Italy’s Vincenzo Onerato, member of the Mascalzone Latino team who has just been eliminated from the America’s Cup Louis Vuitton Challenger Series, has arrived in Paradise Island in the Bahamas to compete in the Rolex Farr 40 world championship.

The four-day event, which begins next Wednesday (13 November), will be preceded this weekend by the MeesPierson Bahamian Championship at which all but a few in the now 25-boat Rolex fleet will compete.

Onerato is bringing with him four of his America’s Cup crewmen to sail as part of team Mascalzone Latino, the same name given to his America’s Cup campaign. “I took immediate action because we enjoy sailing and we love the Farr 40 class,” said Onerato, who finished second at the 1999 Farr 40 Worlds and won both the IMS Worlds and the Mumm 30 Worlds in 2000. “I’m happy to be back.” Onerato, who will charter a boat for both the MeesPierson and the Rolex events, owns two Farr 40s but logistically could not get either to the Bahamas in time. “The MeesPierson Bahamian Championship will give the teams a chance to check out the competition at the same venue and under the same conditions,” said Farr 40 Class Secretary Renee Mehl. “Many of the boats got together in Miami recently, as well, to tune up. There will be some very serious racing at both events.”

The entry list for next week’s event reads like a who’s who including the likes of the two past world champions, Jim Richardson aboard Barking Mad and John Kilroy aboard Samba Pa Ti. Italy’s Antonio Sodo Migliori and Massimo Mezzaroma, who co-own Nerone, should post a strong showing as the current Farr 40 European Champions, with Philippe Kahn and his Pegasus – helped by 1998 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and Whitbread Round the World Race winner Paul Cayard – promising to light a fire under them.

As dark horses, Steve Phillips driving Le Renard, and Terry McLaughlin, steering Defiant also are keen to win. “We haven’t really sailed Defiant in a big fleet before,” said McLaughlin, who bought his boat in March of 2001 to prepare for the Canada’s Cup, a match-racing event that he won in September. “I anticipate it being difficult, especially with this group.” McLaughlin, the Canadian Yachting Association’s 2001 Rolex Sailor of the Year and the 1984 Olympic Silver Medallist in Flying Dutchman class, will bring with him five crew from his winning Canada’s Cup team. Having bought Le Renard only last summer, Phillips will be the other “new guy on the block,” but he comes with a cohesive team that most recently topped the 50-boat fleet at the J/105 worlds. Sailing with Phillips will be Mark Reynolds USA’s three-time Star class Olympic Medallist who was named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in 2000.

Up to four of the typical nine-man Farr 40 crew are allowed to be classified other than Group 1 amateur, while the owners strictly must be amateurs and are the only ones permitted to drive. This combination of class rules has cultivated a tight knit group of owner/drivers who are second to none in ability and a vast pool of talented sailors – both amateur and professional – clambering for crew positions.

Other top crew members at this high profile event include Chris Larson America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race veteran who was named Rolex Yachtsman in 1997. And Great Britain’s Lou Varney and Guy Barron.

Of the other Olympic medallists competing there’ll be Steve Benjamin, 1984 Silver-470 Men (aboard Virago, skippered by Stuart Townsend of Chicago, Ill.); John Kolius,1976 Silver-Soling (aboard Joss, skippered by by fellow Texan Owen Kratz of League City); Robbie Haines, 1984 Gold-Soling (aboard Crocodile Rock, skippered by Santa Barbara’s Alexandra Geremia and Scott Harris); Great Britain’s Iain Percy, 2000 Gold-Finn, and 2002 Star Class World Champion (aboard Katanga, skippered by fellow countryman Robin Patterson); John Kostecki,1988 Silver-Soling, and winner 2002 Volvo Ocean Race (aboard John Kilroy’s Samba Pa Ti); and Jeff Madrigali, 1996 Bronze-Soling (aboard Terry McLaughlin’s Defiant).

Entries (by country)

USA (13)

BAMBAKOU John Coumantaros New York, N.Y., USA

BARKING MAD Jim Richardson Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I. USA

CROCODILE ROCK Alexandra Geremia/Scott Harris Santa Barbara, Calif., USA

FLASH GORDON Helmut Jahn Chicago, Ill., USA

LE RENARD Steve Phillips Arnold, Md., USA

GONE TOO FARR Dave Carrel Belvedere, Calif., USA

GROOVEDERCI Deneen/John Demourkas Montecito, Calif., USA

JOSS Owen Kratz League City, Texas, USA

NITEMARE Tom Neill Berkeley, Ill., USA

PEGASUS Philippe Kahn Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

SAMBA PA TI John Kilroy Los Angeles, Calif., USA

SOLUTION John Thomson Port Washington, N.Y., USA

VIRAGO Stuart Townsend Chicago, Ill., USA

ITALY (3)

BOTTADICULO Giovanni Arrivabene/Andrea Bocchini Massarosa, ITALY

MASCALZONE LATINO Vincenzo Onerato Naples, ITALY

NERONE Massimo Mezzaroma/Antonio Migliori Rome, ITALY

AUSTRALIA (2)

EMOTIONAL HOOLIGAN Marcus Blackmore Sydney, AUSTRALIA

KOKOMO Lang Walker Potts Point, AUSTRALIA

CANADA (2)

DEFIANT Terry McLaughlin Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

HONOUR Alek Krstajic Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

ENGLAND (2)

ASSEGAI Leonidas Christeanakis/Chris Hunt London, ENGLAND

KATANGA Robin Patterson London, ENGLAND

NORWAY (1)

NORWEGIAN STEAM Eivind Astrup Oslo, NORWAY

JAPAN (1)

SLED Takashi Okura Tokyo, JAPAN

GERMANY (1)

MORNING GLORY Hasso Plattner GERMANY/San Francisco, Calif., USA