March 10, 2008
by Mean Machine Sailing Team
10 Mar |
0 comments
Farr 40 competition is more than steep, and in such tight racing there’s no margin for error. Mean Machine has experienced the high price of such a competitive fleet, the mighty Farr 40 class.
Last Thursday, March 6th, the 2008 Acura Miami Grand Prix kicked off in Florida waters, with 10 Windward-Leeward races set for weather that ended up delivering some 25-knot gusts of breeze.
28 Farr 40 entries lined up off South Beach with some common ambitions between their teeth: to win the Acura Miami Grand Prix, to take the combined Acura Grand Prix combined trophy, and to prepare for the World Championships, taking place in just over a month’s time, in these very same waters.
Yet again, Peter de Ridder, along with Mean Machine ‘vaterans’ such as Ray Davies, Dirk de Ridder and Jono Swain faced some of the sport’s toughest competition with the Mean Machine Farr 40, ahead of the star event of the season: The Farr 40 World Championships.
Peter de Ridder’s crew opened the regatta with a 6th and 19th place finish, caused by a bad start that left the team little room to move. Day 2 of the event, with gusts of up to 25-knots blowing, was unfortunately no better for this experienced team. The crew had to do another penalty turn in the first beat, after starting with the leader-group. In the second race it looked like there was a black cloud hanging over the team as they found themselves going back to the starting line following a false start.
There was no hope in moving up to the top of the top of the table in this class that doesn’t allow for mistakes. All that was left to do was for tactician Ray Davies and crew to try to climb up the middle of the table to take one of the valued positions there.
The regatta proved to be a test of consistency, as ever in this competitive class, with Richardson’s Barking Mad and Oronato’s Mascalzone Latino fighting against Fred and Steve Howe’s Warpath for the precious podium places. Mean Machine fought hard at the middle of the table with Hughes’ Heartbreaker, Jahn’s Flash Gordon and Blackmore’s Hooligan, to finish fifteenth, joined on points with the last two.
The Acura Grand Prix Championship combined trophy (scored for both Acura Key West 2008 and the 2008 Acura Miami Grand Prix combined) went to US entry Barking Mad. The final rankings saw the same podium formation as in the Acura Miami Grand Prix, with Mean Machine taking a respectable 7th place in the 28-strong fleet.
ACURA MIAMI GRAND PRIX: Farr 40 (28 entries)
1. Barking Mad, James Richardson (Newport, RI), 2-2-11-18-1-1-1-6-3-17, 62
2. Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato (ITA), 1-1-14-9-6-3-9-12-9-2, 66
3. Warpath, Fred & Steve Howe (San Diego, CA), 5-6-6-3-14-18-5-5-1-4, 67
15. Mean Machine, Ppeter de Ridder (MON), 6-19-20-14-10-19-10-17-6. 131
Farr 40: ACURA GRAND PRIX CHAMPIONSHIP
Position; boat, owner, Home port, KW Pts, Miami, Total
1.Barking Mad James Richardson Newport, RI 29 62 91
2.Mascalzone Latino Vincenzo Onorato Napoli, ITA 29 66 95
3.Warpath-MedImpact Fred & Steve Howe San Diego, CA 61 67 128
4.Twins Erik Maris Paris, FRA 37 106 143
5.Nerone Massimo Mezzaroma YC Punta Ala, ITA 42 122 164
6.Goombay Smash Doug Douglass Newport, RI 62 115 177
7.Mean Machine Peter de Ridder Monaco, MON 61 131 192
