ADVANCE RELEASES
Please mark your
calendar for next year! Jan 17 - 21, 2011
For Immediate Release – January
22, 2010
“Unbelievable Racing and Intense
Competition” at Key West 2010
--- Winners Praise a
Spectacular Week
Key West, Fla Mike Williamson
sported a very satisfied look as he sat in the cockpit
of his Summit 40 sipping a Heineken and reflected on
capturing IRC 2 class at Key West 2010, presented by
Nautica.
“It feels very, very good to win
this regatta. Key West is well known around the world so
certainly it’s a great accomplishment,” Williamson said.
Winners of the other 10 classes
at Key West 2010 had similar feelings. There were hearty
handshakes and slaps on the back among the Joe Fly crew
upon return to the dock on Friday after the Italian team
topped the Farr 40 class.
Skipper Giovanni Maspero and
tactician Francesco Bruni have brought the Joe Fly
program to North America’s largest winter regatta for
many years without winning in either the Melges 24 or
Farr 40 classes and thus were overjoyed.
“We are very happy to finally win
in Key West. We have always been second and third so it
feels good to be the champion,” Bruni said.
Joe Fly put forth a tremendously
consistent effort by finishing fourth or better in 8 of
10 races to total 35 points, six better than runner-up
Barking Mad (Jim Richardson, Newport, R.I.). “We are
quite pleased with our performance. We were by far the
fastest boat in the fleet in all conditions. We had a
little luck with catching shifts, but our success was
due mostly it was our boat speed and crew work.”
Over at Truman Annex, the UKA UKA
Racing crew was in tremendous spirits as they dropped
the mast of their Melges 24 after winning Key West for
the second straight year. Helmsman Lorenzo Bressani
spoke excitedly about how close the competition was with
Blu Moon, the Swiss entry that finished just three
points behind the Italian team.
Blu Moon helmsman Flavio Favini
needed to win the last race and have UKA UKA Racing take
third or worse in order to snag the overall victory. At
one point in the last race, Favini had put Alan Field’s
WTF between Blu Moon and UKA UKA Racing. However, the
Italian team rallied on the last leg to win the last
race along with the regatta.
“It was unbelievable racing, very
close and tense. It was a tough day because Favini match
raced with us. There was a moment when he was winning
the regatta, but we were able to maintain our
concentration and pull it out,” said Bressani, who
praised the work of tactician Jonathan McKee.
Blu Moon, which had Tiziano Nava
aboard as tactician, was runner-up for the second
straight year despite winning four races and placing
second or third in four others within the 21-boat fleet.
“We tried very hard and almost made it, but UKA UKA
sailed well all week and deserved to win,” Favini said.
“They had a little better speed than us upwind and it
seemed like every time they made a choice about which
side of the course to take it was correct call.”
John Kilroy and the Samba Pa Ti
team completed an impressive run in the Melges 32 class,
largest of the regatta with 22 boats. Stu Bannatyne
called tactics while Morgan Reeser and Sam Rogers served
as trimmers aboard Samba, which took the lead on Tuesday
and never relinquished it – ultimately winning three
races en route to an 18-point margin of victory over Red
(Joe Woods, Great Britain).
“It’s all about the team, which for
me starts with Fuzz Foster of North Hawaii and the help
he gives us with the sail program,” Kilroy said. “The
racing team did a tremendous job all week. We were very
fast and very consistent in all conditions.”
Kilroy has enjoyed success in the
Farr 40 and TP52 classes before moving into the Melges
32 and coming away with a major title in only his fifth
event. There was an added bonus for the Malibu,
California resident as Samba Pa Ti was named Boat of the
Week.
“That is a tremendous honor and a
tribute to the class. This fleet is very competitive
with a lot of outstanding teams and a lot of great
sailors,” Kilroy said. “You really have to work hard to
win in the Melges 32 class.”
Williamson steered White Heat to
victory in four of 10 races en route to a final score of
27 points, nine better than IRC 2 runner-up Cool Breeze.
The Summit 40 took the lead away from early pacesetter
Pugwash (David Murphy, J/122) on Wednesday then held off
a late charge by Cool Breeze (John Cooper, Mills 43).
Simon Shaw called tactics while
Will Howden (jib, spinnaker) and Tim Dawson (main)
trimmed for Williamson, who splits his time between
London and New Castle, New Hampshire. “It was a great
team effort all around,” said Williamson, whose previous
best finish at Key West was a third in a PHRF class.
“It was a great regatta, excellent competition and very
tough sailing.”
Bella Mente, a Reichel-Pugh
69-footer owned by Hap Fauth of Newport, R.I., completed
a wire-to-wire victory in IRC 1 class. Kelvin Harrup and
Eric Doyle teamed to call tactics on Bella Mente, which
won eight of 10 races. Fauth was pleased to take the
bullet in Race 10 after finishing last in Race 9 after
hooking the anchor rope of the committee boat.
Interlodge, owned by Austin
Fragomen of New York, captured the TP52 sub-class.
Massachusetts-based Bill Lynn called tactics for
Fragomen, who was competing in just his second regatta
aboard the Judel-Vrolijk design.
“We are very pleased to be the top
TP52. It was a very tough class and all the boats were
sailed extremely well,” Fragomen said. “We learned a lot
about our boat this week. It was a nice long regatta
with a good mix of conditions.”
Le Tigre, co-owned by Glenn Darden
and Reese Hilliard of Forth Worth, Texas, placed third
or better in seven of 10 starts in capturing the J/80
Midwinter Championship, which was contested as part of
Key West 2010. Little Feat, skippered by Jeff Johnstone
of J/Boats, won both races on Friday to get within one
point of Le Tigre.
“We had a great battle with Jeff
and were just able to hold on,” said Darden, a past J/80
world champion who had Ullman pro Max Skelley aboard as
tactician.
Bluto, an Evelyn 32 co-owned by
Bill Berges and Ben Hall, was chosen PHRF Boat of the
Week. Bluto won three of the last four races to edge the
J/109 Rush (Bill Sweetser) by one point in a very
competitive PHRF 2.
Complete Results:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Follow all the grand prix action, racing excitement, and
results through the web-site blog and coverage, live
tracking of the Melges 32 and J/80 fleets by Kattack
Kattack.com,
Scuttlebutt’s on the scene reports
SailingScuttlebutt.com,
and nightly on demand video by T2P on
www.T2P.tv
(after 9:00PM EST) and more.
Results, photos and news:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Press Officer Bill
Wagner
bwagner@capitalgazette.com
Key West 2010, presented by
Nautica - January 22, 2010
Final standings after ten races
IRC 1
1. Bella Mente, R/P 69, Hap Fauth,
Newport, RI, USA, 1-1-1-1-1-3-1-1, 6-1, 17
2. Highland Fling XI, Wally 82,
Irvine Laidlaw, Monaco, 2-4-4-3-3-4-3-2-1-2, 28
3. Interlodge, TP52, Austin Fragomen,
New York, NY, USA, 4-2-2-2-4-2-2-5-2-5, 30
IRC 2
1. White Heat, Summit 40, Mike
Williamson, Newport, RI, USA, 1-2-5-4-1-4-5 1-1-3, 27
2. Cool Breeze, Mills 43, John
Cooper, Cane Hill, MO, USA, 6-3-7-6-3-3-2-2-2, 36
3. Pugwash, J/122, David Murphy,
Newport, RI, USA, 2-1-1-2-7-1-3-5-7-5, 40
Farr 40
1. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, Rome,
ITA, 4-3-4-4-5-2-3-1-3-6, 35
2. Barking Mad, James Richardson,
Newport, RI, USA, 2-5-8-5-7-5-2-3-2-2, 41
2. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta
Ala, ITA, 10-2-3-1-10-1-1-11-1-3, 43
Melges 32 (with discard) –
Mid-Winter Championship
1. Samba Pa Ti, John Kilroy, Malibu,
CA, USA, (14)-1-4-1-11-1-3-6-5-4, 36
2. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR,
9-6-(19)-6-5-10-1-5-1-11, 54
3. Fantistika, Lanfranco Cirillo,
Torri del Benac, ITA, (18)-8-12-9-4-4-4-2-4-10, 57
Melges 24 (with discard) –
Mid-Winter Championship
1. UKA UKA Racing, Lorenzo Santini,
Porto Civitanova, ITA, 2-1-2-(5)-1-3-2-1-2-1, 15
2. Blu Moon, Franco Rossini, Lugano,
SUI, 1-4-(9)-2-3-1-1-3-1-2, 18
3. WTF, Alan Field, Marina del Rey,
CA, USA, 3-2-1-4-2-4-3-(8)-3-3, 25
J/105 – Mid-Winter Championship
1. Savasana, Brian Keane, Marion, MA,
USA, 2-1-4-2-1-4-2-2-1-1, 20
2. Ghost, Kenneth Colburn, Southport,
ME, USA, 6-4-2-3-6-5-4-4-2-6, 42
3. Blackhawk, Scooter Simmonds, San
Francisco, CA, USA 3-5-9-7-4-3-1-3-8-3, 46
J/80 – Mid-Winter Championship
1. Le Tigre, Darden / Hillard, Ft.
Worth, TX, USA, 2-10-2-2-6-3-1-1-2-5, 34
2. Little Feat, Jeff Johnstone,
Newport, RI, USA, 7-7-1-1-4-4-6-3-1-1, 35
3. Rascal, Will Welles, Newport, RI,
USA, 1-3-3-8-5-7-2-5-5-2, 41
PHRF 1
1. Stark Raving Mad, J/125, James
Madden, Oyster Bay, NY, UsA, 1-1-1-1-1-1-2-4-1-1, 14
2. Mariners Cove, Summit 35, Royal
Cork Yacht Club, Cork, IRL, 3-2-5-4-2-2-4-1-6-2, 31
3. Rhumb Punch, Farr 30, John and
Linda Edwards, Solomons, MD, USA, 2-4-3-3-4-3-5-3-4-4,
35
PHRF 2
1. Bluto, Evelyn 32-2, Berges / Hall,
Bokeelia, FL, 2-2-2-5-2-2-1-1-1-2, 20
2. Rush, J/109, Bill Sweetser,
Annapolis, MD, USA, 1-3-4-1-1-1-4-3-2-1, 21
3. L’Outrage, Beneteau 10M, Bruce
Gardner, Annapolis, MD, 4-1-6-2-4-3-3-2-6-4, 35
PHRF 3
1. Bad Dog, Mariah 27, John Chick,
Key West, FL, USA, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1, 10
2. Blah, Blah, Blah, J/24, Mark
Milnes, Key West, FL, USA, 3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2, 21
3. Nojoe, J/24, Naroski/LeBlanc,
Marblehead, MA, USA 2-4-3-5-4-3-5-5-3-3, 37
Multihulls
1. Merlin, Gulfstream 35, Bob
Harkrider, Sarasota, Fl, USA, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1, 10
2. Tobiko, Corsair Sprint 750, Tim
Britton, Peru, VT, USA, 3-2-2-2-2-3-5-4-2-3, 28
3. Strategery V, Corsair Sprint 750,
Cliff, Farrah, Destin, FL, USA, 2-4-3-4-5-4-3-2-3-5, 35
Premiere Racing is pleased to present this year’s Key
West sponsors. The roster includes: Presenting Sponsor
Nautica, with Nautica Watches
the Official Timekeeper; and Day Sponsors Lewmar,
Official Marine Hardware, Mount Gay®
Rum, Official Rum, and Sperry Top-Sider,
Official Footwear. The Supporting Sponsors are B&G,
Official Marine Electronics, Marlow Ropes,
Official Rope; and SLAM, Official
Technical Gear.
Key West Race Week is also supported by The
Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council, which
recognizes the importance of having a world-class,
international regatta in Key West every year. The
Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight is the
Official Site.
The Ocean Key Resort and Spa
is the Official Hotel.
Thirty four Industry Partners
bring their support through a program that is now in its
9th year.
Learn more about the
Industry Partners and the Program on the event
web site.
"We are very grateful to our loyal race week sponsors
and industry partners. They all present high quality
products and exemplify the best in business practices
and customer satisfaction,” said Craig. "We encourage
all racing sailors to show their appreciation and
patronize these outstanding companies that participate
in our sport and provide vital support to events.
Key West 2010
and the 2010 Miami Grand Prix are
US SAILING
sanctioned events.
For more information on Premiere Racing, Key West 2010,
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:
Premiere-Racing.com
For Immediate Release – January
21, 2010
Steady Winds and Boat Speed Rule
the Day in Key West
--- Leaders and Challengers
Ready for Final Day
Key West, Fla - John Kilroy has
been leading the Melges 32 class since Tuesday and holds
a comfortable 10-point advantage with just two races
remaining at Key West 2010, presented by Nautica.
However, the California skipper plans to sail the last
day of the regatta the same way he did the first.
“We’re not going to do anything
different. We’ll just go out and sail as well as we
possibly can and hope that is good enough to get the job
done,” Kilroy said. “We don’t really look at the score
until the regatta is over. Of course, you always would
rather be in the lead going into the last day, but we
can’t allow that to change our approach.”
Stu Bannatyne is calling tactics
while Morgan Reeser is trimming and helping with
strategy aboard Samba Pa Ti, which has won three of
eight races and finished sixth or better in three others
in totaling 27 points. New Wave, owned by Michael
Carroll of Clearwater, Fla., had a superb outing on
Thursday to move into second place – 10 points behind.
Quantum professional Scott Nixon
is calling tactics while Marty Kullman is steering New
Wave, which won Race 8 and placed second in Race 7 to
jump from sixth to second in the overall standings.
“We carved a lot out of the lead
today. Whether it was enough remains to be seen,”
Carroll said. “We are certainly in range and have given
ourselves a chance. Hopefully, we can sail as well
tomorrow as we did today.”
Competition is still close in the
Melges 24 class with skipper Lorenzo Santini and UKA UKA
Racing taking a three-point lead into Friday. Lorenzo
Bressani is steering while Jonathan McKee is calling
tactics for UKA UKA Racing, which has been remarkably
consistent this week. The Italian team has won three
races and counts no worse than a third in totaling 12
points – three better than the Swiss entry Blu Moon.
“They are sailing unbelievably. We
are going fast, but they are just a click better,” said
Flavio Favini, helmsman aboard Blu Moon, which won Race
7 and took third in Race 8. “We have a chance, but it is
a very small one. After what the UKA UKA guys did today,
they deserve to be winning the regatta.”
Thursday brought the strongest wind
of the regatta with a south-southeasterly delivering
14-16 knots. After three days of shifty conditions, the
breeze stabilized and allowed tacticians to focus on
boat speed instead of choosing sides of the course.
“It was the steadiest wind I’ve
ever seen, both in terms of velocity and direction,”
said Ken Legler, principal race officer on Division 1.
Skipper Giovanni Maspero and the
Joe Fly team tacked on two more good results on Thursday
and now hold a solid 11-point lead in the Farr 40 class.
Tactician Francesco Bruni has made all the right calls
this week as the Italian boat has finished fourth or
better in seven of eight starts, notching its first
victory of the regatta in Race 8.
Barking Mad, an American boat
skippered by Jim Richardson of Newport, R.I., notched a
second and third on Thursday to move from fifth to
second in the overall standings. Tactician Terry
Hutchinson believes Barking Mad has been sailing
relatively well all week and finally caught some breaks.
“I’m incredibly happy with our
performance today. We started the day by setting a team
goal of finishing on the podium and this was certainly a
step in the right direction,” he said. “Joe Fly is
sailing really well and will be hard to beat. We just
have to continue sailing the way we did today and be in
position to capitalize if Joe Fly makes any mistakes.”
All the boys on the Highland Fling
were happy to hear the weather forecast for Thursday.
The Wally 82-footer, easily the largest entry at Key
West 2010, has been unable to maximize its potential in
the moderate, shifty conditions that predominated the
initial three days of the regatta.
“We were really, really pleased
when we went out this morning and found the breeze was
what it was predicted,” tactician Peter Isler said.
Highland Fling, owned by Irvine
Laidlaw of Monaco, responded with its best day of the
regatta – posting a second and a third to close to
within two points of second place in IRC 1. “We got the
sails up and down real well and our maneuvers were
terrific. We turned that 82-footer into a small boat
today,” Isler said.
Bella Mente, a Reichel-Pugh 66,
owned by Hap Fauth of Newport, R.I., has run away with
IRC 1 by winning seven of eight races. At this point,
the battle is for second place between Highland Fling
and the TP52 Interlodge (Austin Fragomen, New York).
There is a great battle going on in
IRC 2 class between the Summit 40 White Heat and the
J/122 Pugwash. Those two boats finished one-two in Class
3 at the IRC East Coast Championship off Annapolis in
late October and are positioned to do so again in Key
West.
Skipper Mike Williamson and the
White Heat team saw their lead cut to one after Race 7
on Thursday, but rebounded to win Race 8 and push the
advantage back to five points. Tactician Larry Leonard,
a North Sails professional, admitted Pugwash will need
two terrific results and a little good luck in order to
overtake its hometown rival from Newport.
“We’ll go out and sail the best we
can and hope the breaks fall our way,” Leonard said. “We
can’t really engage White Heat because their boat is
faster than ours. We just try to sail in the same
vicinity.”
Savasana, owned by Brian Keane of
Marion, Mass., continued its impressive performance in
the J/105 class with a pair of seconds on Thursday.
Savasana holds a 16-point lead over ghost (Kenneth
Colburn, Southport, Maine) and has pretty much clinched
the overall victory.
“It’s been an awesome week of
all-around sailing and we’re very, very pleased,” said
Keane, whose team has placed first or second in six of
eight races and no worse than fourth.
Le Tigre, co-owned by Glenn
Hilliard and Reese Darden of Forth Worth, Texas, posted
a pair of bullets on Thursday to take over the lead in
J/80 class, which is contesting its Midwinter
Championship at Key West 2010. Little Feat, skippered by
J/Boats executive Jeff Johnstone, entered the day atop
the 19-boat fleet but exited six points behind Le Tigre.
In the International Team
Competition for the Nautica Watches Trophy, the two
Italian Teams have been close all week. Joe Fly, Calvi
Network and UKA UKA Racing have a narrow 6 point lead
over Nerone, Fantastika, and Blu Moon.
For Immediate Release – January
20, 2010
Key West Contenders Emerge on Day
Three
--- After Six Races at Key West
2010 Big Picture Takes Shape
Key West, Fla - It is three days
into a five-day regatta – normally the time when the
contenders are separated from the pretenders. With six
races completed and four more to be contested at Key
West 2010, presented by Nautica, the big picture is
taking shape under sunny skies.
Barking Mad tactician Terry
Hutchinson was intently reviewing the scoreboard after
racing on Wednesday when he was asked if the American
entry was a contender or a pretender in the 19-boat Farr
40 class.
“Probably somewhere in between the
two at this point, but if we don’t get our act together
and start sailing better we’ll be in the pretender
category,” said Hutchinson, shaking his head about
several missed opportunities that have Barking Mad in
fifth place overall.
Skipper Giovannia Maspero and the
crew on Joe Fly increased their lead in the Farr 40
class to five points over fellow Italian entry Nerone
(Massimo Mezzaroma) on the strength of a 5-2 line on
Wednesday.
“I think we are sailing fairly
well. We have not won a race yet, which is a bit painful
since we have been leading at times on the course,” Joe
Fly tactician Francesco Bruni said. “We cannot complain
when we have a five-point lead with four races to go.
The owner is steering the boat very well around the
course and we are very happy with our boat speed.”
Plenty, owned by Alex Roepers of
New York, posted its second victory of the series on
Wednesday and moved from sixth to third in the overall
standings.
Hutchinson, the 2008 Rolex
Yachtsman of the Year, was frustrated because Barking
Mad had the lead midway through Race 5 and wound up
finishing seventh. Skipper Jim Richardson (Newport,
R.I.) and team are tied with the German entry Struntje
Light (Wolfgang Schaefer) on points – just two out of
third and 10 behind the leader.
“Joe Fly is sailing very well so
they certainly look like the boat to beat, but there are
still plenty of points on the table and things could
change quite a bit between now and Friday afternoon,”
Hutchinson said. “We just have to keep chipping away and
hope we get some better karma.”
Bella Mente, the Reichel-Pugh 69
owned by Hap Fauth of Newport, R.I., stretched its
winning streak to five with a bullet in the opening race
on Wednesday and holds a commanding eight-point lead in
IRC 1.
“I’m very pleased. We have won
every start except one and the crew has been just superb
in its execution,” Fauth said.
Kelvin Harrup and Eric Doyle are
combining on tactics while Sean Clarkson (main) and
Brett Jones (jib and spinnaker) are the lead trimmers
aboard Bella Mente, which would probably have to fall
apart to lose the regatta at this stage. Fauth did not
want to hear any of that talk.
“Sure we could be beaten. This
will be a boat race right up until the end,” he said
emphatically. “It was tough out there today. The wind
was up and down and clocked hard right then back left a
bit. The TP 52s came to the finish line on a much
stronger breeze and two of them beat us on corrected
time. Things could change quickly if the TP52s get the
type of conditions in which they excel.”
Decision, a TP52 owned by Stephen
Murray of New Orleans, La., became the first IRC 1 entry
other than Bella Mente to win a race when it corrected
to first in Race 6. Interlodge, a TP52 owned by Austin Fragomen
of New York, has finished second in four of six
races and heads the pack in what appears to be a battle
to be runner-up to Bella Mente.
“Bella Mente is very fast and very
well-sailed so it will be tough to beat,” Fragomen said.
“We’re most interested in winning the sub-class of
TP52s, but obviously while we’re doing that we would
like to contend for the overall class victory.”
Bill Lynn, a professional based in
Marblehead, Mass., is calling tactics on Interlodge
while Pete McCloskey (main) and Dave Armitage (jib) are
primary trimmers. This is only the second regatta for
Interlodge since Fragomen took ownership of the
Judel-Vrolijk design, which was launched in 2006.
“We are still figuring out the boat
so it’s great to be able to line up against three other
TPs and gauge our performance. We are getting a little
better every day.”
John Kilroy steered Samba Pa Ti to
victory in second start on Wednesday to extend his lead
in Melges 32 class, largest of the regatta with 22
boats. Completion of six races allowed each boat to drop
its worst result and Samba Pa Ti tossed a 14th suffered
in Race 1.
Star received redress for Race 5
after winning a protest, moving skipper Jeff Ecklund and
team up to second place with a score of 29.4 –
six-tenths of a point ahead of Ramrod (Rod Jabin,
Annapolis). Jabin was a bit downcast on the dock after
suffering an 18th in Race 5.
“I’m disappointed on a personal
level because we were sailing in second and got wrapped
up with the IRC 1 boats at a mark rounding and lost
about 16 places,” Jabin said. “Tomorrow is going to be
critical because we’ve already sailed our throw-out so
every race is a keeper from here on out. We’ve just got
to keep fighting.”
Perhaps the most surprising entry
in Melges 32 is Yasha Samurai, a newcomer
to the highly-competitive, professional-laden class.
Owner Yukihiro Ishida of Tokyo, Japan, vaulted from 11th
to fifth in the overall standings after winning Race 5
and dropping a 16th from Race 2 and was selected as
Mount Gay Rum Boat of the Day.
“To be fifth in this fleet with a
new team is downright amazing, but I don’t pay much
attention to scores at this point of a regatta,” said
Charlie McKee, tactician aboard Yasha Samurai. “We had
some good fortune today, but the breeze is supposed to
build tomorrow and that could present some challenges.”
This is only the second Melges 32
event for Ishida, who has sailed Swan designs in Europe
and a J/24 back in Japan. McKee, a Seattle native who
owns a couple Olympic bronze medals, brings a positive,
upbeat attitude as tactician. British pro Gerry Mitchell
and Snipe standout Takumi Nakamura are serving as
trimmers.
“(Ishida) is having a lot of fun
and has very good concentration when steering the boat,”
McKee said. “He is very much a student of the sport. He
thinks about the races overnight, analyzes things and
comes back the next day with a lot of questions.”
It continues to be a three-way
battle between UKA UKA Racing (Lorenzo Santini, Italy),
Blu Moon (Franco Rossini, Switzerland) and WTF (Alan
Field, United States) with only three points separating
those top contenders.
Helmsman Lorenzo Bressani won Race
5 and added a third in Race 6 to take sole possession
of first place with a low score of nine points. Flavio
Favini steered Blu Moon to the exact same results (3-1)
on Wednesday and moved into second with 11 points.
Field, from Marina Del Rey, Cal., kept pace with a
second and a fourth and has 12 total points.
“It has been very good competition
so far. The top teams have the same speed so the
tacticians have been very important. Tactics has
probably been 80 percent of the results,” Bressani said.
“We are hoping tomorrow brings more wind to ensure the
speed of the boat is most important.”
There is a new leader in IRC 2 as
skipper Mike Williamson and the White Heat team overtook
early pacesetter Pugwash on the strength of a bullet in
Race 5. That was the second win of the week for the
Summit 40, which now has a three-point advantage over
the J/122 owned by David Murphy (Newport, R.I.).
Simon Shaw of Great Britain is
calling tactics for Williamson, who splits his time
between homes in London and New Castle, New Hampshire.
This is the second time in three months that White Heat
and Pugwash have squared off, having finished one-two in
Class 3 at the IRC East Coast Championship off Annapolis
in late October.
Jeff Johnstone placed fourth in
both starts on Wednesday and moved from second to first
in J/80 class, which has attracted 19 boats for its
Midwinter Championship. Brian Keane and the Savasana
team have won two races and finished second or fourth in
the others and have led the 14-boat J/105 class at the
end of each day’s action.
For Immediate Release - January 19, 2010
Lead Changes and Challenges on Day
Two at Key West
---Good Tactics and Boat Speed
Rule the Day
Key West, Fla - Another day of
good wind brought two more races and a shakeup in some
of the standings in many of the 11 classes at Key West
2010, presented by Nautica.
A northeast wind that started off
at seven knots and built to 13 allowed organizers with
Premiere Racing to remain on schedule for a 10-race
regatta. Some of the professionally-crewed grand prix
classes saw the overall lead change hands while other
classes saw the opening day pace-setters strengthen
their grip on first place.
Joe Fly, an Italian entry skippered
by Giovanni Maspero posted a pair of fourths on Tuesday
to take over the lead in Farr 40 class. Francesco Bruni
is calling tactics on Joe Fly, which began the day in
third and now leads fellow Italian boat Nerone by one
point.
Nerone, skippered by Massimo
Mezzaroma of Punta Ala, had a terrific Tuesday with a
first and a third to jump from sixth to second in the
overall standings. Vasco Vascotto is tactician on Nerone,
which was named Sperry Top-Sider Boat of the Day.
Struntje Light, skippered by
Wolfgang Schaefer of Germany, fell out of first place
despite winning Race 3. Schaefer was remained optimistic
despite falling to third overall due to an 11th
in Race 4.
“Of course, we are very happy to be
in the game. We came here to get some experience in the
new boat and so far our boat speed has been very good,”
said Schaefer, who took delivery of a Farr 40 formerly
owned by Peter de Ridder a few days before the regatta.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
had planned to compete in Farr 40 class at Key West
2010, but wound up having to attend the World Future
Energy Summit in the United Arab Emirates. However, the
prince still entered his boat and has been following the
results very closely each day. He was no doubt thrilled
to see that Nanoq won Race 3 on Tuesday with Anders
Myralf on the helm and Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe
Bekking calling tactics.
“We wish Frederik was here to enjoy
this win with us, but we understand that he has to take
care of his official work as prince,” Myralf said.
Nanoq’s crew has not sailed
together since the Farr 40 European Championship in
Sardinia so that is why Prince Frederik felt it was
important for the boat to race at Key West. Tuesday’s
victory brought some positive reinforcement about
Nanoq’s new rig setup.
“We had a very good start, hit the
first couple shifts and rounded the first mark just
ahead of Joe Fly. We then had a very good downwind leg
and were able to extend the lead to five boat lengths at
the bottom mark. We just covered the fleet from there,”
Myralf said.
Barking Mad, skippered by Jim
Richardson of Newport, R.I., rallied from last in the
12-boat fleet to fifth in a race for the second straight
day and is fourth overall.
In the Melges 32 class, John Kilroy
and his team aboard Samba Pa Ti had a superb day on the
water and vaulted from third to first in the 22 boat
class. Stu Bannatyne is calling tactics while fellow pro
Morgan Reeser is trimming the main for Kilroy, who won
Race 4 and placed fourth in Race 3 to move ahead of
Monday leader Ramrod (Rod Jabin, Annapolis, Md.) by a
point.
“We had confidence in our boat
speed based off of yesterday so today wanted to have
good clean starts so we could get clear lanes,” Kilroy
said. “We were seventh at the last mark in the first
race and rallied to get a fourth. We got a great start
in the second race and were able to just extend and
extend. Stu did a great job on tactics today while
Morgan and Sam Rogers did a great job of trimming.”
This is only the fifth Melges 32
event for Kilroy, who has competed in Key West with a
Farr 40 and a TP52 among other designs. The Malibu,
California resident loves the exciting sport-boat and
said the competition in the class is intense.
“This fleet is so close that one
small mistake can cost you 10 or 15 boats. It’s the
outhouse or the penthouse and you just have to try to
stay in between and hope to be there at the end,” he
said.
There is a new leader in the
21-boat Melges 24 class as well with Alan Field and his
USA 587 team moving into a tie with UKA UKA Racing.
Former College of Charleston All-American Steve Hunt is
calling tactics for Field, a California resident who won
Race 3 on Tuesday then tacked on a fourth in Race 4.
“It’s pretty shifty out there so
it’s important to be in the front row and able to
control your own destiny. Alan won the start (in Race 3)
and that allowed me to play the shifts better,” said
Hunt, who spent seven years mounting an Olympic campaign
in 470 class. “Our boat speed is pretty decent and we
really improved our tacking today.”
Field finished a somewhat
disappointing 11th at the Melges 24 Worlds in
October and Hunt admitted a win in Key West would help
ease the sting of that result. “At the worlds Alan had a
little trouble getting off the line, but here in Key
West he is starting the boat much better, which makes a
huge difference.”
UKA UKA Racing, the Italian entry
owned by Lorenzo Santini and helmed by Lorenzo Bressani,
now has an impressive series line of 2-1-2-5. Tactician
Jonathan McKee, a Seattle native, said strategy and
boat-handling have been paramount in the shifty
conditions. “It’s not really about boat speed and much
more about positioning,” he said. “Today was less shifty
than yesterday, but it still wasn’t totally obvious
which side of the course was favored.”
Bella Mente and Pugwash extended
their leads in IRC 1 and 2, respectively, with a second
straight strong day of racing. Bella Mente, a Reichel-Pugh
69-footer owned by Hap Fauth of Newport, R.I., has
sailed very impressively in winning all four races.
“We are coming off a very
successful summer season in Europe in which we won the
Med Cup and several other regattas. Right now, the crew
is on top of its game and we are getting the most we can
out of the boat,” Fauth said.
Pugwash owner David Murphy looked
quite content on Tuesday afternoon as he ate finger
sandwiches and sipped green labeled beer aboard his
Lyman-Morse 90-foot motor yacht, berthed at the end of
the Galleon docks. Murphy deserved to enjoy happy hour
after opening Key West 2010 with a stellar line of
2-1-1-2. The New York resident is a newcomer to
competitive sailboat racing who has enjoyed tremendous
early success.
Pugwash, a J/122 based in Newport,
R.I., has won four of the seven events it has entered
since Murphy took delivery in June. North Sails
professional Larry Leonard is calling tactics for
Murphy, who is looking to add Key West to his impressive
list of victories that includes Chester Race Week and
the Edgartown Round the Island Race.
“All the credit goes to the crew.
Larry is the mastermind while our trimmers are terrific.
I’m just kind of like Forrest Gump. I just focus on
driving the boat,” Murphy said.
Savasana stretched its lead in
J/105 class with a fourth and a second on Tuesday as
skipper Brian Keane looks to repeat as winner of Key
West. Mike Danish is serving as tactician for Keane, who
praised the performance of second-place Ghost and said
Savasana has to keep putting up good results.
“Ghost sailed great today and
certainly is pushing us,” Keane said. “Ideally, our goal
is to finish in the top five of every race and win each
day. It’s all about avoiding the big mistake.”
North professional Will Welles
holds the lead in J/80 class for the second straight day
despite an eighth in Race 4. Jeff Johnstone of J/Boats
steered Little Feat to a pair of bullets on Tuesday to
close within one point of Welles and the Rascal team.
Johnstone may be with the company
that designs the boat, but admitted even he can learn
new tricks on the race course after finishing seventh in
both races on Monday.
"It was one of those things
were you had to go left, but you couldn't bite off more
than you could chew," Jeff Johnstone said, referring to
how he played the shifts a bit differently on Tuesday.
For Immediate Release - January 18, 2010
Picture Perfect Start to Key West 2010
--- Two Race Day with Blue Skies and Warm Breezes
Key West, Fla - Mother Nature flipped the switch just
in time for Key West 2010, presented by Nautica. The
unseasonably chilly temperatures gave way and
competitors in the 23rd edition of North
America’s most prestigious winter regatta were greeted
by Chamber of Commerce conditions on Monday.
"This shapes
up to be the warmest race week here in Key West in
recent memory," event director Peter Craig said.
Sunny skies, 75-degree temperatures and solid wind
produced an ideal opening day for the week-long event,
organized by Premiere Racing.
“It was a picture-perfect day for sailboat racing.
The weather was wonderful, the seas were calm and the
wind was more than adequate,” said Wayne Bretsch,
principal race officer on Division 3.
Bretsch and fellow PROs Ken Legler (Division 1) and
Dave Brennan (Division 2) were all able to complete two
races in oscillating winds that held steady between 7
and 10 knots. Competitors reported wind shifts ranging
from five to 50 degrees, which kept tacticians on their
toes.
“The wind speed was up and down and it was shifting
as much as 45 degrees so there were plenty of
opportunities to gain or lose,” said North Sails
professional Larry Leonard, tactician aboard the J/122
Pugwash, which is leading the IRC 2 class after posting
a first and a second on Monday. “It was very tactical
racing and we got fortunate a few times. We managed to
hit more shifts than we missed.”
No skipper sported a broader smile on the dock
afterward than Wolfgang Schaefer, who won a race in Farr
40 class for only the second time in four trips to Key
West. Schaefer steered Struntje Light to victory in Race
2 after finishing sixth in Race 1 and holds the overall
lead via tiebreaker over both Barking Mad (Jim
Richardson, Newport, R.I.) and Joe Fly (Giovanni
Maspero, Rome, Italy).
“I am very happy because this is a new boat and a
fairly new team. It is also the first time in nearly 40
years that I am steering with a tiller,” said Schaefer,
whose previous Struntje Light had a wheel.
Struntje Light finished 17th in Farr 40
class at Key West 2008 and it was navigator Angela
Schaefer who realized a newer design was needed in order
to win the prestigious regatta. “My wife asked me if I
wanted to just compete or if I wanted to try to win,”
Wolfgang Schaefer said.
Schaefer purchased the former Mean Machine from Peter
de Ridder and the crew sailed the boat for the first
time in practice last week. Apparently tactician Jes
Gram Hansen and the rest of the crew figured out the new
boat fairly quickly.
“We did very well on the first downwind run. We
rounded the mark in third and went left. The left proved
to be really strong and we opened up a lead of about six
boat lengths,” Hansen said of how Race 2 unfolded.
Early competition is also close in the 21-boat Melges
24 class as two of the top contenders – UKA UKA Racing
and Blu Moon – both won a race. Helmsman Lorenzo
Bressani also posted a second as the Italian team took a
two-point lead on the Swiss entry. UKA UKA Racing, owned
by Lorenzo Santini of Porto Civitanova and featuring
American Jonathan McKee as tactician, was declared the
Nautica Watches Boat of the Day.
Flavio Favini, helmsman aboard Blu Moon, posted a
fourth in Race 2 and was happy to get through the first
day in good shape. “It was light and shifty, which is
something we have encountered before here. It was a bit
tricky for the tacticians, but all in all very nice
racing conditions,” Favini said. “I thought the race
committee did a great job of setting the course very
quickly between races. They hurried to get the fleet
started again while there was still good wind.”
Rod Jabin and his crew aboard Ramrod posted a pair of
third place results to grab the early lead in Melges 32,
which is loaded with professional talent like the Farr
40 and Melges 24 classes. Jabin is a former Farr 40
owner who moved into the Melges 32 last spring and
enjoyed immediate success – winning the Gold Cup held
off Fort Lauderdale in early December. America’s Cup
veteran Gavin Brady is calling tactics for Jabin, who
has picked up right where he left off last month here in
Key West.
“You take an average boat and put Gavin Brady onboard
it makes a big difference,” Jabin said. “I did a
reasonable job of getting us off the start line and
Gavin did a great job of positioning the boat.
Jabin has a crew comprised entirely of fellow
Annapolis residents and said the ability to get out on
the water and practice together on a regular basis
should not be underestimated. “We have worked very hard
with North Sails on rig tune and that has been a big
help,” said Jabin, who practiced with John Kilroy and
the Samba Pa Ti team last week. “I don’t think we’re the
fastest boat out here, but our rig is set up well while
our crew work and tactics are strong.”
Bella Mente, a Reichel-Pugh 66-footer skippered by Hap
Fauth of Newport, R.I., is the opening day pacesetter in
IRC 1 class, which features the largest boats in the
regatta. Kelvin Harrup is calling tactics aboard Bella
Mente, which won both races on Monday and holds a
four-point lead over the TP52 Interlodge (Austin
Fragomen) and the Wally 82 Highland Fling (Irvine
Laidlaw).
“Today was an ideal Bella Mente day, absolutely ideal
conditions for our boat,” Fauth said. “Give me a few
more days like this and I’ll be a happy camper.”
Highland Fling is by far the biggest boat entered in
Key West 2010 and was expected to sail around the IRC 1
course by itself. However, Fauth said Bella Mente was
able to keep the 82-footer in range in Monday’s flat
water and less than 10 knots of wind.
“Off the wind in this type of breeze, we’re very
competitive with Highland Fling,” said Fauth, noting
that owner Irvine Laidlaw and his 24-man crew are
learning the newly-launched maxi. “They’re still shaking
her down so we haven’t seen her top end by any means.”
Premiere Racing has introduced a handicap multihull
class at Key West 2010 and all involved were eager to
see how it would work out. Merlin, a Gulfstream 35 that
is scratch boat in the fleet and the lone catamaran,
notched two bullets to seize the early lead. “Today’s
conditions favored us because we have more sail area,”
said tactician Doug Fisher, a Florida-based professional
with Ullman Sails.
Skipper Bob Harkrider and the Merlin team are sailing
out in front of the six smaller trimarans in the class
and thus have to focus on sailing their own race. “It’s
all about going fast and going in the right direction.
In a fleet like this in which the boats are so
different, you need to make sure you take care of
yourself… which is probably what you should do most of
the time anyway,” Fisher said.
Brian Keene (Marion, Mass.) is off to a good start in
his bid to repeat as J/105 champion at Key West,
steering Savasana to a first and a second on Monday.
North Sails professional Will Welles (Newport, R.I.) won
Race 1 and took third in Race 2 to jump ahead in the
19-boat J/80 class, which is contesting its Midwinter
Championship at Key West 2010.
Follow all the grand prix action, racing excitement, and
results through the web-site blog and coverage, live
tracking of the Melges 32 and J/80 fleets by Kattack
Kattack.com,
Scuttlebutt’s on the scene reports
SailingScuttlebutt.com,
and nightly on demand video by T2P on
www.T2P.tv
(after 9:00PM EST) and more.
Results, photos and news:
www.Premiere-Racing.com
Premiere Racing is pleased to present this year’s Key
West sponsors. The roster includes: Presenting Sponsor
Nautica, with Nautica Watches
the Official Timekeeper; and Day Sponsors Lewmar,
Official Marine Hardware, Mount Gay®
Rum, Official Rum, and Sperry Top-Sider,
Official Footwear. The Supporting Sponsors are B&G,
Official Marine Electronics, Marlow Ropes,
Official Rope; and SLAM, Official
Technical Gear.
Key West Race Week is also supported by The
Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council, which
recognizes the importance of having a world-class,
international regatta in Key West every year. The
Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight is the
Official Site.
The Ocean Key Resort and Spa
is the Official Hotel.
Thirty four Industry Partners
bring their support through a program that is now in its
9th year.
Learn more about the
Industry Partners and the Program on the event
web site.
"We are very grateful to our loyal race week sponsors
and industry partners. They all present high quality
products and exemplify the best in business practices
and customer satisfaction,” said Craig. "We encourage
all racing sailors to show their appreciation and
patronize these outstanding companies that participate
in our sport and provide vital support to events.
Key West 2010
and the 2010 Miami Grand Prix are
US SAILING
sanctioned events.
For more information on Premiere Racing, Key West 2010,
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:
Premiere-Racing.com
For Immediate Release - January 18, 2010
Key West 2010 Draws High
Quality Mix of Boats and Sailors
--- North America’s
Premiere Regatta Begins Monday
A
diverse assortment of sailors and boats has descended
upon the southernmost tip of Florida. Key West 2010,
presented by Nautica welcomes veterans and first-timers,
big boats and small.
An impressive fleet of 133 boats in 11 classes on three
divisions will begin racing Monday in the 23rd
edition of this popular international regatta.
Many participants, such as Farr 40 owner Jim
Richardson, have been coming to the Conch Republic for
years. This is the 14th Key West for
Richardson, a Boston resident who anxiously awaits his
annual winter getaway from the frigid northeast.
“I think this is the premier sailing event in the United
States every year and I wouldn’t miss it for anything.
Key West always attracts the best sailors so the
competition is second-to-none and the race management is
top-notch so you can count on quality racing,”
Richardson said. “Add in the fact the weather is
wonderful and the town of Key West is a lot of fun… this
regatta has all the elements you could ask for.”
At the opposite extreme are Jeremy Reynolds and his team
aboard Magic in Motion. Having joined the J/80 class
less than a year ago, the Annapolis resident is making
his Key West debut. Reynolds readily admits his crew is
still learning the boat, but that has not stopped them
from taking the plunge and entering one of the most
competitive events in North America.
“We are doing this for the experience. We
are not concerned with the final result or worried about
placing,” Reynolds said. “We just want to soak in the
atmosphere and learn as much as we can.”
Reynolds and the rest of the Magic in
Motion team hopped in a truck on Friday and made the
24-hour trek from the Chesapeake Bay regions to his
Stock Island marina with the J/80 in tow. Some of the
top J/80 teams in the United States are part of a
19-boat fleet and the regatta rookies are excited to see
how the game is played at this level. This is the
Midwinter Championship for the class and attracts all
the top competitors, including two-time defending Key
West champion Rumor (John Storck Jr., Huntington, N.Y.).
New York professional sailmaker Kerry Klingler
(Larchmont) and his Lifted team won in 2007 while
Annapolis amateur Brian Robinson always has Angry
Chameleon in the mix, finishing third last year.
“Everybody talks about Key West and what a
fabulous regatta it is so we are very, very excited to
be participating. This is going to be an amazing
experience for us,” Reynolds said.
Just as there is a large disparity in
experience level, so too is the range of boat sizes. At
the top end of the spectrum is Highland Fling XI, a
Wally 82-footer owned by Irvine Laidlaw of Monaco. This
is the first buoy regatta for the massive yacht, which
was launched from the Goetz facility in Newport this
past August.
“It’s a new boat and this regatta will be
its first true test. We are still learning how to handle
it,” said Peter Isler, a veteran professional who is
serving as tactician aboard Highland Fling. “The sheer
size of the boat is one thing, but the fact it goes
twice as fast as some of the other boats in our fleet is
another issue. Everything happens so fast and it’s
sometimes hard to gauge if you can cross another
competitor or not.”
This is the sixth of 11 Highland Fling
designs that Laidlaw has brought to Key West, joining a
Swan 53 and Farr 60 among others. Laidlaw said the Wally
82, which has been described as a oversized sport-boat,
achieved 27 knots of speed in 22 knots of breeze during
practice last week.
“I always enjoy coming to Key West because
this is one of the best organized regattas in the world.
Peter Craig and his team do a tremendous job,” Laidlaw
said. “The wind is very reliable over the course of the
week and the fleet is usually very competitive.”
One of the smallest boats in the fleet is
berthed right here in Key West and has competed in the
regatta 21 of the 23 years it has been held. Mark
Milnes, a resident of Big Pine Key, has won the J/24
sub-class in the past and finished second or third in
his overall PHRF class many times.
“When you have a major regatta like this
right in your backyard it makes sense to enter. We
always have a lot of fun,” said Milnes, whose crew
consists of Key West or Stock Island residents.
The Melges 32 made its debut as a
one-design class at Key West in 2006 with eight boats.
Interest in the exciting sport-boat has soared since
then and Melges 32 is now the largest class at Key West
2010 with 22 entries stocked with some of the top
professionals in the world.
Star, owned by Jeff Ecklund of Fort
Lauderdale, is the two-time defending champion at Key
West. Other top competitors include 2006 winner New Wave
(Michael Carroll, Clearwater, Fla.), 2009 runner-up Red
(Joe Woods, Great Britain) and reigning Gold Cup
champion Ramrod (Rod Jabin, Annapolis, Md.).
Successful owners from other grand prix
classes have moved into the Melges 32 while the list of
tacticians reads like a who’s who of the sport with
America’s Cup competitors such as New Zealand native
Gavin Brady (Ramrod) competing alongside Volvo Ocean
Race veterans such as Richard Clarke (Arethusa, Phil
Lotz, Newport, R.I.).
“I think there are a number of reasons why
the Melges 32 has taken off. First and foremost, it’s a
fun boat to sail… it gets up on top of the water and
planes very easily. Second, the Melges folks are doing a
really good job of managing the class and making sure
regattas are run at a high level,” said Shakedown
tactician Chris Larson, a long-time pro who recently
teamed with Clarke to capture the Melges 24 world
championship.
Farr 40 and Melges 24 are two other
classes that feature considerable professional talent.
Richardson steered Barking Mad to victory in Farr 40
class at Key West 2008 and is the reigning world
champion. Italian entries Joe Fly (Giovanni Maspero) and
Nerone (Massimo Mezzaroma) are always in contention
while Goombay Smash (William Douglass, Newport, R.I.)
has come on strong in recent years.
All 13 boats in the fleet boast a big-name
tactician with America’s Cup, Volvo or Olympic
experience with Ian Walker of Great Britain, Bouwe
Bekking of Denmark and Vasco Vascotto of Italy among the
international standouts.
“I think it’s going to be the usual
knockdown, drag-out fight and I expect this regatta to
come down to the wire as usual,” said Richardson, who
has former Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Terry Hutchinson
calling tactics.
It’s a similar story in the Melges 24
class where UKA UKA Racing, the Italian entry steered by
Lorenzo Bressani, is the defending champ. USA 587,
skippered by Alan Field of California, is an
up-and-comer in the class while Baghdad (Kristian
Nergaard, Oslo, Norway) and Blu Moon (Franco Rossini,
Lugano, Switzerland) should also be in contention.
“It’s a typically competitive fleet with a
bunch of boats that could do well. I think several teams
have the potential of winning,” said Bruce Ayres, whose
Monsoon is annually one of the top amateur Melges 24
programs at Key West.
A new addition to Key West 2010 is a
multihull handicap class that has attracted seven
entries. For many years, the regatta featured a Corsair
28R One-Design fleet, but interest from other multihull
owners prompted event director Peter Craig to institute
handicap racing.
Merlin, a Gulfstream 35 owned by Bob
Harkrider of Sarasota, Fla., is the lone catamaran in
the fleet and scratch entry with a minus -12 rating.
Merlin owes the smaller trimarans such as the Corsair
28-footers up to 33 seconds per mile.
“It will be interesting to see how it
plays out. We’ll need to win by three or four minutes in
order to save our time on the trimarans. Hopefully, it
will be like a bunch of tortoises chasing a rabbit ,”
said Harkrider, a past Key West winner in the Corsair 28
class. “I think this is a great idea that Premiere
Racing has come up with and could really take off. Next
year, we could have twice as many boats.”
Follow all the grand prix action, racing excitement, and
results through the web-site blog and coverage, live
tracking of the Melges 32 and J/80 fleets by Kattack
Kattack.com , Scuttlebutt’s on the
scene reports
SailingScuttlebutt.com, and nightly
on demand video by T2P on
www.T2P.tv (after 9:00PM EST) and
more.
Web Site:
Premiere-Racing.com
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