Evolution and Ichi Ban in Farr 40s

by Peter Campbell on 27 Nov 2004 Sydney yachtsman Richard Perini has his sights on rare double in one-design international racing, aiming to add the 2005 Farr 40 World Championship to the Mumm 30 Worlds he won last month.

The advantage he will have in the Farr 40 Worlds is that they will be sailed on his home waters off Sydney, in fact, virtually the same waters he is sailing this weekend in the Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship.

At the helm of his new Farr 40 OD, Evolution, Perini today won the opening race for the class off Sydney Heads, showing light weather skills he has fine tuned on his overseas campaigns in the Mumm 30 class, also a Bruce Far design.

The Savills SORC is the first regatta in the intensive campaign for Perini and crew to win the 2005 Farr 40 OD Worlds in Sydney in early March, with this weekend’s event being followed by the Rolex Trophy in mid-December and the Australian Championship in February.

Evolution got a clear air start in the ten boat fleet today and took the inshore side of the course to take the race, 27 seconds clear of the Victorian yacht Brighton Star, helmed by sometime ocean racing yachtsman David Gotze, owner of the Volvo 60, Indec Merit.

Only 12 seconds astern in third place came Lang Walker’s Kokomo, which was seven seconds ahead of Belle Property (Chris Meehan) with another six seconds of Marcus Blackmore’s Emotional Hooligan.

With the nor’easter freshening from the morning 7-10 knots to a steady 12-13 knots, CYCA director Matt Allen, with CYCA Vice Commodore Roger Hickman calling the shot, had a runaway win.