RSYS member’s impressive debut at the M30 Worlds

by Peter Campbell on 5 Oct 2007 Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron member Guy Stening won the third race of the Moby M30 World Championship conducted overnight by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda off Port Cervo on the island of Sardinia.

Stening, who has been skippering an M30 (previously called the Mumm 30) for only 18 months, is lying sixth after day one of an exhilarating one-design regatta in the Mediterannean. It is his first international sailing regatta.

It was a day of improving fortunes for Stening and his crew, including Steve McConaghy as tactician, with a 21st in race one, an 8th in race two and then a fine victory in the third race of the opening day of competition for the 39 boats from 14 nations.

The only Australians in the Worlds, Stening is sailing a chartered boat, renamed Optimumm for the regatta, but using his own sails and crew. Ahead of Optimumm are three Italian and two French boats. American Jim Richardson, sailing Barking Mad, who beat the Australians in the pre-worlds, is in 8th place after the first day of the Worlds.

Heading the overall leaderboard is Assotubi Mummyone (ITA), owned by Antonio Mingozzi and Lauro Bonora, followed by Yoann Richomme’s Ann Be (FRA) and Lorenzo Santini’s Uka Uka (Ita).

In Race three today, Guy Stenning’s Optimumm dominated in this race and was followed across the finish line by Matrix Arca TX Active (ITA) and Uka Uka.

At the end of day one Assotubi Mummyone ((ITA) is on 17 points, followed by Anne B (FRA) 19, Uka Uka (ITA) 21, New Caledonia (FRA) 22, Matrix Area TX Active (ITA) 29, Optimumm (AUS), Cheyenne (ITA) 30, Barking Mad 32.

Tomorrow’s forecast predicts similar wind conditions to today with 12-14 knots of south southeasterly breeze. Showers are likely in the afternoon