Targé provisional winner of Rolex Trophy
by Peter Campbell on 19 Dec 2004
On Targé for a win Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
After four days and eight races, just one point separated Sydney yachtsman Steven David’s 60-footer Targé and New Zealander Stewart Thwaites’ 98-footer Konica Minolta at the end of the prestigious Rolex Trophy off Sydney Heads today.
In perfect sailing weather, a north-easterly sea breeze that freshened from 12 knots to 18 knots and kicked up a short wave chop that almost produced surfing condition, Konica Minolta scored a runaway double of line and IRC handicap honours in offshore races.
The Kiwi supermaxi’s performance enabled it to almost close the five-point margin held by Targé going into today’s races. However, overall results are provisional because of hearings by the race committee into yesterday’s race seven when only nine boats finished within the time limit.
After discarding its worst race, Targé, the Reichel/Pugh 60 which as Wild Oats was the champion yacht at the Admiral’s Cup, finished with 377 points, just one point ahead of Konica Minolta on 376 points, with the Nick Lykiardopulo’s UK-based Ker 55, Aera, placing third overall on 355 points, fourth going to Geoff Ross’s newly IRC-optimised Judel/Vrolijk 52, Yendys on 351 points.
The protest committee at the Rolex Trophy has upheld the applications for redress lodged by four competitors who were recorded as DNF for being outside the time limit in race six.
All yachts will now be recorded as finishers in that race and new corrected time results will be issued.
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