which has paid off. Throughout the year he has been without a doubt the best boat on the English circuit and will be one to watch.

Warlord VI:

The oldest boat on the English circuit but by no means the slowest. Many weekends spent two-boat tuning with 2XL have produced some fast McWilliam sails and with Tom McWilliam calling tactics this should be an important factor in the boat's performance. Philip has helmed Warlord to victory on many occasions, including the inaugural IRM 2000 Championships in the Solent back in June. The team has been consistent over the year and with only a few crew changes this will surely be another beneficial factor.