An 8-knot south-easterly greeted the Farr 40s off North Head outside Sydney Harbour today with overnight leaders Neville Crichton and Dick Voorderhake sailing some fantastic one-design racing in the final three races in the Rolex Trophy Series. For someone who was rusty in the class Crichton sailed consistently to win the regatta, with Voorderhake and his crew on Rapscallion always keeping the pressure on.

In race six Rapscallion and Team Shockwave got away well from the line with Team Shockwave starting mid way down the line. During the first upwind leg Lang Walker’s Kokomo had to do a penalty turn after trying to cross Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad, which put them at the tail end of the fleet going into the first top mark. Rapscallion raced to the front of the fleet at the top mark and remained in this position to take the gun in race six with Barking Mad finishing behind them in second.

The breeze started to lighten off during race seven which forced the race committee to finish the race upwind after the third leg. Rapscallion sailed a textbook race to get out in front at the first rounding and extend their lead by two and a half minutes at the second mark after sailing a two-gybe leg. Team Shockwave crossed the line behind Rapscallion in second, which kept the pressure on in the point score.

With the new breeze filling in the race committee had to reset the course for a building easterly. Team Shockwave had the best start of the fleet at the boat end with main competition Rapscallion having a slower start. Neville Crichton’s crew sailed well to secure the lead and continued to pull away from the fleet on each leg. At the first top mark Rapscallion rounded in fifth place with Barking Mad in seventh. On the first downwind run Rapscallion made up lost ground to come into the mark and gain rights inside the whole fleet and round in second position. Richardson, winner of last year’s event picked the right side of the course and at the last top mark had moved up the fleet to second with Rapscallion third.

The finish of the last race of the series had Team Shockwave well ahead but Rapscallion and Barking Mad had to fight it out for second and third places over the line and for the places in the point score.

Racing for the Farr 40 fleet will continue next year with the Alfa Romeo Twilights series, the Joico Regatta and the Rosemount Nationals. The following year the Farr 40 World Championships are being held in Sydney with a number of overseas team expected to head down under to compete.

Overall Results

1st Team Shockwave (N. Crichton – CYCA) 4,1,2,2,4,3,2,1 18pts

2nd Rapscallion (D.Voorderhake – CYCA) 5,2,3,2,5,1,1,2 21 pts

3rd Barking Mad (J. Richardson – NYYC USA) 6,5,4,3,1,2,4,3 28 pts

4th Weapon (R.Skinner – CYCA) 2,4,1,6,7,5,6,6 37 pts

5th Kokomo (L. Walker – CYCA) 1,3,7,5,6,7,5,5 39 pts

6th Emotional Hooligan (M.Blackmore – RPAYC) 7,7,5,4,3,4,3,7 40 pts

7th Panther (S.O’Rourke – CYCA) 3,6,6,7,2,6,7,4 41 pts