CYCA Commodore Matt Allen and his team on Ichi Ban have now won the first two regattas for the 2007/8 Australian Farr 40 season. Over the last three days, eight teams have been racing on the waters known as the Palm Beach circle, located off Sydney’s Barrenjoey Headland.
It was a testing seven-race series with the top breeze of 10 knots making for three very long days on the water. The breeze was mostly out of the nor east and very shifty, making hard work for the tacticians trying to pick the best place on the race course.
Race six of the series and regatta leader Ichi Ban initially led the fleet but Guido Belgiorno Nettis’ Transfusion sailed through them to take the lead for the next three legs. It was only at the finish that Ichi Ban was able to gybe and hold Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master out at the finish line to cross one second ahead, and take their fourth win of the series. Transfusion crossed the line another second back in third place. The next finish was equally as close with Lang Walker’s Kokomo sneaking their bow across the line just in front of Brett Neill’s White Cloud and Michael Blumentals’ Quantum Leap.
“It was a tight finish for us and behind us for this race. The three days have been really challenging with the conditions making it hard work out there. We had a couple of really good starts which helped our races. The team did a great job on a long weekend on the water,” said Allen.
As the fleet lined up for the final minute of the start sequence for race seven the breeze dropped out to less than one knot and the race committee decided to abandon the race and bring the fleet back for another attempt.
After waiting for the breeze to build and settle, the fleet got away again in a six knot nor’easter. Estate Master manoeuvred into first place with White Cloud close behind as the race committee decided to shorten the course and finish the race at the top mark.
The first two boats, Estate Master and White Cloud, were also separated by only one second as they crossed the finish line. “We had a tough day on the water but are really pleased to finish the regatta with a win and to be second overall,” commented Martin Hill from Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
The Farr 40 class would like to thank Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for hosting this regatta. The next regatta on the Australian Farr 40 schedule will be the CYCA Farr 40 regatta being held 3-4 November. – Sam Crichton
