Marcus Blackmore’s Emotional Hooligan has taken out the annual Inner Circle Rum Farr 40 Regatta at Pittwater, Sydney. The 10-boat fleet raced off Pittwater on the Barrenjoey circle in picture perfect conditions with a building nor’ east breeze reaching 17 knots.

Keen to get racing the first start of the day had a general recall. The second start had Andy Offord’s Marsim Weapon over the line and having to go back and restart while Marcus Blackmore’s Emotional Hooligan and Steve O’Rourke’s Panther had a pin end start. Richard Perini’s Evolution started mid line and opted for the left hand side of the first upwind leg. The left side of the course paid dividends when Perini rounded the top mark in front and completed the next three legs in the top spot.

Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban and Lang Walker’s Kokomo fought it out for second place swapping the position at each mark rounding. Blackmore pulled three boats back on the second beat and crossed the line in third behind Walker. Perini took the fourth race with a comfortable margin.

An increasing breeze for race five had Allen and Perini taking the pin end for the start line. Perini repeated his previous performance and headed up the left side of the course. Rounding the top mark in first place Perini, with tactician Hamish Pepper onboard, locked into the front spot for a mirror image of the fourth race. Blackmore secured himself in second with third being monopolised by Allen for the whole race. The second time around the top mark Blackmore and Perini fought it out for first place and headed down wind matching each other wave for wave as they surfed to a one second separation over the line. Perini took the win from Blackmore with Allen a close 15 seconds behind in third.

The final race of the regatta had Offord’s Marsim Weapon jump the start again with David Gotze’s Brighton Star at the boat for the start and tacking out to the right for 10 boat lengths then going back to the left. Blackmore came into the start line on port then threw Emotional Hooligan over the start beside O’Rourke’s Panther and Chris Meehan’s Belle Property at the pin.

First round the top mark was Allen’s Ichi Ban with Kokomo in second and O’Rourke Panther attempting to hold onto third had an issue at the mark, letting Perini sneak through into third. Allen maintained his position on the first downwind leg with Perini manoeuvring into second closely followed by Blackmore. Ivan Wheen’s Russian rocket Sputnik sailed a great downwind leg to move from ninth to fourth at the bottom mark rounding.

On the second upwind leg the entire fleet took the left side of the course using the breeze and tide to their advantage. Allen extended his lead with Perini holding onto second place while Kokomo pulling back two boats to slot into third.

Surfing to the finish in perfect F40 sailing conditions Allen took the gun with Perini in second and Walker third. Blackmore crossed the line in fourth enough to give him the regatta, with Wheen’s Sputnik in fifth.

The next regatta for the Australian Farr 40 season will be the Rhodes Waterside Regatta being held November 12, 13 and 14 at Royal Price Alfred Yacht Club at Pittwater.

Overall Results

1 Emotional Hooligan (M. Blackmore-RPAYC) 2,2,1,3,2,4 14

2 Evolution (R.Perini – RSYS) 5,3,4,1,1,2 16

3 Ichi Ban (M.Allen – CYCA) 7,4,5,4,3,1 24

4 Panther (S.O’Rourke – CYCA) 6,1,3,5,5,7 27

5 Brighton Star (D.Gotze – RBYC) 3,6,2,6,6,6 29

6 Kokomo (L.Walker -CYCA) 9,5,8,2,4,3 31

7 Belle Property (C.Meehan – LWYC – NZ) 1,8,7,7,8,8 39

8 Sputnik (I.Wheen – RSYS) 4,7,6,8,9,5 39

9 Marsim Weapon (A. Offord – CYCA) 10,9,9,9,7,10 54

10 Short Shipped (M. Short – RMYC) 8,10,10,10,10,9 57