Having gone into the last day of the Pittwater Farr 40 regatta on a three way tie for first place with Guido Belgiorno Nettis’ Transfusion and Lang Walker’s Kokomo, Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master finished up second overall after a 3, 5, 2 in the final three races.
Winner Belgiorno Nettis said ‘I think it’s the brotherly rivalry between our bowman Mitch White and Estate Master’s bowman Morgan White that has given us the same result as our last class event but that could all change next regatta’.
The first race of the day was started in a 10-12 knot NE breeze that gradually built in strength to 21 knots with the increasing swell making for some great surfing action.
Kokomo started the day splitting the three way tie by winning race seven and leading the nine boat fleet around the two lap windward leeward course. Transfusion took second while New Zealander Brett Neill’s White Cloud crossed the line three seconds astern of Transfusion.
Race eight and nine were Transfusion’s from start to finish with the team extending on the lead they established in both races. Gear failure and torn sails made for a difficult day on the race course for a couple of teams while the whole fleet had to dodge a pod of whales who came to see what was going on off Sydney’s Palm Beach.
Given the placings at the top of the last run Estate Master would have finished the regatta third overall. However, some great surfing, steering and trim by the crew saw them move up two places and finish the race second, breathing down Transfusion’s neck.
Estate Master powers into the windward mark
The top three places for this regatta are a exact replica of the top three places from the Pepper’s Anchorage Farr 40 regatta held two weeks ago and as a result Belgiorno Nettis is now leading the 2008-09 Australian Farr 40 circuit.
The Australian Farr 40 class would like to thank the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for hosting the event and Denis Thompson and the race management team for some terrific racing.
The next event in the Australian Farr 40 schedule is the CYCA F40 Regatta on November 15-16 being hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
Score Board
1. Transfusion, G. Belgiorno-Nettis, MHYC, 24
2. Estate Master, Martin & Lisa Hill, MHYC, 29
3. Kokomo, Lang Walker, RPAYC, 32
4. White Cloud, Brett Neill, RNZYS, 35
5. Sputnik, Ivan Wheen, RSYS, 44
6. Hooligan, Marcus Blackmore, RPAYC, 45
7. Wot For, Graeme Wood, CYCA, 62
8. Edake, Jeff Carter, MHYC, 66
9. Easy Tiger II, Chris Way, RPAYC, 68
- Sam Crichton with EM
Follow Farr 40