Class stalwarts duel in Farr 40's at Savills SORC

by Peter Campbell on 24 Nov 2007 Farr 40 One Design class stalwarts Marcus Blackmore and Neville Crichton are in a close duel for top honours after the first day of racing in the Savills 30th annual Short Ocean Racing Championship.

Sailing three windward/leeward races in a southerly breeze that reached 20 knots in the morning but eased away to 12-15 knots in the afternoon, the two 'owner/drivers' each won one of the first two races - with just seconds the winning margins.

Blackmore, at the helm of Hooligan from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, with Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards as his tactician, won the first race by 12 seconds from Crichton at the helm of Lang and Sue Walker's Kokomo from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Just 36 astern in third place was Transfusion, skippered by Guido Belgiorno-Netti, from the host club, Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

Crichton reversed the result in race two, with a winning margin over Blackmore of 48 seconds. This time third place went to Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron member Ivan Wheen with Sputnik, his first race back in Australia after placing fourth in the Farr 40OD world championship in Denmark in September.

Race three saw Blackmore notch up a second win, with Sputnik in second place, Kokomo third, just 28 seconds between the first three boats.

This left Hooligan on 4 points at the end of the day, Kokomo on 6 points and Sputnik on 9 points with three races to sail tomorrow on the Macquarie Circle, south-east of Macquarie Light.