January 23, 2009 – For Immediate Release
Picture Perfect Conclusion to Acura Key West
--- Winners Celebrate After Ten Hard Fought Races
by Bill
Wagner
Key West, Fla - Winning in Key West always broad smiles
to the faces of skippers and results in much rejoicing
among crew members. This was certainly the case on
Friday following a week long hard fought ten race series
on the waters off the Conch Republic. Beers were
hoisted dockside and hearty handshakes were exchanged.
At the docks in front of the Schooner Wharf, Italian
owner Vincenzo Onorato was overjoyed about capturing
Farr 40 class after a classic final day duel with
longtime rivals Barking Mad and Joe Fly.
“This is absolutely beautiful. We are extremely
happy,” Onorato said. “My only regret is that I will not
be able to get drunk with my crew tonight.”
Onorato had to fly out immediately after racing in
order to get home to Napoli in time to see his
8-year-old daughter perform in a show on Sunday morning.
Tactician Adrian Stead said the rest of the team would
hoist a couple extra cold ones in honor of their
skipper, who steered Mascalzone Latino to first
place in the final race to clinch overall victory at
Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica.
“It was a story of fantastic teamwork and never
giving up. We had a weird day on Wednesday that set us
back, but we kept our heads together and finished
strong,” said Stead, noting that Mascalzone Latino
responded to finishes of ninth and 10th with
a line of 3-2-2-1 in the final four races.
Injury and illness forced Mascalzone Latino to
constantly rotate sailors. There were at least two
members of the regular crew missing every day of the
regatta, but the replacements performed well.
“We rounded the first weather mark in fifth place in
both races today and came back to finish first and
second. That shows the sort of fight in this team,”
Stead said.
Mascalzone Latino and Barking Mad (Jim
Richardson, Newport, R.I.) were tied with 31 points
apiece entering the 10th and final race of
the regatta. Joe Fly, another Italian entry owned
by Giovanni Maspero, was just one point behind.
“It all came down to the last beat and Barking Mad
chose to go hard left while Joe Fly went hard
right. We knew if we covered Barking Mad we could be no
worse than second so that is what we did. It was
desperately close racing and we were fortunate enough to
win both the race and the regatta,” Stead said.
Jeff Ecklund and his motor yacht Starlight are
regular sights at Acura Key West. Docked at The Galleon
alongside Ecklund’s sailboat, members of the Star
crew celebrated on deck after pulling out a tough
victory in Melges 32 class.
Star endured a difficult Thursday with results
of 11th and 12th and found itself
tied with Red (Joe Woods, Torbay, GBR) going into
last two races. Ecklund and tactician Harry Melges made
the right calls as Star posted a fourth and a
second to beat Red by nine points.
“We made it difficult on ourselves with that one bad
day. We had to come out today and get the job done and
we did,” said Ecklund, who repeated as Melges 32
champion at Acura Key West.
Ecklund, who has been semi retired for several years
since making a fortune as a commodities trader in
Chicago, was thrilled to learn that Star had been
selected as Acura Boat of the Week. Melges 32 was deemed
the most closely contested of the regatta with the top
six finishers separated by only 17 points.
Ecklund, 46, grew up racing Scows on the Great Lakes
with Buddy Melges and his son Harry, whose family-owned
company builds both the Melges 32, 24 and the hot new
20. Harry Melges, who is now president and CEO of Melges
Boatworks, serves as tactician on Star.
“It would be hard to do this without Harry. He is one
of the best sailors in the world and I’m fortunate to
have him by my side,” said Ecklund, who began steering
his own boat about six years ago.
UKA UKA Racing concluded an impressive regatta
with a third and a fourth on Friday to secure the title
in Melges 24 class, largest of the regatta with 33
boats. Skipper Lorenzo Bressani and crew were simply
brilliant, winning four races and placing no worse than
fifth in compiling 20 points – seven better than the
Swiss entry Blu Moon, owned by Franco Rossini.
American professional Jonathan McKee, a former Olympic
gold medalist, called tactics aboard UKA UKA Racing,
the reigning world champion which led the regatta from
start to finish.
Vitesse skipper Jon Halbert rewarded his crew
with lunch at the Conch Republic Restaurant after
winning the very evenly-matched Swan 42 class. Three
different boats led the regatta at various points and
all six boats were always bunched together at mark
roundings. Quantum professional Farley Fontenot called
tactics on Vitesse, which entered Friday a point
behind Arethusa (Phil Lotz, Newport, R.I.), but beat its
top challenger in both races.
“It was crazy how close the racing was all week. We
won or lost five races by 30 seconds or less,” Halbert
said.
Halbert, from Dallas, Texas, has heard about the
annual race week off Key West ever since he began
sailing. He has skippered an entry here the past six
years and said it was “absolutely fantastic” to finally
win the prestigious regatta.
“I’ve been dying to win this event practically my
entire adult life. This is very, very rewarding…
definitely one of the highlights of my sailing career,”
Halbert said.
Daniel Woolery and the team aboard Soozal
relaxed in the cockpit of the brand new King 40 at the
dock in front of Turtle Kraals after capturing IRC 2
class. Veteran professional Robbie Haines called tactics
on Soozal, a Mark Mills design that finished
first or second in nine of 10 races.
“The racing was super hard all week. It was a dogfight
every day and we were lucky to have Robbie, who is just
a master at calling the shifts. You can have the fastest
boat in the world, but it doesn’t matter if you’re on
the wrong side of the course,” said Woolery, a resident
of Point Richmond, Cal. “Ultimately, I would credit our
preparation. Scott Eason and I spent six weeks in Palm
Beach and never saw anything but Crackerboy Boatworks,
West Marine, Home Depot and the Comfort Inn. We made
sure the boat was right from front to back.”
Ran,
a TP52 owned by Niklas Zennstrom of Great Britain, put
forth a commanding performance in IRC 1 – winning six
races and leading from start to finish. French Olympic
medalist Thierry Peponnet called tactics for helmsman
Tim Powell.
“We just have a really good team that has been
together a year and knows the boat very well, knows how
to make her go fast,” Powell said. “It was a fantastic
week of sailing. You really couldn’t ask for any better
conditions. Niklas really enjoyed himself and is looking
forward to coming back next year.”
Rhumb Punch capped an incredible comeback in
Farr 30 class, rallying from fourth place on Wednesday
to overall victory. It was the second Acura Key West
crown for the husband-wife team of John and Linda
Edwards of Solomons, Md., who captured J/29 class in
2007.
“We had to beat Kinetic in both races today and
we got it done. We had a couple brutal two-mile tacking
duels with those guys, but everybody on the crew gave me
100 percent today,” Edwards said. “We are a veteran team
that knows how hard it is to win a class in Key West.
This is a real special victory and we’re going to enjoy
it.”
Edwards said the Rhumb Punch team is already
anxiously looking forward to the 23rd edition
of the renowned regatta. The family-based team has been
coming to Key West since 2000 and hope they have another
10 years in them.
“There is absolutely no question we are coming back.
This is the best regatta we’ve ever been involved with.
The racing is always awesome and the night life is
rocking. I can’t think of any other regatta that has the
complete package like this one,” Edwards said.
Premiere Racing president Peter Craig said that plans
for Acura Key West 2010 are already underway. It will
be held no matter what transpires with the economy and
entries.
“This week was typical of the reliable wind conditions
we get here. Ten races over five days is one of the main
reasons why sailors come to Key West. They know they are
going to go racing every day,” Craig said. “To end on a
picture-perfect day with solid breeze, not a cloud in
the sky and the weather warming up was very fitting.”
Craig said Premiere Racing has already heard from
several Key West regulars who did not make this year’s
event due to the economic downturn. “They all
universally assure they will be back next year. It had
to be painful for them to following the regatta on the
internet and see the fleet racing in such superb
conditions.”
You didn’t have to be a winner to have a great time at
Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica. Team
Barbarians, skippered by Stuart Simpson of the
United Kingdom, finished ninth in Melges 32 class.
However, The Barbarians routinely won the party and
thoroughly enjoyed the caliber of competition and
conditions.
“Absolutely, 100 percent,” Simpson said when asked if
he would be returning to the regatta. “Yacht racing off
Key West is simply the best way to spend the third week
of January. Christmas is over and it’s depressing
sitting around waiting for the credit card bills to come
in. It’s much better to take vacation and come down here
for some sun, some fun and some great, great sailing.”
Complete Results, Daily Blog, Photo Gallery and News:
www.premiere-racing.com
For more
information on Premiere Racing, Acura Key West 2009,
presented by Nautica and its Sponsors and Partners:
Premiere
Racing, Inc.
67B Front
Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545 Fax: (781) 639-9171
Email:
Peter@Premiere-Racing.com
Web Site:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Title
Sponsor Acura is the Official Vehicle.
Nautica is the Presenting Sponsor and
Nautica Watches is the Official Timekeeper. Day
Sponsors are Mount Gay® Rum
(Official Rum), Lewmar (Official
Marine Hardware) and Sperry Top-Sider
(Official Footwear). Supporting sponsors are B&G
(Official Marine Electronics) Marlow
(Official Rope) and SLAM (Official
Technical Gear). Supplier Spaten is the
Official Beer.
Acura Key
West is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key
West Tourism Council. The Historic Seaport
at the Key West Bight is the Official Site.
Thirty-six Industry Partners bring their support through a program that is now in its 8th
year.
Learn more about the Industry Partners and the
Program on the event web site.
Acura Key
West 2009
and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix are
US
Sailing sanctioned events.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced luxury
performance vehicles through a nationwide network of
more than 260 dealers throughout the United States. The
2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models, the
RL luxury performance sedan, the TL premium performance
sedan, the TSX premium sport sedan, the turbo-charged
RDX premium sport CUV and the award-winning MDX premium
performance CUV.
For more
information about Acura vehicles, please visit
Acura.com.
For media
inquiries, please go to
Acuranews.com.
Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica
Final Series Results – after 10 Races – January 23, 2009
IRC 1
1. Ran, TP52, Niklas Zennstrom, Hamble, UK,
1-1-2-1-3-1-1-3-4, 18
2. Rosebud/Team DYT, STP 65, Roger Sturgeon, Hyannis, MA,
USA, 3-2-1-2-1-5-4-5-1-1, 25
3. Rio, TP52, Charles Dunstone, Cowes, GBR,
2-4-3-3-4-3-3-2-2-2, 28
IRC 2
1. Soozal,King 40, Daniel Woolery, Pt. Richmond, CA, USA,
2-1-2-5-2-1-1-2-2-1, 19
2. Ngoni, Mills 40,Tony Buckingham, Jersey, UK,
1-2-3-6-1-3-2-1-4-3, 26
3. Gold Digger, J/44, James Bishop, Jamestown, RI, USA,
9-5-1-1-3-4-5-6-1rgd-7, 42
Farr 40
1. Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, Napoli, ITA,
1-1-2-1-9-10-3-2-2-1, 32
2. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, Como, ITA, 3-2-5-9-2-1-4-5-1-3,
35
3. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, USA,
2-4-3-2-1-2-2-10-5-4, 35
Swan 42
1.. Vitesse, Jon Halbert, Dallas, TX, USA,
5-2-2-2-2-2-4-3-2-5, 29
2. Arethusa, Phil Lotz, Newport, RI, USA,
4-3-1-4-4-1-3-1-4-6, 31
3. Celeritas, Malcolm Gefter, Newport, RI, USA,
1-1-3-1-6-6-5-2-6-4, 35
Farr 30
1. Rhumb Punch, John & Linda Edwards, Solomons, MD, USA,
3-2-5-3-2-1-3-4-2-4, 28
2. Mummbles, Brad Kauffman, Annapolis, MD, USA,
4-1-1-5-45-4-3-1-1, 28
3. Kinetic, David Sutcliffe, Vancouver, CAN,
1-3-2-1-3-3-1-6dsq,5,5 30
Melges 32 (with discard)
1. Star, Jeff Ecklund, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA,
1-1-10-1-1-5-11-(12)-4-2, 36
2. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 2-8-3-5-3-1-7-6-(13), 43
3. Argo, Jason Carroll, Larchmont, NY, USA,
3-(13)-5-4-8-11-4-4-2-3, 44
Melges 24 (with discard)
1. UKA UKA Racing, Lorenzo Bressani, Civitanova Marc, ITA,
1-1-(5)-1-1-2-5-2,3-4, 20
2. Blu Moon, Franco Rossini, Lugano, SUI,
4-2-2-2-(7)-6-3-1-6-1, 27
3. Joe Fly, Maspero/Zandona, Como, ITA,
(10)-3-3-4-8-1-2-5-7-9 42
J/105
1. Savasana, Brian Keane, Marion, MA, USA, Brian Keane,
3-2-1-1-2-6-2-3-4-2, 26
2. eclipse, Damian Emery, Mt. Sinai, NY, USA,
2-1-3-2-3-3-3-6-1-5, 29
3. Max Power, Gerrit Schulze, Cape May, NJ, USA,
1-3-5-3-1-1-6-4-3-3, 30
J/80
1. Rumor, John Storck, Jr., Huntington, NY, USA,
1-1-1-3-1-1-4-1-1-2, 16
2. Kicks, William Rose, League City, TX, USA,
2-2-3-1-3-2-6-5-2-1, 26
3. Angry Chameleon, Kristen Robinson, Annapolis, MD, USA,
4-3-2-6-5-5-5-3-9-6, 47
PHRF 1
1. Primal Scream, C&C 115, Steven Stollman, Key Biscayne
,FL, USA, 1-2-1-1-3-2-3-6-4-3, 26
2. Wairere, Thompson 30, Pete Hunter, Kill Devil Hill, NC,
USA, 3-7-6-5-1-3-4-2-1-2, 34
3. Kali, BH 36, Lynn Dell, Pensacola, FL, USA,
5-5-3-4-5-4-2-3-3-5, 39
PHRF 2
1. Good Girl, J/100, Robert Armstrong, St. Croix, USVI,
2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2, 12
2. RUSH, J/109, Bill Sweetser, Annapolis, MD, USA,
1-2-3-2-7-2-3-2-2-1, 25
3. Man-O-War, J/35, Tom Beery / Mark Itnyre, Pascagoula, MS,
USA, 3-3-2-3-2-3-2-4-3-3, 28
PHRF 3
1. Tangent, Cape fear 38, Gerry Taylor, Annapolis, MD, USA,
1-1-1-1-3-2-1-1-1-1, 13
2. L’Outrage, Beneteau 10M, Bruce Gardner, Annapolis, MD,
USA, 2-2-2-2-1-1-3-2-2, 19
3. Seefest, J/29, Ira Perry, Padanaram, MA, USA,
3-3-4.5-5-5-4-2-3-4-4, 37.5
PHRF 4
1. Elysium, John Nevin, Milford, CT, USA, 1-3-3-1-1-2-1-3-1-2,
18
2. Lightning Rod, S2 9.1, David Eames, Ft. Walton, FL, USA,
2-1-1-2-5-1-2-1-2-4, 21
3. Lobo Rojo, B-25, Philip Davis,Oak Cliff, TX, USA,
6-7-5-5-6-3-4-2-5-1 44
For Immediate Release – January 22, 2009
Final Day Drama on Tap at Acura Key West 2009
--- Friday’s Races to Determine Winners in Ten Classes
By Bill Wagner
Key West, Fla - Competition remains hot
and the final results are going down to the wire at
Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica. There was
some significant shakeup in the standings for several of
the grand prix classes and winners won’t be decided
until the final day of racing in the week-long regatta.
Things couldn’t be tighter than they are in the Melges 32
class, where Star and Red are tied with 30
total points apiece. Star, owned by Jeff Ecklund
of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., led the 20-boat class at the
end of the initial three days, but suffered a pair of
double digit results on Thursday. That enabled Red,
skippered by Joe Woods of Great Britain, to make up a
three-point deficit.
Tactician Morgan Reeser gave a gutsy performance by sailing
both races with a dislocated shoulder as Red posted a
pair of eighths on Thursday. Meanwhile, Star
suffered an 11th and a 13th,
latter of which it was able to throw out. Star
technically still holds the lead by virtue of tiebreaker
based on winning more races than Red.
“It has been a curious day – almost brilliant, almost
disastrous,” Woods said after arriving at the dock.
“Ultimately, it was a decent day and we were able to
close the gap on Jeff.”
Reeser, a two-time Olympian, is relatively new as tactician
aboard Red as this is just his third event with
the British team. He suffered the shoulder injury during
Race 7 and had the dislocation reset by an on-water
medic. However, it dislocated again and Reeser was taken
to the hospital after racing.
“Knowing Morgan, I am guessing that he will be sailing on the
boat tomorrow,” Woods said.
Red was leading the Melges 32 class going into the fifth and
final day last January and was overtaken by Star.
Woods is hoping for a reversal of fortunes this year.
“We’ll see if we can finish it off and come away with
the win this time,” he said.
Farr 40, another professional-laden class, is also totally up
for grabs with two races remaining. Barking Mad,
which entered Thursday with a seemingly comfortable
eight-point cushion, finished last in the 12-boat fleet
in Race 8. Skipper Jim Richardson and crew still hold a
one-point lead over Mascalzone Latino, the
three-time defending world champion owned by Vincenzo
Onorato of Napoli, Italy.
“We rounded the first weather mark in second place, but we went
backward from there. It was just a matter of poor boat
positioning,” said tactician Terry Hutchinson, who
blamed himself for the poor result. “What’s
disappointing is that we had an opportunity to go into
tomorrow with a certain comfort level.”
Richardson won the Farr 40 class at Acura Key West for the
first time in 11 attempts last year and is hoping to
retain that title. Another threat is Joe Fly,
owned by Giovanni Maspero of Como, Italy, which is just
three points out of the lead.
There was much rejoicing aboard Nanoq as the Danish
entry pulled into its berth at the Schooner Wharf. Crown
Prince Frederik
of Denmark hoisted a beer with crew members to celebrate
winning a race in Farr 40 class for the first time in
three appearances at Acura Key West.
Prince Frederik
got a great start, got lifted by a favorable shift and
both upwind legs, rounded the second windward mark in
first and held the lead on the finishing run. His best
previous finish was a fourth last year.
“It was great sailing today and it felt good to win a race. That
is always difficult in this class because it is so
competitive with so many good sailing teams,” Prince
Frederik
said. “We have learned a lot and improved quite a bit by
coming to this regatta. This result is nice, but we
still have a long way to go.”
Melges 24, largest class in the regatta with 33 boats and
packed with professionals like the Farr 40 and Melges
32, also has not been decided. UKA UKA Racing,
the Italian entry skippered by Lorenzo Bressani, has
sailed superbly and led at the end of each day’s action.
UKA UKA Racing counts four bullets and a pair of
seconds in seven races and holds a seven-point lead that
is solid but not safe.
“We have not won this regatta yet. There will be another two
races tomorrow so we cannot sleep well tonight,”
Bressani said. “Seven points is a good margin, but not
unbeatable. Blu Moon is our top competition so we
will probably match race with them.”
Swan 42 class has been closely contested throughout the week
with three different boats holding the lead upon
conclusion of each day’s racing. Arethusa,
skippered by Phil Lotz of Newport, R.I., was the latest
to move into first – posting a first and a third on
Thursday to overtake Jon Halbert (Dallas, Texas) and
Vitesse. Arethusa holds a one-point lead over
Vitesse while first and second day leader
Celeritas (Malcolm Gefter, Newport, R.I.) is just four
points astern.
“The fleet has been very, very tight. All six boats have been
clumped together at most of the mark roundings,” Lotz
said. “It really is anybody’s regatta at this point.
It’s hard to think about covering anybody at this point.
We just have to go out and sail our own race.”
There is a tie in PHRF 4 between Lightning Rod and
fellow S2 9.1 Elysium. Both boats have won four
races so the tiebreaker went to the number of second
place finishes and Lightning Rod, skippered by
David Eames of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has three
compared to just one for Elysium (John Nevin,
Milford, CT).
John Storck Jr. and his team aboard Rumor have been
spectacular in J/80 class, winning six of eight races
thus far. Racing was particularly tight on Thursday and
Rumor was rewarded with the Lewmar Boat of the
Day award.
Robert Armstrong
continued his impressive performance in PHRF 2 aboard
the J/100 Good Girl. The St. Croix resident has
reeled off seven straight bullets since finishing second
in Race 1.
Action in this ten race series concludes Friday, which is Acura
Day.
For more
information on Premiere Racing, Acura Key West 2009,
presented by Nautica and its Sponsors and Partners:
Premiere
Racing, Inc.
67B Front
Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545 Fax: (781) 639-9171
Email:
Peter@Premiere-Racing.com
Web Site:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Title
Sponsor Acura is the Official Vehicle.
Nautica is the Presenting Sponsor and
Nautica Watches is the Official Timekeeper. Day
Sponsors are Mount Gay® Rum
(Official Rum), Lewmar (Official
Marine Hardware) and Sperry Top-Sider
(Official Footwear). Supporting sponsors are B&G
(Official Marine Electronics) Marlow
(Official Rope) and SLAM (Official
Technical Gear). Supplier Spaten is the
Official Beer.
Acura Key
West is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key
West Tourism Council. The Historic Seaport
at the Key West Bight is the Official Site.
Thirty-six
Industry Partners
bring their support through a program that is now in its
8th year.
Learn more about the Industry Partners and the
Program on the event web site.
Acura Key
West 2009
and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix are
US
Sailing sanctioned events.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced luxury
performance vehicles through a nationwide network of
more than 260 dealers throughout the United States. The
2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models, the
RL luxury performance sedan, the TL premium performance
sedan, the TSX premium sport sedan, the turbo-charged
RDX premium sport CUV and the award-winning MDX premium
performance CUV.
For more
information about Acura vehicles, please visit
Acura.com.
For media
inquiries, please go to
Acuranews.com.
January 21, 2009 – For Immediate Release
Top
Teams Tackle Tricky Conditions at Acura Key West 2009
--- Farr 40 Shakeup Puts Barking Mad Atop Standings
by Bill
Wagner
Key
West Fla - Day 3 of Acura Key West 2009, presented by
Nautica, brought some tricky conditions that challenged
tacticians on all three courses. While many of the
series leaders stayed on top of the situation and
further increased their advantage, there was a notable
shakeup in the standings in the professional-laden Farr
40 class.
Mascalzone Latino, the Italian entry owned by
Vincenzo Onorato, had one of those days every sailor
dreads. After winning three of the initial four races,
Mascalzone Latino suffered a ninth and a 10th
on Wednesday and dropped to third in the overall
standings. A pair of poor starts, including an
on-course-side in Race 6, had the three-time world
champions playing catch-up all day and that was a real
challenge in the tough conditions.
Heavy air with significant oscillations and
northeasterly winds that gusted between 12 and 18 knots
included shifts of 20 to 40 degrees. While Key West was
not in a deep freeze like much of the country,
temperatures were definitely below normal.
Barking Mad,
owned by Jim Richardson of Newport, R.I., clearly
handled the conditions well and posted a first and a
second on Wednesday to produce a 16-point swing on
Mascalzone Latino – going from six points behind to
10 points ahead.
“Mascalzone Latino had been sailing really
well so it was a little surprising they had such a rough
day. It was gusty with huge shifts so it was easy to get
out of phase,” said Richardson, who captured Farr 40
class at Acura Key West for the first time in 11
attempts a year ago.
“We were fortunate enough to have two solid races
today. Conditions were very tricky, but we were patient
enough and sailed well enough to get to the top mark at
the front of the fleet and then were able to sail our
own race.”
Joe Fly, an Italian entry owned by Giovanni
Maspero, also posted a first and a second on Wednesday
and moved into second place in the overall standings –
eight points behind Barking Mad.
“We got great starts and were able to sail the shifts
instead of the fleet, which makes a huge difference,”
said tactician Francesco Bruni, who felt the team did a
terrific job of bouncing back from a tough Tuesday that
produced placements of fifth and ninth. “Our sail setup
was better today and our way of trimming was more
aggressive.”
Joe Fly narrowly missed winning the world
championship last year, but was a disappointing 19th
out of 25 entries at Acura Key West. “This has never
been a good regatta for our team so it would be very
rewarding to win,” Bruni said.
There was a change atop the leader board in IRC 2 as
well with the newly-launched King 40 Soozal replacing
the Mills 43 Cool Breeze. This is the first
regatta for owner Dan Woolery aboard his new boat, but
the crew is clearly figuring her out quickly as
Soozal has finished first or second in four of six
races.
Soozal’s performance earned Mount Gay Rum
Boat of the Day honors as winner of the day’s most
competitive class. Woolery, from Port Richmond, Cal.,
steered the Mark Mills design to a first and a second on
Wednesday.
“There were big wind shifts and huge velocity changes
so you really had to be alert,” said Pete McCormick,
main trimmer aboard Soozal. “It was one of those
days when everything clicked. Robbie Haines, our
tactician, did a great job calling the shifts and the
crew work was amazing.”
UKA UKA Racing and Star continue to
dominate the Melges 24 and 32 classes, respectively.
Skipper Lorenzo Bressani led UKA UKA Racing to a
first and a second on Wednesday and the reigning world
champs now hold a commanding 12-point lead over Blu
Moon (Franco Rossini, Switzerland). UKA UKA
Racing has won four of six races, a remarkable feat
in the highly-competitive Melges 24 class.
Skipper Jeff Ecklund and his team aboard Star
also picked up their fourth victory of the week on
Wednesday. However, a 10th suffered in Race 3
combined with superb sailing from the British boat Red
has Ecklund clinging to a narrow three-point lead in the
overall standings.
“The points are still too close for comfort. We gave
away a few points by losing some boats and finishing
fifth in the second race today,” said Ecklund, a Fort
Lauderdale resident who is defending Melges 32 champion
at Acura Key West 2009. “Red has always been fast and
now that they have Morgan calling tactics they are going
in the right direction. We just have to continue sailing
consistently and make sure we don’t make any costly
mistakes.”
With four-time defending champion Masquerade
not competing this year, the J/105 class is suddenly
wide-open and has seen a new leader every day. Max
Power, skippered by Gerrit Schulze of Cape May,
N.J., won both races on Wednesday to take over first
place via tiebreaker. Eclipse, the opening day
leader owned by Damian Emery of Mount Sinai, N.Y., also
has 14 points, but fewer first place finishes.
“Today our tactician had the course figured out from
a global perspective. We wanted to start at the pin end
and go toward the beach as far as possible. We were able
to accomplish that goal and didn’t get engaged with any
one competitor,” said Schulze, whose brother Stefan
serves as team strategist.
Tangent, the Cape Fear 38 owned by Gerry Taylor
of Annapolis, Md., had its string of four consecutive
first place finishes in PHRF 3 come to an end.
L’Outrage, a Beneteau 10-meter skippered by fellow
Annapolis resident Bruce Gardner, posted a pair of
bullets on Wednesday and closed the gap on Tangent
to just one point.
John Storck’s Rumor has won five of six races
in J/80 class while Robert Armstrong’s J/100 Good
Girl has done the same in PHRF 2.
Complete Results, Daily Blog, Photo Gallery and News:
www.premiere-racing.com
For more
information on Premiere Racing, Acura Key West 2009,
presented by Nautica and its Sponsors and Partners:
Premiere
Racing, Inc.
67B Front
Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545 Fax: (781) 639-9171
Email:
Peter@Premiere-Racing.com
Web Site:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Title
Sponsor Acura is the Official Vehicle.
Nautica is the Presenting Sponsor and
Nautica Watches is the Official Timekeeper. Day
Sponsors are Mount Gay® Rum
(Official Rum), Lewmar (Official
Marine Hardware) and Sperry Top-Sider
(Official Footwear). Supporting sponsors are B&G
(Official Marine Electronics) Marlow
(Official Rope) and SLAM (Official
Technical Gear). Supplier Spaten is the
Official Beer.
Acura Key
West is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key
West Tourism Council. The Historic Seaport
at the Key West Bight is the Official Site.
Thirty-six Industry Partners bring their support through a program that is now in its 8th
year.
Learn more about the Industry Partners and the
Program on the event web site.
Acura Key
West 2009
and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix are
US
Sailing sanctioned events.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced luxury
performance vehicles through a nationwide network of
more than 260 dealers throughout the United States. The
2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models, the
RL luxury performance sedan, the TL premium performance
sedan, the TSX premium sport sedan, the turbo-charged
RDX premium sport CUV and the award-winning MDX premium
performance CUV.
For more
information about Acura vehicles, please visit
Acura.com.
For media
inquiries, please go to
Acuranews.com.
For Immediate Release – January 20 , 2009
“Another Fantastic Day of Sailing in Key West”
--- World Class Competition and Great Breeze
By Bill Wagner
Key West, Fla - Mother Nature changed her mind and
smiled on Acura Key West 2009 today. Advance forecasts
called for extreme winds, but instead a consistent 15-20
knot north-northwesterly enabled this high-powered
international fleet to enjoy two great races.
“Another fantastic day of sailing in Key West. Days
like this are why we come here. The conditions were
outstanding,” Melges 24 skipper Riccardo Simoneschi
said.
Simoneschi is a two-time winner of Acura Key West,
presented by Nautica. The Italian skipper posted a solid
line of 4-3 on Tuesday and holds third place overall in
Melges 24, largest class in the regatta with 33 boats.
Former Olympic medalist Charlie McKee is calling
tactics for Simoneschi, who is 10 points off the very
hot pace being set by his countrymen on UKA UKA
Racing. Skipper Lorenzo Bressani has won three of
four races so far, an impressive feat in the
highly-competitive class.
“They are tough to beat. They are fast and smart,
which is a winning combination,” said McKee, whose
brother Jonathan is trimming on UKA UKA Racing.
“We are getting better with each race and hopefully we
can remain in contention.”
Blu Moon, skippered by Franco Rossini of
Switzerland, finished second in both races and won the
day. He also received Tuesday’s Sperry Top-Sider Boat
of the Day honors, awarded to the winner of the day’s
most competitive class. Three-time Olympian Chris Rast
is tactician aboard Blu Moon, which stands second
in the overall standings – two points behind UKA UKA
Racing.
Another Italian team continued its impressive
performance in the professional-laden Farr 40 class.
Mascalzone Latino, owned and driven by Vincenzo
Onorato, has won three of four races with the other
result being a second. Briton Adrian Stead has been on
fire calling tactics for the three-time defending world
champs, who hold a comfortable six-point lead over Acura
Key West 2008 winner Barking Mad.
“We are sailing well, but obviously not nearly as
well as they are,” said Terry Hutchinson, tactician for
owner Jim Richardson aboard Barking Mad.
Hutchinson was just named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year
by US Sailing, but is not afraid to admit that he can
pick up a few subtle nuances from a team that is clearly
at the top of its game.
“We have learned heaps in two days just from watching
Mascalzone… how their sails are set up, how they are
driving, what they are doing tactically,” he said. “It’s
not over yet. There are still a lot of races left. We
just have to keep chipping away and hope we’re in range
going into the last day.”
Fort Lauderdale resident Jeff Ecklund and his team
aboard Star maintained their lead in Melges 32,
the other large grand prix one-design class filled with
big-name tacticians. Star, like UKA UKA Racing
and Mascalzone Latino, has won three of four
races held so far. However, a 10th out of 20
boats in Race 3 hurt Star’s cumulative score,
which is two points better than second-place Red
(Joe Woods, Great Britain).
“It’s a tough fleet with real tight racing. Small
mistakes can lead to big losses,” said Star
tactician Harry Melges, whose family-owned company
builds both the Melges 24 and 32.
IRC 2 is loaded with innovative new designs that are
giving each other some real competition. Cool Breeze,
a brand new Mills 43 owned by John Cooper of Cane Hill,
MO, won Race 4 to vault from third to first in the
13-boat fleet.
An indication of how close the top boats are in IRC 2
comes from the fact a mere 18 second separated the top
four finishers in Race 3. Soozal, one of three
King 40-footers that are making their competitive debut
in Key West, finished second in Race 3 by just seven
seconds behind the J/44 Gold Digger (James
Bishop).
“The racing in this class has been unbelievable. There
are a lot of very good boats that are evenly matched,”
Soozal skipper Daniel Woolery said.
Action is heating up in IRC 1 as well after
Rosebud/Team DYT stretched its legs and showed its
prowess in the heavy air. The STP 65-footer, largest
entry in the regatta, won Race 3 then finished second in
Race 4 by 34 seconds on corrected time. Ran, a
TP52 owned by Niklas Zennstrom of Hamble, Great Britain,
now has an impressive line of 1-1-2-1.
“It was a great day of racing for our team, although
I’m disappointed we didn’t win the second race as well,”
said Malcolm Park, main trimmer on Rosebud/Team DYT.
“We’re stronger than the TP 52s going upwind and we had
two of those legs today.”
Massachusetts-based owner Roger Sturgeon and his
16-man crew must beat the four 52-footers on its course
by nearly six minutes in order to overcome its handicap.
“This is a tight course for a boat this big and it’s
hard to get her around the cans,” said Park, noting that
Rosebud has some draft restrictions. “(Monday)
was a learning experience for us in terms of figuring
out where we can go. Today’s course was a little more
open, both in terms of draft and length.”
PHRF 3 leader Tangent, a Cape Fear 38 owned by
Gerry Taylor of Annapolis, Md., is the only boat in the
entire fleet that has won all four races. Tangent,
the cruising version of the design, is heavier than most
of its competitors in the class and thus welcomed the
strong breeze.
“We are definitely loving the conditions. When the
wind is up, we are smiling,” said Taylor, whose team won
Race 3 by just one second over fellow Annapolis entry
L’Outrage, which has been runner-up in all four
races.
“It certainly eases the pressure when you get off to a
good start like this. We are feeling more relaxed and
confident each day,” added Taylor, who placed second in
class at Acura Key West 2008.
XS, a Robinson 41 that had been leading PHRF 1
after Monday’s action, dropped its rig in Race 3. Owner
Douglas Fisher said gear failure was more to blame than
the strong wind.
Racing continues tomorrow. Wednesday is sponsored by
Mount Gay Rum® - the sailors’ favorite.
Race Week News, Results and more:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
For Immediate Release – January 19, 2009
Overseas Entries Seize the Day in Key West
--- International Fleet Revels in Chamber of Commerce
Conditions
By Bill Wagner
Key West, Fla - Opening day of Acura Key West 2009, presented by
Nautica, showcased the international flavor of the
event with foreign entries seizing the early lead in
four of the grand prix classes. Italian entries set the
pace in a pair of the premier one-design fleets while
British teams surged to the front of two top tier
handicap classes.
Competition in North America’s largest winter regatta
got underway in ideal conditions with strong westerly
winds allowing organizers to hold two races. An ominous
squall put a brief damper on the proceedings, but moved
through quickly and allowed the action to continue under
sunny skies.
“It was Chamber of Commerce type of weather out there
today. We had picture-perfect conditions, which is
always a great way to start,” said Dave Brennan,
principal race officer on Division 2.
Vincenzo Onorato and his team aboard Mascalzone
Latino overcame the unexpected loss of three
sailors to win both races and the Nautica Watches
Boat of the Day in the Farr 40 class. Two crew
members took ill while another suffered an injury in
practice – forcing the three-time defending world
champions to scramble. One substitute was flown in from
Italy while the team coach and chef filled the other
vacancies onboard.
British-born tactician Adrian Stead said Elena Frezza
was the hero of the day, showing she could sail just as
well as she could cook. “I think she brought us good
luck,” Stead said. “We are really pleased with our
performance today considering the circumstances. This is
certainly a good start to the regatta.”
Onorato, a businessman from Napoli, Italy, recently
took delivery of a brand new Farr 40 that is making its
debut in Key West. “It certainly looks like a good boat
based off today's results,” said Onorato, who captured
class honors at Acura Key West 2006.
Joining Onorato on the podium for Nautica Watches Day
was fellow Italian skipper Lorenzo Bressani, who steered
UKA UKA Racing to a pair of bullets in Melges 24
class – largest of the regatta with 33 boats. Gabriele
Benussi is calling tactics while two-time United States
Olympian Jonathan McKee is serving as trimmer aboard
UKA UKA Racing, the reigning world champion. McKee
is taking a break from his duties in the after-guard of
Puma Racing, one of the top contenders in the Volvo
Ocean Race.
“We had a little problem with our starts in both
races, but fortunately the boat is very, very fast and
we were able to come back quickly,” Bressani said. “We
have been training a lot and have got the boat going
super fast while our crew works very smoothly.”
UKA UKA Racing has by far the youngest crew
member of the professional-laden Melges 24 class in
15-year-old bowman Matteo Sprecacenere. “Keep an eye on
Matteo. He will be a champion one day,” Bressani
predicted.
Both IRC classes have seen an increase in entries
this year and the British showed their colors on Monday.
Skipper Tim Powell steered the Reichel-Pugh-designed
Ran to a pair of first place finishes in IRC 1 while
owner Tony Buckingham and his team aboard Ngoni
seized the early lead in IRC 2 on the strength of a 1-2
line.
Ran is the former Patches, which
enjoyed much success under the ownership of Eamon
Conneely. Niklas Zennstrom of Hamble, Great Britain
acquired the boat along with many the former Patches
crew, including Powell.
“We had good starts in both races and our tactician
Jeremy Robinson did a fine job of calling the shifts and
keeping us in phase,” Powell said. “It feels good to get
off to a great start and now the challenge is to keep it
going.”
Fort Lauderdale resident Jeff Ecklund represented the
United States well, winning both races in Melges 32
class, which has seen a significant increase in overall
talent attending Acura Key West this year. Harry Melges,
whose family-owned company builds the up-and-coming
sport boats, is tactician aboard Star – the
defending regatta champ.
“We had good speed and that enabled us to rebound
from average to bad starts,” said Ecklund, who chose the
right side of the course in Race 2 and benefited from
being the first boat to pick up the wind shift.
“It was a beautiful day to go sailing and we’re happy
to put up a couple good numbers to get things going.
However, I’m not celebrating anything yet. It’s a long
week and anything can happen. We just have to be smart
and be conservative.”
Competitors in the J/105 class were surprised to show
up on the race course Monday and not see Masquerade,
the four-time defending champion in Key West. San
Francisco owner Thomas Coates and team were an
unexpected no-show, leaving a dozen boats to battle for
the now-vacant title.
Eclipse, owned by Damian Emery of Mount Sinai,
N.Y., came out on top after a tight day of racing thanks
to a first and a second. However, Max Power (Gerrit
Schulze, Cape May, N.J.) and Savasana (Brian
Keane, Marion, Mass.) trail the frontrunner by just one
and two points, respectively.
“We had some decent boat speed today and didn’t make
many mistakes,” said Emery, who placed second last year,
but was disappointed to learn of Masquerade’s absence.
“We always like to face the best competition so we miss
them. Fortunately, there are still some very good boats
out there.”
Other one-design boats that swept first place in both
races yesterday were the Swan 42 Celeritas
(Malcolm Gefter, Newport, R.I.) and the J/80 Rumor
(John Storck Jr., Huntington, N.Y.). Another double
winner among handicap classes was the Cape Fear 38
Tangent (Gerry Taylor, Annapolis, Md.) in PHRF 3.
For Immediate Release – January 19, 2009
Tradition of Excellence Continues at Acura Key West 2009
--- Strong Fleet Set to Get Underway for 22nd Edition
By Bill Wagner
“Blue sky, aqua-colored water, palm trees and 75-degree weather
– what’s not to enjoy?” asked Annapolis, Maryland sailor
Bruce Gardner. “Key West continues to be one of the
premiere events in the country. It has the best
competition available because teams go all out to win. A
win in Key West has always been and will always be a
real feather in your cap.”
Gardner dismisses all the doom and gloom talk about reduced
entries at this year’s regatta by saying, “Key West is
still Key West.” L’Outrage is one of seven
entries in PHRF 3 and Gardner said a class victory at
Acura Key West 2009, presented by Nautica,
would be just as satisfying as years past.
Gardner has been competing in the renowned race week for a
dozen years aboard his Beneteau 10-meter. He has
experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of
defeat – capturing PHRF Boat of the Week honors in 2000
and sitting out the entire regatta in 2008 after
breaking his rig.
Through ups and downs, Gardner and his crew have come to love
their January foray to the southernmost tip of the
continental United States. They weren’t about to let a
global economic crisis interfere with their annual
winter getaway to Key West.
“There was never a second thought for me and my crew. We
started planning for this year as soon as last year’s
regatta was over,” Gardner said. “The economy is
definitely having an effect on sailboat racing as in
every other area of life. However, just because some
people think the sky is falling, we are not going to
hide in the bar.”
Another star-studded fleet of sailors from across the country
and around the world has descended upon the Conch
Republic for the 22nd edition of this winter
classic. Three-time Farr 40 world champion Mascalzone
Latino, Melges 32 Gold Cup winner New Wave
and Melges 24 world champion UKA UKA Racing are
just a few of the notable entries on the scratch
sheet.
While the total of 155 entries in 13 classes spread over three
divisions is down from previous years, event director
Peter Craig said the level of participation is really
quite remarkable considering the economy.
“Key West traditionally attracts top tier programs and this
year is no exception,” said Craig, president of Premiere
Racing. “Given the global economic issues, it’s
extremely gratifying to see the number and quality of
programs that will be racing in Key West.”
Both IRC classes have actually seen an increase in entries
with a slew of new designs adding further intrigue to a
fleet filled with international flavor. IRC 1 is
headlined by Roger Sturgeon’s STP 65-footer Rosebud,
largest entry at Acura Key West 2009. The
Massachusetts-based yacht, overall IRC winner in the
2008 Sydney-Hobart Race, will be challenged by three TP
52 designs along with the Judel-Vrolijk 52 Anema &
Core (Ennio Staffini, Annapolis) and the year-old
Marten 49 Pace (Johnny Vincent and Simon Tate,
London).
IRC 2 is the largest it has ever been in Key West with 13
entries, half of which are brand new designs. There are
three King 40-footers, designed by Mark Mills and built
by Summit Yachts. One of them is owned by Houston
resident Jim Hightower, who has enjoyed much success at
Key West aboard his various boats named Hot Ticket.
Mills also designed the IRC 43 Cool Breeze, which
will make its debut for owner John Cooper (Cane Hill,
Missouri). Finally, there are also a couple Santa Cruz
37-footers, which were awarded Performance Boat of the
Year by Sail Magazine.
“IRC 2 is going to be very, very competitive. We are looking
forward to some great racing and are anxious to see how
our boat performs against some of the new designs,” said
Robin Team, who skippered his J/122 Teamwork to
fourth place in class and a Boat of the Day honor last
year.
“Those Santa Cruz 37s look hot floating at the dock so we
expect them to be hot out on the race course,” added
Team. The Beaufort, N.C. resident has been competing in
Key West since 1994.
“Key West has the best sailors in the world and the best
conditions in the world and that is why it’s the best
racing in the world,” said Team, a class winner in 2003
aboard his J/120 of the same name.
Melges 24 is again the largest class in the regatta with 33
boats, many of which hail from European ports in Italy,
Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Among the
notable foreign entries are reigning world champion
UKA UKA Racing (Lorenzo Bressani, Italy), 2008 world
rankings leader Blu Moon (Franco Rossini,
Switzerland) along with 2006 and 2007 Acura Key West
winner Giacomel Audi Racing (Riccardo Simoneschi,
Italy).
Top American entries include Full Throttle (Brian
Porter, Lake Geneva, WI), Bailout (Vince Brun,
San Diego, CA) and Monsoon (Bruce Ayres, Newport
Beach, CA). Ayres, who competes with an all-amateur crew
and captured class honors at Acura Key West in 1998,
figures the competition will be fierce as usual.
“The quantity may not be the same as years past but the
quality sure is. All the top teams are here,” Ayres
said. “It will be a challenge just to get into the Top
10 in this fleet.”
One of the world’s hottest classes is the rapidly-developing
Melges 32, which will have 20 entries featuring a bevy
of big-name tacticians on the start line in Key West.
Star, skippered by Jeff Ecklund of Fort Lauderdale
with boat builder Harry Melges calling tactics, is back
to defend its regatta title. One of the more notable
newcomers to the class is War Canoe, owned by
John Dane of Pass Christian, Missouri. Dane represented
the United States in Star class at the 2008 Summer
Olympics in China.
Marty Kullman, who co-owns New Wave along with fellow
Clearwater (FL) resident Michael Carroll, said the bar
has been raised big-time. Quantum professional Scott
Nixon will call tactics on New Wave, which
finished second to Star by a mere two points at Acura
Key West 2008 before going on to capture the Gold Cup.
“The overall talent in this class is coming up very quickly.
You look at the scratch sheet and see top pros calling
tactics on just about every boat,” said Kullman,
rattling off names such as Mark Reynolds, Morgan Reeser,
Steve Benjamin and Charlie Ogletree.
Of course, the standard-bearer among grand prix,
professional-laden classes in Key West has long been the
Farr 40, which boasts an impressive lineup of 12 boats.
Mascalzone Latino, owned by Vincenzo Onorato of
Napoli, Italy, is riding a remarkable run of three
straight world crowns. Barking Mad, skippered by
Jim Richardson of Newport, R.I., won both Acura Key
West and the Acura Miami Grand Prix in 2008.
Goombay Smash, a relative class newcomer steered
by Doug Douglass, captured the North American
Championship off Miami in November.
“We have another great fleet here in Key West, which has
always been one of the favorite events for Farr 40
owners. It doesn’t get any better than Key West in terms
of organization both on and off the water,” said
Richardson, the class president.
Richardson is fortunate to have one of the world’s finest
tacticians in Terry Hutchinson, who was recently
selected as Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. The
Annapolis-based professional has been competing in Key
West since 1991 and could not imagine being anywhere
else in January.
“This truly is one of the greatest regattas in the world and
to me it’s the perfect winter break. It has steadily
evolved over the years into an extremely high-level
event in all respects,” Hutchinson said. “What I find
neat about Key West is that there is a place for the
ultra-serious, grand prix programs as well as the more
relaxed club-based programs. Both types of teams can
come here and find fantastic racing while at the same
time having a lot of fun.”
The 2009 divisions and class assignments are:
Division 1 (PRO Ken Legler) - IRC 1, Farr 40, Swan 42, IRC 2
and Farr 30
Division 2 (PRO Dave Brennan) – Melges 32, Melges 24, J/105
Division 3 (PRO Wayne Bretsch) – J/80 and PHRF 1 - 4
Race Week News, Results and more:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
For more
information on Premiere Racing, Acura Key West 2009,
presented by Nautica and its Sponsors and Partners:
Premiere
Racing, Inc.
67B Front
Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545 Fax: (781) 639-9171
Email:
Peter@Premiere-Racing.com
Web Site:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Title
Sponsor Acura is the Official Vehicle.
Nautica is the Presenting Sponsor and
Nautica Watches is the Official Timekeeper. Day
Sponsors are Mount Gay® Rum
(Official Rum), Lewmar (Official
Marine Hardware) and Sperry Top-Sider
(Official Footwear). Supporting sponsors are B&G
(Official Marine Electronics) Marlow
(Official Rope) and SLAM (Official
Technical Gear). Supplier Spaten is the
Official Beer.
Acura Key
West is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key
West Tourism Council. The Historic Seaport
at the Key West Bight is the Official Site.
Thirty-six Industry Partners bring their support through a program that is now in its 8th
year.
Learn more about the Industry Partners and the
Program on the event web site.
Acura Key
West 2009
and the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix are
US
Sailing sanctioned events.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced luxury
performance vehicles through a nationwide network of
more than 260 dealers throughout the United States. The
2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models, the
RL luxury performance sedan, the TL premium performance
sedan, the TSX premium sport sedan, the turbo-charged
RDX premium sport CUV and the award-winning MDX premium
performance CUV.
For more
information about Acura vehicles, please visit
Acura.com.
For media
inquiries, please go to
Acuranews.com.
|