Kokomo (AUS)- Barking Mad (USA) lead Farr 40's

by Jill Campbell and Vincenzo Frigo on 17 May 2007
Day One of the Rolex Capri Sailing Week, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the Yacht Club Capri. Fiftyone Farr 40, Swan 45, Comet and Mini Maxi yachts set out under clear blue skies and with winds of around 8 knots from south to south west, which would strengthen during the afternoon, reaching 15 knots at times.

The Race Committee set a windward leeward course of approximately 8 nautical miles for the Farr 40 and Swan 45 fleets, while the Comet and Mini Maxi fleets sailed approximately 13.5 nautical miles around the buoys positioned to the north of the island of Capri.

The Farr 40 division, composed of sixteen boats, completed three windward-leeward races today with Kokomo (AUS), owned by Lang and Sue Walker, dominating overall. In the first race Kokomo came in first ahead of Olli Pekka Lumijarvi’s Siragusawa (FIN) which has America’s Cup veteran Dee Smith calling tactics. Massimo Stefano Leporati’s Kismet (ITA) came in third place.

The second race saw Kokomo lead the pack once again, this time followed by two American boats: Helmut Jan’s Flash Gordon took second place ahead of two-time Farr 40 World Champion Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (winner in 1998 and 2004).

The third and final race of the day saw 2003 Farr 40 World Champion Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone (ITA) taking first place after a badly judged start from Kokomo. Barking Mad came in second and Eivind Astrup’s Norwegian Steam (NOR) took third place.

The overall results for this division after today’s racing see Kokomo in first place followed by Barking Mad and Erik Maris’ Twins (FRA) respectively.

Kokomo’s owner, Lang Walker, was happy with his team’s performance overall:

'Today’s conditions suited the boat and we had good crew work and a bit of luck out there. It’s a pretty good result for the first leg of the European Circuit which we intend to take part in. We had a bad start in the third race where we got pushed out to the right but we managed to fight our way back through the group and we were very happy with how we finished after a very bad start!'

Tactician on board Barking Mad and former Volvo Ocean race skipper Bouwe Bekking, is optimistic about the week ahead:

'Well tomorrow it looks like a little bit less wind and probably a lot of rain, but here in Europe you get used to bad weather and you just keep sailing, normally we don’t make too many mistakes and normally in the Farr 40 regattas when you finish in the top eight every race you normally finish on the podium and of course, we like to finish on the podium. Kokomo had a fantastic day today, so well done to them but tomorrow’s another day and there’s still a lot of racing to go.'

For the Swan 45 division only, today’s racing was a warm-up and will not be included in the official scoring for the event. Competition was fierce none the less with Dick Weismann’s Vixen (USA) taking the top spot in the first race ahead of Danilo Salsi’s DSK Comifin (ITA).

Both competed in the Rolex Swan Cup 2006 where Salsi took first place with a convincing lead over Weismann. With the practice day over and the crews having got to grips with the waters of the Gulf of Naples, racing will start in earnest tomorrow.

The all-Italian Comet division saw Maurizio Biscardi’s Libertine (ITA) with Russia’s Serghei Chevtsov at the helm; take first place in corrected time. Last year’s division winner Nur, owned by Guido Morisco, crossed the line at the head of the thirteen strong fleet, but dropped back to third place on handicap behind Alberto Franchella’s Aria TX Active.

A similar situation in the Mini Maxi fleet saw Giorgio Ruffo’s Aleph (ITA), last years division winner, cross the finish line first, before moving to second place on corrected time behind Massimo Violati’s Ops 5 (ITA). Third place went to Antonello Morina’s Sei Tu II (ITA).

On site meteorologist Major Filippo Petrucci predicts winds of approximately eight to ten knots from 290 to 300 degrees for tomorrow, while conditions will be overcast with a chance of rain in the morning, improving as the afternoon goes on but remaining variable. Racing is due to start at 12 midday.