REGATTA GEAR

There was plenty of action at the Farr 40 Australian National Championship, which took place March 2-3, 2012, at Sydney Harbour, and the Regatta Gear team was there to soak up the fun.

The Farr 40 Australian National Championship was hosted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS), based out of Port Jackson, the natural harbor of Sydney, Australia.  The Farr 40 is a 40-foot one-design sailboat.  One-Design is a racing method in which all boats have identical (or very similar) designs or models.

At the Farr 40 Australian Nationals, Regatta Gear sponsored and outfitted the entire crew and dockside support team of “Forty,” raced by good friends Sam Hill and Steve Barlow.

In their first major competition, the “Forty” crew did extremely well up against two world champions, finishing fourth out of a field of 10. The sailors were competing for a chance to race in the 2012 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship to be held at the Chicago Yacht Club, September 17-20.

Forty got away to a great start in Race Two, leading the fleet off the line.  Thundering downwind in the building breeze, boats were skating across the course and zigzagging to avoid the fleet of 18-foot skiffs that were making their way up the Harbour in the opposite direction. A big gust hit the fleet and caused “Kokomo” to do an involuntary gybe, forcing “Forty,” which was planing alongside, to make some fast maneuvers to narrowly avoid their stern.

The reigning World Champions aboard “Transfusion” (Guido Belgiorno-Nettis) sailed their boat flawlessly to win the Championship with a near-perfect scorecard.

The Rolex Farr 40 World Championships is the pinnacle event of the calendar with the highest level of competition – the Olympic, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race Veterans are among this strictly Owner/Driver Class.  The Farr 40 Class maintains an extensive international schedule that revolves around regional fleets in the U.S., Australia, Southern Europe and the Nordic region.

Check out our video to see some of the action.