Mark Heeley's GBR25 sailed an excellent downwind leg to win the eighth race in the nine-race series that will decide the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship
Gavin Brady, calling tactics onboard Steve Kaminer’s Predator here at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, must be kicking himself. A perfect start saw them round the top mark in first place but Mark Heeley’s GBR25 stormed through on the downwind leg, dropping predator to second place. GBR25’s tactician Iain Percy called the right side of the beat and Brady picked wrong. While GBR25 went on to take her second victory, Predator disappeared from the competitive radar and finished seventh.
Tony de Mulder’s Victric sailed a very steady race, holding third place round both marks before climbing to second at the finish. A Bit Of A Fling had something of a rollercoaster race – tenth at the first mark, seventh at the second and third at the finish. She has struggled a little this week and their third place might yet be denied as a protest pends.
At the upper end of the championship table, John Calvert-Jones’ Southern Star, second overall, finished fifth but following them around the course was Russell Coutts and Co. onboard Ernesto Berterelli’s Alinghi. With just one race left to sail, the Swiss America’s Cup team is as professional as ever, covering Southern Star to keep the points difference to a bare minimum, protecting their lead.
Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad has now dropped from third to sixth overall after a twelfth place in race eight. One place ahead of them was the GBR Challenge-powered Dawn Raid, tenth overall after a disappointing series. Third overall is the leading British boat, Philip Tolhurst’s Warlord VII, narrowly ahead of Heeley’s GBR25.
The ninth and last race is scheduled to start this afternoon.
Rolex Farr 40 World Championships, Cowes, 12-15 September
Overall standinds after eight races
Pos. Name – Results – Points1. Alinghi – 5,7,1,-,1,2,5,1,6 – 282. Southern Star – 4,4,7,-,3,3,3,15,5 – 443. Warlord VII – 11,3,2,-,6,17,4,6,15 – 644. GBR25 – 8,15,4,-,18,1,14,9,1 – 705. Victric – 13,9,6,-,2,19,18,2,2 – 716. Barking Mad – 1,10,3,-,4,20,1,18,12 – 737. Aleph – 9,2,16,-,14,10,-,14,10 – 768. Nerone – 2,22,12,-,8,7,13,3,13 – 819. Bambakou – 3,5,8,-,12,16,16,11,14 – 8510. Dawn Raid – 20,11,5,-,7,18,2,12,11 – 86