It's tight at the top following a days racing in building breeze and big swells
A second row start to the first race of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds 2011
by Transfusion (AUS) did not result in a second rate day for owner
Guido Belgiorno-Nettis. A 4-4-2 scoreline leaves Belgiorno-Nettis in
second place tonight by virtue of countback. Martin and Lisa Hill, with
Estate Master (AUS), hold top honours thanks to two impeccable races and
a 1-8-1 series.
Defending champions Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone
(ITA) showed a crack in their recent cloak of invincibility; a premature
start in the day’s third race blotted an otherwise impressive
scorecard. Finishes of 2-1-10 leaves them in third overnight.
Racing
took place off the Sydney Heads in a significant swell and building
breeze that ranged between 8 and 15 knots from the south-east. The top
three boats are all sporting different helm and tactician combinations,
compared to last year’s worlds. The Nerone duo is certainly the more
familiar pairing. Sodo Migliori was only absent from last year’s win due
to an accident just ahead of the regatta. He and Vasco Vascotto have
been racing recently as though they had never been parted.
Tom
Slingsby was the tactician on Transfusion last year. This time he is on
Estate Master. Change appears good in both cases. On Transfusion,
Olympian, and, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race winner, John Kostecki
has slipped into the role with ease.
Day 1 – Top 10 Provisional Results:
Boat Name, Country, Owner/Helm, R1-R2-R3 TOTAL
1. Estate Master, AUS, Lisa & Martin Hill, 1-8-1, 10
2. Transfusion, AUS, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, 4-4-2, 10
3. Nerone, ITA, Antonio Sodo Migliori & Massimo Mezzaroma, 2-1-10, 13
4. Struntje Light, GER, Wolfgang & Angela Schaefer, 3-13-3, 19
5. Flash Gordon, USA, Helmut & Evan Jahn, 11-2-9, 22
6. Hooligan, AUS, Marcus Blackmore, 13-3-6, 22
7. Voodoo Chile, AUS, Andrew Hunn & Lloyd Clark, 5-9-8, 22
8. Kokomo, AUS, Lang Walker, 19-5-4, 28
9. Sputnik, AUS, Ivan Wheen, 6-12-11, 29
10. Barking Mad, USA, Jim Richardson, 15-10-5, 30
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