2013 Results and Reports

Edgartown, Mass., Martha’s Vineyard (July 16, 2013) – It’s getting down to the wire for the Farr 40 Class, with several teams close, if not neck-and-neck, on points as they head into the Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship, the fifth and final event on the 2013 U.S. Circuit Championship. Scheduled from July 24-27 off Martha’s Vineyard, the North American Championship’s four days of racing will be co-hosted by the Farr 40 Class and Edgartown Yacht Club and contested by an international fleet of 11 Farr 40s representing six countries.

“The teams will be battling it out for either the North American crown or the U.S. Circuit title or both,” said Farr 40 Class Director Geoff Stagg (Annapolis, Md.), “so there is really going to be a lot going on and a lot to follow—all very exciting.”

Defending North American Champion Jim Richardson (Newport, R.I./Boston, Mass.) and his team aboard Barking Mad currently hold the circuit championship lead with a total of 91 points, only two points ahead of current runner-up Alberto Rossi (Ancona, Italy) and his team aboard Enfant Terrible.

“This is very close competition, and we’re looking forward to racing against a lot of good teams in Martha’s Vineyard,” said Richardson, who also is a three-time world champion (1998, ’04, and ‘09), while Rossi claimed second at the Worlds last year.  He acknowledged Enfant Terrible’s two 2013 circuit event victories, one having been at the Farr 40 East Coast Championship in Annapolis, and the most recent at the 159th New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex where Barking Mad had to settle for second place on the final day of racing after losing on a tiebreaker to Enfant Terrible. (Richardson won the first of the 2013 circuit events – Quantum Key West Race Week, which served as the Farr 40 Mid-Winters—and finished third at the East Coasts.)

Read more ...

German entry, skippered by Wolfgang Schaefer led at the end of all four days

MIAMI BEACH - Most Farr 40 regattas comes down to the last leg of the last race on the last day. This one was even closer than that!

The Miami Beach Invitational was decided by two incredibly close finishes that happened just seconds apart. First, Enfant Terrible edged Plenty by a bow length in the battle for first. No sooner had those boats crossed the line than Struntje Light nipped Flash Gordon 6 by less than half a boat length in the fight for third.

Those two results made all the difference as skipper Wolfgang Schaefer and his team on Struntje Light scored a narrow one-point victory over Plenty. Had either of those two head-to-head battles gone the other way, skipper Alex Roepers and the boys aboard Plenty would have been the overall winners.

"That is exactly the way we like it. Very close, very exciting racing," said Schaefer, who earned his first Farr 40 class victory since the 2010 Sardinia Cup.

It was an impressive performance by Struntje Light, which led at the end of racing all four days of the regatta. Peter Holmberg called tactics as Schaefer steered the German entry to a pair of first place finishes and three runner-up results in the 10-race series to post a low score of 31 points.

Read more ...

Struntje Light hangs on to lead while Barking Mad, Enfant Terrible make moves

Miami Beach, Florida, USA: A three-race day at the Miami Beach Invitational shuffled the fleet like a deck of cards. Struntje Light maintained its lead for the third straight day, but Barking Mad and Enfant Terrible made major moves on Friday as the overall standings scrambled like eggs.

It was a big afternoon for Barking Mad, which stood fifth in the seven-boat fleet after two days of action. Skipper Jim Richardson won the first race then followed with a second and fourth to move up to third overall with 29 points.

"We talked about this being a crucial day of racing and that it was important to put up some strong results," Richardson said. "Our goal was to get close to the lead and give ourselves a chance to win on the last day. It appears that we succeeded."

Barking Mad captured class honors at Quantum Key West 2013 in January, but found itself in an unusual position after the opening day of racing here in Miami - last place. Richardson's crew picked up two places on Thursday then really hits its stride on Friday.

Read more ...