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For Immediate Release - March 7, 2010
Breakthrough Victories at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix --- New Champions Crowned Under Sunny Skies
by Bill Wagner
Miami Beach, Fla - The 2010 Miami Grand Prix will always remain memorable for the owners and crew members of Teasing Machine and Flash Gordon. That’s because both boats registered signature victories at the annual four-day regatta, organized by Premiere Racing.
Skipper Jean-Francois Cruette and his crew on Teasing Machine displayed tremendous consistency to capture the Melges 32 championship. It was French team’s first regatta title since joining the popular sport boat class a year ago.
“This is definitely a big breakthrough for us. Winning a major event such as this is a big confidence boost. Now that we have finally won, we know that we can do it again,” Teasing Machine crew member Eric de Turckheim said.
Owner Helmut Jahn and the boys on Flash Gordon also made a bit of a breakthrough by capturing the Farr 40 class by a mere point over the Italian entry Nerone. It marked the first victory in an international regatta for the Chicago-based syndicate, which previously won the Farr 40 North American Championship that had no foreign entries.
“This is by far the biggest win we’ve had in this class,” Jahn said. “It is a very important step in the right direction for our program.”
Teasing Machine took first place in four of 10 races and held off strong closing charges by Full Throttle and Star top a talent-laden fleet of 23 Melges 32s. Veteran North Sails professional Andreas Josenhans spent three days prior to the regatta coaching the French team, which was disappointed with its 13th place finish at Key West 2010 in mid January.
“We have been working hard for a year now and we are starting to understand how to make the boat go,” de Turckheim said. “The Melges 32 is not an easy boat to sail and it took some time to figure some things out. Working with AJ was helpful because he was able to pinpoint some of our weaknesses and shows us how to improve.”
Cruette, a former Corinthian class world champion in the Melges 24 class, was particularly pleased since he was able to share this victory with a loyal team of close friends from the seaside port of La Rochelle, including tactician Christian Ponthieu. “The whole crew is very happy. We have been sailing together a long time and this is one of our greatest accomplishments.”
Several members of the Flash Gordon team, notably jib-spinnaker trimmer Dave Gerber and coach Ed Adams, have been with Jahn for nearly two decades. San Diego-based professional Bill Hardesty came aboard as tactician two years ago and has helped elevate the crew performance, evidenced by the fact Flash’s only two Farr 40 victories have come in the past six months.
“We have learned to not worry about the big picture and to focus on the next task. You focus on getting a good start, then a good mark rounding and a good spinnaker set and so on,” Hardesty said.
Hardesty had stated on Saturday night that the first race on Sunday would be critical. Flash Gordon got off the line in good shape, hit the first shift, rounded the top mark in first place and covered the fleet nicely en route to getting the gun in Race 9. “All week the left side had been better early in the day. We wanted to get a clean lane and go left, and thankfully we were able to execute the plan,” he said.
Evan Jahn steered the boat during starts and upwind before turning the wheel over to his father for the downwind legs. Helmut Jahn passed two boats on the first run of Race 10 and that would prove crucial considering Nerone notched a bullet to pull within a point.
“Things just came together nicely. We had a bad result in the third race (ninth), but we fought back and continued to climb in the standings – from fifth to third to second to first,” Jahn said.
It was close but no cigar for skipper Massimo Mezzaroma, tactician Vasco Vascotto and the rest of the crew on Nerone, which won four races and finished second in two others.
“It’s tough because we sailed so well in so many races. The second day was a big disaster and really set us back,” said Nerone crew member Massimo Bortoletto, referring to results of 10th and seventh on Friday. “We fought until the very end and finished strong. We were happy because we had good speed and crew work.”
Nerone did capture the Florida Grand Prix title, which is awarded based on the combined results from Premiere Racing’s two winter regattas. The Italian boat placed third at Key West 2010 and totaled 81 points – 13 better than Barking Mad (Jim Richardson, Newport, R.I.).
A familiar name but a class newcomer was runner-up in the Melges 32 fleet. John Porter, who has crewed for his brother Brian on the family’s Melges 24, steered Full Throttle to a pair of bullets and five other Top 5 finishes in totaling 50 points – four more than Teasing Machine.
Seattle-based professional Jonathan McKee called tactics for Porter, who took delivery of his brand new boat a few weeks ago. Two other renowned pros – Federico Michetti of Melges Boatworks Europe and Andy Burdick – served as jib trimmer and strategist.
“I’ve been thinking about getting one of these 32s for a couple years. I’m 55 years old now and felt It was time to stop hiking out for my brother and sail my own boat,” said Porter, who had sons Vincent (main) and Corbett (floater) as part of the crew. “We’re just super happy to do this well in our first event. I had a lot of good sailors on my boat and they deserve all the credit.”
Star, skippered by Jeff Ecklund with pros Jeff Madrigali and Harry Melges in the afterguard, also scored 50 points, but lost the tiebreaker to Full Throttle. Ecklund, a resident of Fort Lauderdale, said the 2010 Miami Grand Prix may have set a new standard for competition in the Melges 32.
“This might have been the tightest, toughest fleet of boats in class history. There were a lot of talented teams here and everyone came out with their guns blazing,” said Ecklund, who saluted the Teasing Machine crew for finding a way to go from 13th in Key West to atop the podium.
“That is a team that has really come together and improved very quickly. They obviously found something special and performed very well all four days.”
Skipper Jim Bishop completed a wire-to-wire win in IRC class with a first and a second in Sunday’s two races. The Rhode Island skipper steered his 20-year-old J/44 to victory in five races and finished no worse than second in totaling 19 points. Decision, a TP52 owned by Stephen Murray of New Orleans, closed the regatta with a bullet and overtook the J/125 Stark Raving Mad (James Madden, Oyster Bay, N.Y.) for second.
“It’s absolutely fabulous,” an ecstatic Bishop said of the victory. “We had an excellent crew and great preparation, and were fortunate to get the type of conditions that favor this boat. We need a breeze and it blew pretty strong for this entire regatta.”
Organizers with Premiere Racing had no trouble completing the 10-race series as winds rarely dropped below 10 knots and often reached the upper teens. Principal race officer Dave Brennan and team set terrific courses and it was notable that there was not a single protest.
“South Beach once again delivered the conditions it’s known for, the competition in all three classes was tremendous and the race committee work was flawless as usual,” event director Peter Craig said following the awards ceremony at Miami Beach Marina. “Combine all those factors and that explains why there are so many smiling faces around here.”
Daily results and photos: http://www.premiere-racing.com
Race Headquarters is at the Miami Beach Marina, the official site and exclusive marina. Mount Gay Rum is the official rum. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels. Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity (please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org).
2010 Miami Grand Prix - March 4 -7, 2010 Final Results after ten races - March 7, 2010
IRC (6 Boats) 1. Gold Digger II, J/44, James Bishop, Jamestown, RI, USA, 2-3-1-3-1-4-1-1-1-2=19 2. Decision, TP52, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA, 1-6-6-1-4-2-5-3-3-1= 32 3. Stark Raving Mad, J/125, James Madden, Oyster Bay, NY, USA, 4-5-3-2-3-6-3-2-5-5=38
Farr 40 (10 Boats) 1. Flash Gordon, Helmut Jahn, Chicago, IL, USA, 4-1-9-2-4-4-1-6-1-6=37 2. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, ITA, 1-6-1-7-10-2-7-1-2-1=38 3. Goombay Smash, William Douglass, Newport, RI, USA, 6-3-4-1-9-1-3-3-5-6=41
Melges 32 (23 Boats) – with discard 1. Teasing Machine, Jean Francois Cruette, La Rochelle, FRA, 5-1-1-10-9-1-1-10-(11)-6=44 2. Full Throttle, John Porter, Lake Geneva, WI, USA, (12)-5-5-1-12-5-12-5-4-1=50 3. Star, Jeff Ecklund, Ft Lauderdale, FL, USA, 4-4-(19)-3-1-17-5-11-2-3=50 4. Bliksem, Pieter Taselaar, NYYC, NY, 1-2-(14)-6-2-2-7-12-14-5=51 5. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 2-(10)-4-4-10-6-4-9-7-1-53
Florida Grand Prix Combined Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix IRC Combined - Decision, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA Farr 40 - Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, ITA
Combined Melges Gold Cup, Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix Melges 32- Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR
For Immediate Release – March 6, 2010
Miami Grand Prix Championships Down to the Wire -- The Battle off South Beach Concludes Sunday
By Bill Wagner
Miami Beach, Fla - Competitors in the 2010 Miami Grand Prix will sleep well following another action-packed day on the waters off South Beach. Crew members aboard the leading boats in Farr 40 and Melges 32 will surely need a good night’s rest as overall victory is still undecided in these two one-design classes.
There was a new leader in both Farr 40 and Melges 32 for the third straight day as Saturday’s three races took place under superb conditions: sunny skies and strong winds. Skipper William Douglass and his crew on Goombay Smash posted three good results and took a narrow one-point lead in Farr 40 while Jean-Francois Cruette and the Teasing Machine team reclaimed first place in Melges 32 by just four points.
British America’s Cup veteran Ian Walker is calling tactics on Goombay Smash, which won Race 6 then tacked on consecutive third place results to make an impressive rise to the top of the Farr 40 standings with 30 points. Flash Gordon, owned by Helmut Jahn of Chicago, sailed well for the second straight day and stayed in contention on the strength of a bullet in Race 7.
The Italian entry Nerone (Massimo Mezzaroma), which led after the opening day, is just five points behind the leader. Barking Mad (Jim Richardson, Newport, R.I.) and Fiamma (Alessandro Barnaba, Italy) are tied for fourth with 37 points apiece.
“This regatta is still very much up for grabs,” said Bill Hardesty, tactician on Flash Gordon. “The points are really close and we can’t really focus on Goombay because we have Nerone right on our tail.”
Nerone and Barking Mad are engaged in a tight duel for the Florida Grand Prix title, which is awarded based on the combined results from Premiere Racing’s two winter regattas. Both boats have compiled 78 points after a total of 18 races at Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix.
Principal race officer Dave Brennan plans to hold two races on Sunday to complete the 10-race series.
Hardesty feels it’s important to put up a good result in Race 9. “That first race tomorrow is critically important because it will determine each team’s strategy for the final race. Hopefully, we can get a good start, hit the first shift and be able to sail our own race.”
Teasing Machine notched bullets in two of the initial three races to take the early lead in Melges 32 class. However, finishes of ninth and a 10th on Friday dropped the Frenchmen into second behind Bliksem. Cruette and crew maintained their confidence and rebounded by winning two more races on Saturday while discarding the 10th. All 23 teams in the fleet were able to throw out their worst result once six races were completed.
“Teasing Machine definitely has great speed and they’re making good decisions around the course. In these shifty conditions we’ve been having, smart choices get rewarded and those guys have not made many tactical mistakes,” said Jeremy Wilmot, tactician aboard Bliksem.
Bliksem, the defending class champion at this regatta, got caught on the wrong side of a shift on the final leg of Race 8 and finished 12th and concluded the day with 32 points – four astern of Teasing Machine. Wilmot said it’s his job to give owner Pieter Taselaar a chance to repeat as Miami Grand Prix winner.
“We’re happy to have a chance to defend our title. We just have to go out tomorrow and sail smart. I need to put the boat in good spots and make sure we don’t go backwards like we did in the last race today,” Wilmot said.
Red, the British entry skippered by Joe Woods, holds third in the overall standings with 39 points. While Woods would need some help to wind up winning this regatta, he is certain to claim the Melges Gold Cup for combined results at Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix. Red has accumulated 135 total points, 29 better than second place Fantastica (Lanfranco Cirillo, Italy).
Gold Digger II had another successful day in IRC class and is close to completing a wire-to-wire victory. Skipper Jim Bishop (Jamestown, R.I.) has steered his 20-year-old J/44 to first place in five of eight races and has built a comfortable 12 point lead over second place Stark Raving Mad, the J/125 owned by James Madden.
Saturday's racing was held in northwesterly winds that ranged from 12-15 knots and clocked around to the east. For the third straight day there were significant shifts with the race committee reporting pressure changes of as much as 40 degrees. While the shifts have made it tough on tacticians, Brennan said the sailors respect how hard the race committee has worked to change marks and maintain fair courses.
"It's been incredibly shifty all three days with big gains and losses to be had," Brennan said. "Nonetheless, it's been fantastic racing in real Chamber of Commerce conditions. We've had a lot of sailors come past the committee boat and tell us they appreciate the effort, which is nice to hear."
Daily results and photos: http://www.premiere-racing.com
Race Headquarters is at the Miami Beach Marina, the official site and exclusive marina. Mount Gay Rum is the official rum. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels. Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity (please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org).
2010 Miami Grand Prix - March 4 -7, 2010 Class leaders after eight races - March 6, 2010
IRC (6 Boats) 1. Gold Digger II, J/44, James Bishop, Jamestown, RI, USA, 2-3-1-3-1-4-1-1=16 2. Decision, TP52, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA, 1-6-6-1-4-2-5-3= 28 3. Stark Raving Mad, J/125, James Madden, Oyster Bay, NY, USA, 4-5-3-2-3-6-3-2=28
Farr 40 (10 Boats) 1. Goombay Smash, William Douglass, Newport, RI, USA, 6-3-4-1-9-1-3-3=30 2. Flash Gordon, Helmut Jahn, Chicago, IL, USA, 4-1-9-2-4-4-1-6=31 3. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, ITA, 1-6-1-7-10-2-7-1=35
Melges 32 (23 Boats) – with discard 1. Teasing Machine, Jean Francois Cruette, La Rochelle, FRA, 5-1-1-(10)-9-1-1-10=28 2. Bliksem, Pieter Taselaar, NYYC, NY, 1-2-(14)-6-2-2-7-12= 32 3. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 2-(10)-4-4-10-6-4-9=39
Florida Grand Prix- Combined Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix IRC Combined 1. Cool Breeze, John Cooper, Cane Hill, MO, USA, 68 points 2. Decision, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA, 69 points
Farr 40 1. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, ITA, 78 points 2. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, USA, 78 points
Combined Melges Gold Cup, Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix Melges 32 1. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 135 points 2. Fantistica, Lanfranco Cirillo, Torri del Benac, ITA, 164 points
March 5, 2010 - For Immediate Release
Tacticians Rule Day Two at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix --- Wind Shifts and Velocity Changes Test the Best
By Bill Wagner
Miami Beach, Fla - A northwesterly wind that ranged from 7 to 20 knots and shifted as much as 50 degrees during the day forced the boys in the back of the boat to take some risks and hope they guessed right.
“The wind was up and down velocity-wise and all over the place on the course. You could easily go from the top of the fleet to the bottom and back again in one race,” Bliksem skipper Pieter Taselaar said.
Flash Gordon was among three Farr 40s that handled the shifts and fared well on Friday. Bill Hardesty did his best to keep skipper Helmut Jahn in the pressure as the Chicago entry posted a second and a fourth to move into third place overall in the 10-boat fleet.
It wasn’t a surprise to see tacticians bellying up to the Tiki bar at Monty’s overlooking the waterfront at the Miami Beach Marina.
Two days of extremely shifty sailing conditions in the Miami Grand Prix have driven the men who make the on-course calls to drink. “You could go from the penthouse to the outhouse real quickly today” said Hardesty, tactician aboard the Farr 40 Flash Gordon. “It was pretty darn tricky out there.”
Former Star class world champion Joe Londrigan is trimming the main while Dave Gerber is trimming the jib and spinnaker aboard Flash, which has reunited the crew that was together for the Farr 40 Worlds. Evan Jahn is steering the boat during starts and upwind before handing the wheel to his father.
“Helmut has been our rock star. He has been passing boats downwind the entire regatta,” Hardesty said.
Barking Mad and Fiamma also totaled six points in two starts with a bullet in Race 5 lifting the former into the overall lead by a point over the Italian team. Barking Mad is without three regular crew members, including tactician Terry Hutchinson, due to the Louis Vuitton Series in Auckland, New Zealand. However, up and coming pro Steve Hunt has done a good job of filling in for Hutchinson and skipper Jim Richardson has been pleased with the crew work.
“We have a lot of new people onboard so there was some apprehension going in. It’s been a big transition and we’re doing some things well while there are other things we still need to work on,” Richardson said. “It’s been real shifty so far and we expect to see more of the same over the weekend. There’s a lot of good sailors scratching their heads because you can easily lose five places in an instant.”
Fiamma, skippered by Alessandro Barnaba of Roma, Italy, posted a pair of thirds on Friday to jump into contention. Tactician Lorenzo Bressani, regular helmsman for the standout Melges 24 program UKA UKA Racing, is calling tactics on Fiamma.
“It has been a very difficult day with big wind shifts. Both races went down to the last meter. It is necessary always keep the eyes open because things can happen in double-quick time,” Bressani said. “In this class the speed between boats is very similar so the fleet always stays united. A missed shift or tactical mistake can hurt you. Today, we sailed well and always in phase with the wind.”
Bliksem, the defending Melges 32 champion at Miami Grand Prix, moved from third to first in the overall standings with a second and a sixth on Friday. Australian Jeremy Wilmot is calling tactics for Taselaar, who proclaimed “I really like Miami. This regatta was good to me last year and hopefully it will be good for me again this year.”
Taselaar, a New York City resident, took delivery of a brand new boat on Friday and has outfitted it with new sails. “We are still tweaking the boat and feel we can get more speed out of her,” he said.
Teasing Machine, the French entry skippered by Jean-Francois Cruette, relinquished its opening day lead but is just one point behind Bliksem. “Teasing Machine has some very talented sailors onboard and is going very well,” Taselaar said of the relative newcomer to the Melges 32 circuit. “This class gets better and better ever year and there are an awful lot of good teams here at this event.”
There are five boats within 10 points of the leader in the Melges 32 class, which has attracted 23 entries and features a slew of top-notch pros. Jeff Madrigali is a new addition to the Star team and skipper Jeff Ecklund said his expertise has come in handy so far.
“When the wind is as shifty as it’s been so far you really have to keep your head out of the boat. Jeff has been very alert and done a great job of making sure we don’t get caught on the wrong side of the course,” said Ecklund, who has Harry Melges focusing on boat speed.
Gold Digger II, a J/44 owned by Jim Bishop of Jamestown, R.I., maintained the lead in IRC class after winning Race 5. Stark Raving Mad, the J/125 owned by James Madden of Oyster Bay, N.Y., made a move with a second and a third, but remains seven points off the pace set by Gold Digger II.
“Gold Digger is very capably sailed and does well in the moderate breeze,” Madden said. “We’d like to see winds that are either 18 knots or more so we can plane or less than 10 knots so our lighter displacement will be an advantage. This moderate breeze is challenging for us.”
Stark Raving Mad normally sails PHRF and Madden’s team is using this regatta as a test for how the J/125 can perform under IRC. “It’s been a competitive class, evidenced by the fact only four points separate the second through sixth place boats,” he said. “While there is a wide range of designs here, the speed differences aren’t as great as you might think. We’ve seen a lot of other boats within our quadrant of the race course.”
Daily results and photos: http://www.premiere-racing.com
Race Headquarters is at the Miami Beach Marina, the official site and exclusive marina. Mount Gay Rum is the official rum. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels. Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity (please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org).
2010 Miami Grand Prix -- March 4-7, 2010 Class leaders after five races -- March 5, 2010 IRC (6 Boats) 1. Gold Digger II, J/44, James Bishop, Jamestown, RI, USA, 2-3-13-1=10 2. Stark Raving Mad, J/125, James Madden, Oyster Bay, NY, USA, 4-5-3-2-3=17 3. Decision, TP52, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA, 1-6-6-1-4= 18 Farr 40 (10 Boats) 1. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, USA, 5-4-2-5-1=17 2. Fiamma, Allesandro Barnaba, Rome, ITA, 3-2-7-3-3=18 3. Flash Gordon, Helmut Jahn, Chicago, IL, USA, 4-1-9-2-4=20 Melges 32 (23 Boats) 1. Bliksem, Pieter Taselaar, NYYC, NY, 1-2-14-6-2= 25 2. Teasing Machine, Jean Francois Cruette, La Rochelle, FRA, 5-1-1-10-9=26 3. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 2-10-4-4-10=26
Florida Grand Prix - Standings after five Miami Grand Prix Races Combined Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix Farr 40 1. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, USA, 58 points 2. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, ITA, 68 points IRC 1. Cool Breeze, John Cooper, Cane Hill, MO, USA, 56 points 2. Decision, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA, 59 points Combined Melges Gold Cup, Key West 2010 and Miami Grand Prix Melges 32 1. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 126 points 2. Samba Pa Ti, John Kilroy, Mailbu, CA, USA, 142 points
March 4, 2010 - For Immediate Release
Opening Day Action and Thrills at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix --- Sunshine, Strong Winds and Three Great Races
by Bill Wagner
Miami Beach, Fla- It was an action-packed and often-times thrilling afternoon off South Beach as strong and shifty winds challenged skippers and crews on the opening day of the 2010 Miami Grand Prix. Principal race officer Dave Brennan completed three races in northwest winds that averaged 15-18 knots but gusted to 25 at times.
Regular shifts ranging as significant as 40 degrees kept tacticians on their toes as staying on the proper side of the course proved crucial. “It was quite shifty and the positions changes were huge,” said Dick Neville, who is serving as Brennan’s right-hand man aboard the committee boat. “That being said, it was still a very good day for sailboat racing. We had plenty of wind and lots of excitement. It was a fun day on the water.”
Nerone tactician Vasco Vascotto was on his game Thursday and the Italian entry holds first place in Farr 40 class as a result. Nerone, the defending class champion here in Miami, hooked into a massive right-hand shift and took off from the rest of the 10-boat fleet in Race 1. However, Vascotto earned his money the rest of the day – making enough good calls to rally Nerone from last to sixth in Race 2 and from fifth to first in Race 3.
“Vasco, for sure, did a great job of picking the shifts, but the whole crew did a good job of maneuvering the boat. There was a lot of gybing today and ours were all perfect,” Nerone boat captain and crew member Massimo Bortoletto said. “It was a tough day, but all in all it was a good day because we are winning.”
Barking Mad, skippered by Jim Richardson of Newport, R.I., posted a solid line of 5-4-2 on Thursday and is second overall, three points behind the Italians. Former College of Charleston All-American Steve Hunt called tactics for Richardson, who captured the Farr 40 class at the 2008 Miami Grand Prix.
“It was a tricky day, a very tactical day and it was hard to get dialed in. Considering what could have happened, we are pretty pleased with our finishes. I felt we improved as a team as the day went along and our boat speed and boat-handling were excellent,” Hunt said.
There was a surprise leader in the talent-laden Melges 32 class following the first day. Frenchman Jean-Francois Cruette and his crew aboard Teasing Machine took first place in two of three races to post a low score of seven points – nine better than second-place Red (Joe Woods, Great Britain).
This is only the fifth Melges 32 regatta for Cruette, a La Rochelle resident who got his first taste of the class by chartering for Key West 2009. Cruette was so enamored of the sport-boat he bought one and Teasing Machine placed 13th at Key West 2010. Christian Ponthies is tactician for Cruette, the Melges 24 Corinthian world champion in 2006.
Bliksem, the defending class champion for the Miami Grand Prix, holds third place in the 23-boat class – just one point astern of Red. Skipper Pieter Taselaar, tactician Jeremy Wilmot and team grabbed the gun in Race 1 and placed second in Race 2, but were hurt by a 14th in Race 3.
It appeared that the heavy air favored the older, lower handicapped designs in IRC class with Jim Bishop steering his J/44 to the top of the fleet on the strength of a solid 2-3-1 score line. Bishop, a resident of Jamestown, R.I., actually owns two J/44 sloops – a standard model that is used for one-design racing back home and Gold Digger II, which has been modified for IRC competition.
“The wind couldn’t have been any better, the weather is wonderful and we’re very happy to be down here,” said Bishop, who stays in comfort aboard the Coastal Queen, a 70-foot Oyster Bay Boat that was built in 1928.
Dave Willis, whose family competes against Bishop in J/44 class on Long Island Sound, is calling tactics on Gold Digger II, which holds a three-point lead over the Swan 42 Vitesse (Jon Halbert, Dallas, Texas).
“I’m very enthusiastic about the IRC rule and how it treats heavy and light boats equally. We performed well in the heavy breeze, but we’ll see how we do in light air,” said Bishop, who reckoned that different conditions could favor the faster, lighter displacement entries such as the Mills 43 Cool Breeze or the J/125 Stark Raving Mad.
Event director Peter Craig of Premiere Racing was pleased to get a nice jump-start on the projected 10-race series. Wind forecasts are favorable through the weekend and Dave Brennan’s race management team should have no trouble completing the full series.
Daily results and photos: http://www.premiere-racing.com
Race Headquarters is at the Miami Beach Marina, the official site and exclusive marina. Mount Gay Rum is the official rum. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels. Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity (please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org).
2010 Miami Grand Prix - March 4 -7, 2010 Class leaders after three races - March 4, 2010
IRC (6 Boats) 1. Gold Digger II, J/44, James Bishop, Jamestown, RI, USA, 2-3-1= 6 2. Vitesse, Swan 42, Jon Halbert, Dallas, TX, USA, 5-2-2= 9 3. Gumption, J/105, Kevin Grainger, Rye, NY, USA, 6-1-4=11 Farr 40 (10 Boats) 1. Nerone, Massimo Mezzaroma, Punta Ala, ITA, 1-6-1=8 2. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, USA, 5-4-2=11 3. Fiamma, Allesandro Barnaba, Rome, ITA, 3-2-7=12 Melges 32 (23 Boats) 1. Teasing Machine, Jean Francois Cruette, La Rochelle, FRA, 5-1-1=7 2. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 2-10-4=16 3. Bliksem, Pieter Taselaar, NYYC, NY, 1-2-14=17
March 3, 2010 – For Immediate Release
Hot Competition and Warm Breezes at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix --- Four Days of Racing Begins Thursday
by Bill Wagner
Miami Beach, Fla. Talent-laden fleets in the Melges 32, Farr 40 and IRC classes highlight the 2010 Miami Grand Prix. A terrific stretch of wind and weather conditions is shaping up. Temperatures are warming and the wind has filled in nicely. A strong fleet of 39 racing sailboats will head out through the Government Cut and onto the Atlantic Ocean to begin four days of action-packed racing March 4 - 7.
The Melges 32 continues to grow and develop as a grand prix class and they’ll have an impressive 23 boats on the starting line in Miami with many teams featuring accomplished professional sailors as tacticians and trimmers.
John Kilroy and his crew aboard Samba Pa Ti hope to remain on a roll after topping a loaded fleet at Key West 2010. Volvo Ocean Race veteran Stu Bannatyne will call tactics while Morgan Reeser and Sam Rogers will trim aboard Samba, which posted an impressive 18-point victory over Red in Key West.
“When you win an important regatta you always hope you can pick up where you left off,” said Kilroy, who carries over the same crew from Key West to Miami. “However, every event is new and different unto itself and I would say this regatta is up for grabs.”
Bliksem, owned by Pieter Taselaar of New York, opened with three straight bullets and never looked back in topping the Melges 32 class at last year’s Miami Grand Prix. That result foretold a special season for Bliksem, which went on to capture the class world championship off Sardinia, Italy last September.
Australian standout Jeremy Wilmot returns as tactician aboard Bliksem, which has built its 2010 campaign around repeating as world champ off San Francisco in September. Taselaar and team did not compete at Key West in January, but would not miss Miami.
“We love this regatta. It’s a great town with loads of entertainment options and the breeze always seems to turn on and make for great racing,” Wilmot said.
Taselaar took delivery of a brand new boat on Friday and the crew took it out for a shakedown sail on Tuesday. Wilmot was not worried about the team racing an untested platform this week.
“These boats come out of the box in terrific shape and the Melges folks have shown us how to set one up straight away,” he said. “We would love to win this regatta again, but really our main goal is to get the boat up to speed and begin our preparation for the worlds.”
Samba Pa Ti placed second to Bliksem at the 2009 Miami Grand Prix with Kilroy noting the two boats performed differently depending on the point of sail. “We were first to the weather mark the most, but they sailed very well downwind. Hopefully, we’ve improved our downwind speed since then,” he said.
Red, owned by Joe Woods of Great Britain, leads the Melges 32 Midwinter Championship by five points going into the Miami Grand Prix. Fantastica (Lanfranco Cirillo, Italy) stands third and will try to make up a six-point deficit.
“Miami is one of our favorite events of the year. It is one of the best spots in the world to sail with very consistent conditions and you could not ask for a better place to party,” said Massimo Bortoletto, boat captain and crew member aboard Nerone, one of the pre-regatta favorites in Farr 40. “We are very happy to be here and looking forward to a great week of racing.”
Nerone, skippered by Massimo Mezzaroma, is defending class champion at the Miami Grand Prix. Tactician Vasco Vascotto made numerous good calls as the Italian entry got the gun in six of 10 races a year ago. “We had good fortune last year and hopefully we can find that magic formula again,” Bortoletto said.
Nerone won four races to overcome three double-digit results and take 3rd place at Key West 2010. “We had a few bad races, but overall we sailed very well in Key West. We are hoping to build off that result and do even better in this regatta,” Bortoletto said. “As usual in this class there are a lot of great teams here and almost all of them are capable of winning.”
Barking Mad, a US entry skippered by Jim Richardson of Newport, R.I., placed second at Key West 2010 – just two points ahead of Nerone. Regular tactician Terry Hutchinson is racing in the Louis Vuitton Series off Valencia, Spain, but the team found a capable replacement in former College of Charleston All-American Steve Hunt.
“I have big shoes to fill, but fortunately this is a very well organized program with a lot of talent onboard the boat. I’ve found that tactics are easier when you have great boat-handling and speed,” said Hunt, happy to have veteran trimmers Skip Baxter and Dave Armitage aboard.
Hunt has been calling tactics for Alan Field in the Melges 24 class, but has experience with the Farr 40 fleet after crewing aboard Heartbreaker (Robert Hughes) and Flash Gordon (Helmut Jahn). He knows Nerone and fellow Italian entry Fiamma (Alessandro Barnaba) will be tough, but said the Barking Mad team is looking at the big picture. Like most skippers in the class, Richardson is using the Miami Grand Prix as a final tune-up prior to the Farr 40 World Championships, being held next month off Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.
“Of course we want to win this regatta, but our main focus is to prepare for the worlds. We’ll be looking at sails and testing some other things this week,” said Hunt, who currently resides in San Diego after mounting an Olympic campaign in 470 class.
There is an interesting mix of IRC entries at Miami Grand Prix with the TP52 Decision (Stephen Murray, New Orleans) and the J/105 Gumption (Kevin Grainger, New York) on opposite ends of the spectrum. Cool Breeze, a Mills 43 skippered by John Cooper of Cane Hill, Missouri, was specifically designed to this rating rule and showed its speed by placing second in IRC 2 at Key West 2010. Meanwhile, James Madden and his crew aboard Stark Raving Mad will are eager to see how the J/125 performs in IRC.
“We always assumed this boat would have a poor IRC rating, but have discovered there are a few minor changes that can be made to get credits under the system,” said North Sails president Gary Weisman, tactician on Stark Raving Mad. “So we are testing the waters and seeing how well the boat can compete under IRC.”
Weisman wishes Stark Raving Mad had entered IRC 2 class at Key West 2010 instead of PHRF 1, which it won in convincing fashion – finishing first in eight of 10 races. “This will be an interesting regatta because there is such a wide spread in boat sizes and speed from the top to the bottom end of the fleet that it’s hard to gauge how things will turn out,” he said.
Peter Craig and the rest of Premiere Racing’s top-notch team are ready to run a quality regatta. Moderate winds in the mid teens, bright sunshine, and temperatures slightly cooler than normal look to occur each race day. This is a welcome departure from the significantly cooler and wetter than normal winter south Florida has experienced.
Miami resident Dave Brennan will once again direct a veteran race committee with capable assistance from top lieutenant Dick Neville.
Craig, president of Premiere Racing, was gratified to see entries hold steady for Miami Grand Prix despite the tough economic conditions.
"I think it speaks to what the sailors think of this regatta that the number of boats has remained constant," Craig said. "We once again have two hyper-competitive classes with the Farr 40, and Melges 32, both of which have some really, really talented sailors."
Often referred to as North American’s Riviera, Miami offers the ideal late winter getaway with warm sunshine, reliable ocean breezes along with world-class dining and nightlife.
Four days of racing begins Thursday, with as many as 10 races scheduled. Daily results and photos: http://www.premiere-racing.com
Race Headquarters is at the Miami Beach Marina, the official site and exclusive marina. Mount Gay Rum is the official rum. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels. Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity (please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org).
February 10, 2010 – For Immediate Release
Miami Grand Prix Less Than a Month Away ---- Popular South Beach Venue and Competitive Classes Attract International Talent
Miami Beach, Fla – There will be no shortage of top-tier competition at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix. Racing sailors from across the country and around the world are setting their sights on Premiere Racing’s second South Florida event. Melges 32, Farr 40 and IRC boats will race in the sparkling ocean waters off beautiful South Beach March 4-7.
Following a spectacular 10-race series in Key West last month, the competition moves to Miami, where some of the world’s best will vie for class championships and the combined Florida Grand Prix trophies.
The Miami Grand Prix provides another opportunity for Farr 40 programs to fine tune crew work and boat speed in preparation for their April World Championship in the Dominican Republic’s Casa de Campo. Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (Newport, RI) and Massimo Mezzaroma’s Nerone (Punta Ala, IT) will look to improve on their 2nd and 3rd place finishes at Key West Race Week.
The Melges 32 southern winter circuit concludes with the Miami Grand Prix. Points earned at the December Gold Cup in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and the class Mid Winter Championships in Key West will count with Miami results for the coveted combined trophy. By the first entry deadline, 22 of these high performance sport boats hailing from Italy, Japan and the UK and nine different states had entered. With the top performers from Key West on hand it will be asking a lot for John Kilroy and his superb Samba Pa Ti crew to repeat their dominant performance that resulted in Key West Boat of the Week honors.
The small IRC class numbers will be offset by some intense competition. Jim Madden’s J/125 Stark Raving Mad was a runaway winner in PHRF 1 last month in Key West. They will race under the IRC Rule in Miami with Key West’s IRC 2 runner up Cool Breeze (Mills 43) one of a number of quality IRC boats to be reckoned with.
North America’s Riviera offers the ideal late winter getaway with warm sunshine, reliable ocean winds and world class restaurants and nightlife. Premiere Racing’s professional race management and top-tier competitors will produce four memorable days of racing. The entry deadline is February 19.
Race Headquarters is at the Miami Beach Marina, the official site and exclusive marina. Mount Gay Rum is the official rum. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are the Official Host Hotels. Shake-A-Leg Miami is the official charity (please visit: www.ShakeALegMiami.org).
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