Evolution snatches back Farr 40 Worlds lead

by Rob Kothe on 3 Mar 2005 Finally a third race very late this afternoon as Race 6 of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds started in the gloom of an advancing thunderstorm, but it was not so gloomy for yesterday’s series leader Richard Perini, who weathered the storm to re-take his lead by a single point from Marco Rodolfi’s TWT (ITA).

All day the wind, what little there was, had been swinging left and by start time, had shifted to north east, but only at 8-10 knots.

For the first time in the series, Southern Star’s tactician Grant Simmer managed a fast start, to give John Calvert Jones, the 2000 World Champion, the lead at the top mark, with Marcus Blackmore’s Emotional Hooligan (AUS) next ahead of David Urry’s War Games (AUS), Alexis Michas Phish Food (USA) and Barking Mad (USA).

Team Shockwave (AUS) was eighth, while TWT, which was buried off the start line sat in 14th place.

After the top mark rounding, race officials changed the course to 035, as the breeze shifted and built to 12 knots.

Down the run, the top five places did not change, but as is so often the case, Perini attacked and his Evolution climbed from seventh to sixth.

With the wind still swinging left, the course was changed again at the next mark to 030 degrees.

On the final run, Southern Star went unchallenged, as did Emotional Hooligan (Marcus Blackmore), but Perini had the superior downwind speed to finish third ahead of War Games and Barking Mad. Fifth was Team Shockwave. TWT, after her excellent earlier results, had to be content with an eighth place.

After six races, Evolution on 34 points, leads the series narrowly from TWT on 35, with Team Shockwave third overall on 47.

This championship is still wide open with only 24 points separating first and eleventh placings and one day of racing left, but it would seem the 12 point gap between the leaders will mean they will be fighting for the title..

As Evolution Skipper Richard Perini and tactician Hamish Pepper agreed ‘There is just one point between TWT and us so tomorrow we start again.'

TWT Skipper Marco Rodolfi is hoping for strong winds tomorrow, even 20’s, but clearly TWT has done its best work in light breezes.

Evolution leads by just a point, and tactician Hamish Pepper smiled saying, ‘we would not even mind if there is no wind at all.’

More seriously Pepper said, 'we won't be match racing in the first two races. We will see after that.'