Farr 40 World Championship - Defining juncture of the season

by KPMS on 24 Jul 2013 The Rolex Farr 40 World Championship is the defining juncture of the Farr 40 Class international racing season. It proposes a fascinating forum for the evenly matched 40-foot racing boats, helmed by skilled and competitive amateur owners and guided by world-renowned tacticians.

Newport, Rhode Island, is the venue for the 16th edition of the championship, which takes place from 27-30 August and will be hosted by the New York Yacht Club. It is the third time that the epicentre of sailing in the United States has welcomed the event that has captivated the sailing community since its inception in 1998.

Fiercely contested, the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship guarantees close quarter sailing, while demanding and rewarding teamwork, consistency and determination. Together with the true sporting conduct of the competition and the participating teams’ quest for perfection, these core values align with those of Rolex, title sponsor of the competition since 2001.

The 2013 edition promises to live up to the regatta’s elevated standards. Nearly twenty international crews are expected to sail in a contest where the margins between success and failure are precarious. Last year’s event which was hosted by Chicago Yacht Club on Lake Michigan was claimed by a local boat, Helmut Jahn’s Flash Gordon 6. Seeking to become the first crew to retain the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship title since 2008, Flash Gordon 6 faces tough competition – most notably from the crews that pushed her closest in 2012 – Alberto Rossi’s Enfant Terrible from Italy and 2011 champion Transfusion, owned by Guido-Belgiorno Nettis of Australia.

The competing yachts are virtually identical, required to comply with strict one-design rules, ensuring that the race is focused on the team that sails best. The array of top-class professional sailors in attendance – up to four are permitted per crew – comprises the pinnacle of the sport. The professional tactician is a core component who must work in harmony with the crew’s skilled amateur owner/helmsman.

The competition is organized by the Farr 40 Class Association. Racing commences on Tuesday, 27 August, with up to 10 short and fast windward/leeward races contested over four days. The triumphant crew is typically the one that demonstrates the finest display of teamwork with complex manoeuvres executed with split-second Farr 40 Worlds website