Nerone Burns the Competition to Win Farr 40 European Championships

Nerone's crew celebrates. Image copyright Francesco Nonnoi/YCPR.

by Jill Campbell

2010 is clearly Nerone’s year: although the Farr 40 owned by Antonio Sodo Migliori and Massimo Mezzaroma has won both European and World Championships in the class several times, never has she claimed both titles in the same year. That changed today as the Italian crew, with tactician Vasco Vascotto, added the Farr 40 European Championship 2010 to their long list of achievements which includes winning the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in April of this year. Second place went to three-time Farr 40 World Champion Jim Richardson (USA) with his Barking Mad while Wolfgang Schaefer took third place with his Struntje Light (GER).

Two windward-leewards were held on today’s fourth and final day of racing in the event, organized by the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo in conjunction with the Farr 40 Class Association and the Farr 40 European Fleet, and brought the fleet to their full quota of ten races completed in the series. Sirocco winds of 15 – 18 knots, sunshine and a rising swell accompanied the ten competing Farr 40s as they flew round the marks on the regatta course off Porto Rotondo. The battle was on between Nerone and Barking Mad for the top spot and the Italians took two bullets with Barking Mad right on their tails in both races. Charisma (MON), owned by Nico Poons came in third in the first race while Struntje Light took third in the final race of the series to ensure third place overall, a position they had contended to the bitter end with Plenty (USA), owned by Alex Roepers.

Antonio Sodo Migliori was clearly pleased with Nerone’s performance: “We are more than happy. We set out to be cautious, we just wanted to stay close to Barking Mad who was our nearest rival but it was one of those days when things go well and we sailed well, we were fast and we found ourselves in front each time and we held on to that.”

This event marks the end of the Mediterranean season and Sodo Migliori will now continue racing in Australia: “The boat will go directly to Sydney now where we will do a training regatta in December and then the Worlds in February and then we’ll come back home to Italy.”


Farr 40 fleet downwind. Image copyright Francesco Nonnoi/YCPR.

Nerone’s tactician Vasco Vascotto explained how this victory is one of the team’s most significant to date as it marks the return of co-owner and helmsman Sodo Migliori to sailing following a helicopter crash in March of this year: “This was a very important regatta for us because it is our first with Antonio back at the helm. It’s a miracle he is still with us and back aboard, I know participating in the Europeans was a goal for him and was part of his motivation over the past months. And we won!”

“The whole week was great,” continued Vascotto, “today was particular because we had to make sure we kept that four point lead and it’s not easy because you have to control your opponent and concentrate on sailing well. I chose the pin end in the first race, which was a mistake, I realized we were being pushed into a corner but we kept our cool and went round the back of everyone to get back in the middle of the course and was our best move of the day. When we got in front of Barking Mad we just had to stay there. In the second race everything went right for us and we were lucky.”

“Nerone sailed a very very good regatta.” commented Jim Richardson of Barking Mad, “We know it, we have been battling them for ten years and sometimes we get them and sometimes they get us. We had a pretty good regatta here, we sailed well although we had a couple of moments that could have gone better. Our hats are off to Nerone though, they did better. Vasco and Antonio and the team on Nerone have been sailing together for a very long time and they’re very very good. Struntje Light also did a good job coming in third – there was a full on battle for third place that came down to the very end.”

During the prize giving held at the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo’s Clubhouse overlooking the marina Commodore Luigi Carpaneda and President Luigi Donà dalle Rose awarded prizes to the winners of the Farr 40 European Championship and Nerone also took home the Farr 40 European Circuit Trophy based on the combined results of this event and a circuit leg held in Porto Cervo in June.

The Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship will take place from 15th to 18th October in Annapolis, Maryland (USA). Racing for the Farr 40 fleet will continue in Australia over the coming months in preparation for the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2011 scheduled to be held in Sydney from 23rd to 26th February 2011.

Final Results
Pos. Sail no. Name, Owner (Bow No.) Overall Score R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8N R9 R101 ITA 1972 NERONE Massimo Mezzaroma, (8) 26.0 pt 3 4 2 3 3 5 1 3 1 1
2 USA 50455 BARKING MAD James Richardson, (1) 32.0 pt 2 1 4 7 4 2 7 1 2 2
3 GER 40 STRUNTJE LIGHT Wolfgang Schaefer, (10) 41.0 pt 8 5 3 1 7 1 5 2 6 3
4 USA 60059 PLENTY Alex Roepers, (9) 43.0 pt 1 6 5 4 2 4 4 6 4 7
5 MON 69 CHARISMA Nico Poons, (2) 47.0 pt 6 8 1 2 5 7 2 8 3 5
6 ITA 252 FIAMMA Alessandro Barnaba, (4) 55.0 pt 5 7 7 9 1 6 3 4 7 6
7 DEN 2007 MONICK David Holm, (7) 66.0 pt 4 10 6 6 6 8 9 5 8 4
8 ITA 4003 MANGUSTA RISK Andrea Canavesio, (3) 71.0 pt 10 2 9 8 8 3 6 7 9 9
9 ITA 40091 ENFANT TERRIBLE Alberto Rossi, (6) 76.0 pt 9 3 8 5 9 raf 8 10 5 8
10 GBR 7400 HOOLIGAN 6 Edward Broadway, (5) 94.0 pt 7 9 10 10 10 9 10 9 10 10

Farr 40