A total of 37 boats from 11 nations representing the cream of owner-driver keelboat sailing and a veritable ‘who’s who’ of international yacht will be on the startline this morning at Porto Cervo, Sardinia for the sixth Rolex Farr 40 world championship.

Racing in the 10-race regatta organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda continues through to Saturday with two races scheduled for the first and last days. The second and third days will see three race starts attempted.

On the dock the talk is of how the form shown at the most recent Farr 40 event, held in Porto Rotondo several miles down the coast from Porto Cervo over the weekend, will evolve through this regatta. After seven races it was Mark Heeley’s GBR-25 that won from Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone and Tony de Mulder’s Victric. Four previous Rolex Farr 40 world champions are on the entry list for this year’s event, including Steve Phillips’ Le Renard the defending champion.

The wind conditions last night topped 30kts from the north-west with the forecast of not much change throughout the day.