2014 NSW STATE TITLE – DAY 3 MEDIA RELEASE

12 JANUARY 2014 – MEDIA RELEASE
Transfusion’s landslide NSW Farr state title win

Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion governed the Aberdeen Asset Management Farr 40 NSW State Title from the outset and after two final races in light sou’easters on Sydney Harbour today, Sunday 12th January 2014, was declared state champion.

“We were pretty well into it on the scoresheet, we just needed to consolidate today,” said Belgiorno-Nettis. “Even though we didn’t take any bullets we sailed well in extremely difficult conditions with many opportunities for getting it right, and wrong.

“The team I’ve put together for the Farr 40 worlds have sailed with us on and off for years. I’d have to say it’s probably the best crew we’ve ever assembled.”

The challenge for Transfusion post the John Calvert-Jones nationals February 19-22, 2014, in Hobart is keeping the discipline and skills up in the Australian Farr 40 off-season while the Americans will be well into their summer season and racing right up to the October event in San Francisco.

Lang Walker’s Kokomo finished second overall in the three-day regatta, 17 points off the lead boat.

“It was a great regatta, very well organised,” said Walker. “Conditions were tricky in the harbour with the traffic. We almost wore a ferry yesterday and it took so long to pass we believe it was a new kind of stretch ferry rather than a normal ferry,” he joked.

“Our crew worked very hard and did a great job to just scrape into second. Guido sailed a fabulous regatta; congratulations to him. We’ll have to get him next time.”

Jeff Carter’s Edake (pronounced Ed-ache) finished third by one point and was the first Corinthian boat. Merely four points separated second to fifth, an incredibly close tussle over 10 races for the series’ minor placings.

Carter has been slogging it out in the Farr 40 class since 2006 and today the Middle Harbour Yacht Club member deservedly collected his first podium place. “This is our first ever podium finish on a scratch result and I‘ve been at it for seven years. Over that time I’ve seen my fair share of last positions. The Australian fleet is now very close.”

Carter reckons he was spurred on racing against his second Edake, on loan to Gordon Ketelbey and renamed Zen for this NSW State Title.

“We had our other boat racing against us and after they beat us in the first race we decided we needed to get going. The crew work came together and Evan Walker did an excellent job on tactics. He’s also put a great team of young guys and experienced Farr 40 sailors together for the season.”

The fine result means Carter is now under pressure from the crew to take the boat to Hobart for the Tasmanian states and national title on the Derwent River next month. “You only live once…maybe I can live twice and contest the nationals!” Carter added.

Edake is the name of the Flying 11 that won Carter his first Australian title in that class. He’s kept the moniker and has expanded on the theme with other boats called Migraine Edake, Splitting Edake and Looming Edake.

Voodoo Chile appeared to stage the comeback of the weekend until they agreed to retire from race 9 rather than go to the protest room with Kokomo for a top mark rounding incident.

Skipper Lloyd Clark was disappointed but circumspect, “Unfortunately Kokomo protested us in the first race and after discussing back at the dock we decided we’d retire, which added another six points to our tally. This put us back to fifth from second.

“It’s very disappointing but that’s the way it goes. We are really happy how we sailed.”

The intensity of this season’s Farr 40 competition ramped up noticeably during the Aberdeen Asset Management Farr 40 State Title, “It must be the Tasmanians in the mix, I think we’ve rattled the others,” agreed Clark.

On Hobart staging the first Farr 40 nationals to be held outside Sydney Clark added, “We are really looking forward to hosting the mainland boats down south on the beautiful Derwent River. Hopefully as many Farr 40s from the other states can come.”

Racing was delayed by an hour this morning and the start line shifted from Rushcutters to Taylor’s Bay by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Principal Race Officer Rod Ridley and his team.

Race 9 got underway at in 8-10 knot SE winds with more south for race 10 and an upwind finish to close the series. A third race was discussed but not viable given low storm clouds were playing havoc with the breeze.

“Aberdeen has been a fantastic supporter of the Farr 40s,” said class president Belgiorno-Nettis. They were on the water again today with their guests and we could hear 470 champion Will Ryan commentating.”

The next event on the calendar is the Aberdeen Asset Management Tasmanian State Title 15-17 February, 2014.

Further information:
Jennie Hughes OR Lisa Ratcliff
Farr 40 Class Administrator On Course Communications
M: 0407 387 302 E: farr40australia@gmail.com M: 0418 428 511 E: lisa@occ.net.au