Team Perini wins Farr 40 Worlds

by Di Pearson on 4 Mar 2005 In a nail-biting all-Australian showdown, the Richard Perini skippered Evolution (AUS) has won the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in a countback situation with another Australian entry, Neville Crichton’s Team Shockwave, sailed off Sydney Heads this afternoon.

Going into today’s final race, Perini and Crichton, both from the host club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, knew what they had to do to win the series. Crichton actually had the more consistent results today with a 4-6-9 score, compared to Perini’s 9-2-21 that scraped him through to win.

The Team Shockwave crew, with North’s Michael Coxon on tactics, did everything in their power, Coxon, used to being in the winners box, his latest win the Etchells national crown in January.

Italian entry, Marco Rodolfi’s TWT, surged back to sixth place in the final race after mediocre results in the earlier two races to take a well deserved third place overall. Steve and Fred Howe’s Warpath with world-famous Paul Cayard on tactics finished, 11th in the final race, but it was enough to give them fourth place overall.

Spectators, officials and media alike held their collective breaths as they watched the drama unfold, with Team Shockwave closing the points gap on Evolution throughout the day’s final three races.

In an act of defiance, defending champion, Jim Richardson (Barking Mad, USA), won the final race from David Gotze’s Brighton Star (AUS) and Joe Fly (Giovanni Masparo (ITA). Gotze, a Melbourne businessman, was thrilled with his two second places in the series, as he has not been a major player on the circuit, but had the advantage of Steve McConaghy calling tactics for him.

On coming ashore, Jim Richardson said, ‘that was the closest and hardest regatta ever. I’m glad I got that win in today.’

This World Championship gives Perini his second consecutive world title, having won the Mumm 30 World Championship in September last year.

Competing alongside Perini this week was Philippe Kahn from Honolulu (Pegasus) who finished 18th at these Rolex Farr 40 Worlds. Kahn also competed alongside Perini at the Mumm 30 Worlds, finishing eighth on that occasion.

Most will agree that Perini’s win owes a lot to a number of his crew who shared his Mumm Worlds win as well and include Sydneysiders; Tristram Eldershaw, Chris Cook, Jason Rowed and Darren Jones.

Added to the equation was one of Australia’s top match racers, Michael Dunstan, fresh from his win of the Hardy Cup last month, Club Marine’s Peter Ryan, Nick Cleary, Traks Gordon and Kiwi tactician, Hamish Pepper.

Many have praised the talents of Pepper, who finished seventh in the Laser class at the Athens Olympics, his efforts here only reaffirming his talent.

The Perini crew, obviously elated with their win and shortly after defending champion Richardson sprayed the crew with champagne, both Perini and crew Darren Jones tossed into the tide on their arrival back at the CYCA, as Perini’s wife Linda and son looked on.

Hamish Pepper, describing the last run to the finish of the final race said, ‘it was pretty tough – pretty tricky. The level of stress onboard was very high. I knew we had to gain a few places and thought: what have we done.’

Did Perini realise they had won?

‘We knew 10 minutes after it was all over – we checked. There were no slouches here and my crew gave 100 percent. The more we sail together it helps.’

Pepper agreed, ‘the longtime bonding of any crew goes a long way towards winning a regatta. I only joined this crew at the last Worlds and this team always does a good job.’

Perini cites his win in Race 3 as ‘the sweetest moment, but today was the most tense.’

From here, Perini will contest the next Mumm Worlds and will represent Australia at the Admiral’s Cup in July, whilst Pepper will also contest the next Mumm Worlds, but on a rival boat, Arriverderci and is contemplating another Olympic campaign, this time in the Star class.