Perini again successful at Mount Gay Rum Top Jocks

by Lisa Ratcliff, CYCA on 24 Mar 2004 For the second consecutive year, Farr 40 and Mumm 30 yachtsman Richard Perini has stamped his name on the framed white y-fronts awarded to the winner of the Mount Gay Rum Top Jocks Regatta.

With Darren 'Twirler' Jones and Australia's top-ranked youth match racer Michael Dunstan aboard, Perini consistently finished in the top five against a field made up of the who's who of yachting.

Sailing's celebrity line-up included America's Cup sailor Will McCarthy, Olympic and America's Cup sailor Steve Jarvin, 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart winners Michael Spies and Andrew Joyce and well-known ocean racing helmsmen Sean Kirkjian and Roger Hickman.

Steve Jarvin, Will McCarthy and Jeremy Wilmot finished in second place ahead of Tony Kirby, Dave Davies and Adam Barnes.

In a flukey sou'easter that hovered around 12 knots but gusted up to 18 knots at times, some crews took a while to settle into the Elliott 6's with Sarah Willmot too quick through one tack, landing her in the harbour before her crew realized she was no longer on board.

'I wore my swimmers for today but I didn't think I'd need them so literally,' laughed Sarah afterwards.

Other incidents included a collision between two Elliotts, a mainsail problem on one of the boats that delayed the start of Race 5 by 40 minutes and the inevitable meeting of the different classes on the racetrack that saw Matt Day rightly call starboard on an 18-footer, leaving them stranded in amongst the Elliott fleet.



At the prize presentation this afternoon, Glen Burrin from Mount Gay Rum acknowledged that this regatta, which was resurrected last year, is about 'the best of the best' competing.

'We are proud to be involved in the Mount Gay Rum Top Jocks Regatta and we are looking forward to supporting the event next year,' he added.