Acura SORC 2000 - Day 4

Italian skipper Massimo Mezzaroma enjoys an almost unassailable lead in the hot Farr 40 Class after fortunes tumbled today during the fourth day of competition in the annual Acura Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC). Sailing the chartered boat Dawn Raid, the visiting skipper from Rome, Italy finished fourth and sixth in two races to build a lead 13 points over his nearest competition.

After three days of light air racing, racers in the 59th annual SORC regatta enjoyed ideal conditions, sailing in bright sunshine and a fresh southwesterly breeze that built to 12 to 14 knots as the afternoon wore on.

Mezzaroma and his crew have been consistent all week, finishing the opening day of racing on Wednesday in third place and moving up to second overall on Friday. There was no racing for the Farr 40 Class on Thursday after near calm conditions forced officials to abandon racing for the day.

Today, class leader George Andreadis, from Athens Greece sailed his Atalanti XI to a ninth and a 19th place, dropping him to fourth place overall. Mezzaroma moved up to first and 1998 World Champion James Richardson, from Boston, MA recorded a first and a third with his Barking Mad to take over second place.

Racing on the two Biscayne Bay courses finished today and series winners received their trophies at a prize-giving ceremony at the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.

Canadian skipper Dirk Kneulman led all week in the 24-boat International Etchells Class and his Cruel Jane was the overall winner. Kneulman from Toronto, makes his living building the popular 22-foot three-man keelboats and was the World Champion of the Class in 1988. He has raced in the SORC six times - twice as crew and four times as a skipper - but this is the first time he has won. The Canadian faced tough competition from Miamian Tom Piper, who joined with Marblehead, MA, sailmaker Judd Smith to sail Pied Piper. "We won the day on the first day (of competition)," Kneulman said. "Then we held a narrow lead the rest of the week, while Tom picked away at us, gnawing away at our margin."

Barbara Reed of Boynton Beach, FL, won the Hobie World Cup skippering her Hobie 33 Risky Business. A businesswoman who grows tropical flowers, Reed bought her boat five years ago and has raced in the last four SORC regattas. She was in second place after the opening day of racing on Thursday, but moved up to first place after Friday's competition. Today she finished seventh in the record 15-boat fleet to score one and a quarter points more than her nearest competitor. "The SORC is an international regatta," Reed said. "This the goal I wanted."

In the Multihull Class, Fort Lauderdale's John Teloh and his Corsair F-25C trimaran Lunatic Fringe sailed an almost perfect regatta, winning every one of six races but one, when he was second.

The naming sponsor of race week is Acura. Other sponsors include Matusalem Rum and Avalon/South Seas Hotels. Seahorse is the official magazine of the event. Race Headquarters is located at Miami Beach Marina, 300 Alton Road, Miami, FL 33139.

Results, Acura SORC, Day 4:

Farr 40:
1. Massimo Mezzaroma, Dawn Raid, Italy (6-3-1-8-1-4-6), 29;
2. James Richardson, Barking Mad, (12-6-13-1-6-3-1), 42;
3. John Calvert-Jones, Southern Star, AUS (4-2-4-11-18-8-4), 51.

1D35:
1. Robert Hughes, Heartbreaker, (4-4-6-2-1), 17;
2. Dan Cherish, Extreme, Holland, (5-1-5-1-7), 19;
3. Nick & Sandy Worth, Widowmaker, (1-7-3-5-7), 23.

Mumm 30:
1. Phil Garland, Trouble, (1-1-4-4-1), 11;
2. Ploch/Doscher, Xisled, (5-3-1-2-5), 16;
3. Collins/Allerdice, USA-48, (2-5-5-6-3), 21.

J/105:
1. Thomas Coates, Masquerade, (1-1-1-2-1), 6;
2. James Doane, Flame, Naples, (3-2-3-1-2), 11;
3. Watts & Thayer, Juxtapose, (4-3-2-3-3), 15.

IMS:
1. Bache Renshaw, Virago, (1-1-2-1-3-1-1-3), 13;
2. George David, Idler, (3-2-1-3-1-2-2-2), 16;
3. David Lowe, Loco, (2-3-3-2-2-3-3-1), 19.

PHRF 1:
1. George Collins, Chessie Racing, (1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1) 9;
2. Rick Orchard, Grins, (3-3-2-3-2-2-2-2) 19
3. Marty Fisher, Strabo, (2-1-3-2-3-3-3-3), 20.

PHRF 2:
1. Gordon Schiff, The Wall, (2-2-1-1-2-4-2-2), 16;
2. M. Jacobson, Crescendo, (1-1-5-6-4-2-1-1), 21;
2. Bob Limoggio, Spank Me, (3-3-4-4-1-3-3-1), 24.

PHRF Bay 1:
1. John Esposito, Hustler, (1-2-1-1-2-1), 7;
2. Bruce Gardner, L'Outrage, (5-5-2-2-1-2), 16.75;
3. Bert Carp, Remedy, (2-1-6-4-4-4), 20.75.

PHRF Bay 2:
1. Chuck O'Malley, Late Bloomer, (3-1-3-1-3-2), 12.5;
2. Larry Etheridge, Purr-Fect, (4-5-1-3-2-1), 15.5;
3. Tom Seghi, Happy Apple, (2-2-4-2-1-9), 19.75.

Multihull:
1. John Teloh, Lunatic Fringe, (1-1-1-2-1-1), 5.75;
2. Robert Buzzelli, Merlin, (5-4-4-1-2-2), 17.75
3. Doug Harkrider, Rocket Science, (2-2-2-5-3-5), 19.

Melges 24:
1. Scott Elliott, White Loaf, (4-4-1-2-1), 11.5;
2. Paula Zubrzycki, Alize, (1-3-3-8-3), 17.75;
3. Dave Clark, Snickers Workwear, UK (5-2-7-5-5), 24.

Hobie 33:
1. Barbara Reed, Risky Business, (7-1-6-1-7) 21.5;
2. Stu Kevelighan, Stealth, (1-9-4-4-5), 22.75;
3. Win Fowler, Altercation, (9-3-2-8-6), 28.

Etchells:
1. Dirk Kneulman, Cruel Jane, (1-2-2-4-1-8-[DNF]), 17.5;
2. Piper/Smith/Frazer, Pied Piper, (6-5-1-3-3-5-[DNC]), 22.75;
3. Robert Bell, April Silver, (5-1-3-[20]-12-6), 29.75.

More Information: www.acurasorc.com