News

January 19, 2007

Dan Meyers and his crew aboard Numbers have engaged in a battle royale with Edgar Cato and the Hissar team with the two Farr-designed 60-footers sailing around the course in constant contact.

IRC 1 is among 12 classes still in doubt going into the final day of Acura Key West 2007, presented by Nautica. Organizers with Premiere Racing are planning to start one race on Friday and it will be do or die for Meyers and many other skippers.

Only two points separate the first and second place boats in IRC 2 and 3 as well. In the J/109 class, Tastes Like Chicken and Current Obsession are only one point apart. Surprisingly, the Farr 40s are one of the only five classes already determined after four days of racing.

Skipper Ernesto Bertarelli steered Alinghi to its fourth victory of the series on Thursday to clinch overall victory in Farr 40. The team from Geneva, Switzerland holds an insurmountable 20-point lead over Flash Gordon 5 in the 17-boat class.

While the boys on Alinghi can relax tomorrow, the intensity will be high in most of the other professional-laden, grand prix classes. Magic Glove, Colm Barrington’s brand new Ker 50, will try to protect a narrow advantage over the TP52s Samba Pa Ti (John Kilroy) and Windquest (Doug DeVos).

It’s still wide open in the talent-laden Melges 24 class, largest of the regatta with 47 boats. Joe Fly, the Italian entry owned by Giovanni Maspero, increased its lead over Dave Ullman’s Pegasus 505 to five points, but things can change quickly in such a huge fleet. Franco Rossini’s Blu Moon is one of three other boats still in striking distance.

Southern Sun, the Australian entry skippered by Bruce Eddington, took over the lead in Mumm 30 class with a strong performance on Thursday. Tactician Tim Davis made some great calls on wind shifts as Southern Sun posted a first and a second to take a four-point lead over Mean Machine. That effort also earned Southern Sun the Industry Partner Boat of the Day award.

Claudio Recchi and his Italian team aboard Let’s Roll clinched victory in Melges 32 class with a first and a second on Thursday.

NKE Electronics, one of five Beneteau 10R designs that are making their Key West debut, is tied with John Edwards’ Rhumb Punch in the standings. The championship, a new addition to the regatta, is determined by a combination of average corrected speed and class competitiveness.

Rhumb Punch, a J/29 that has sealed victory in PHRF 5, has a slight edge in terms of average corrected speed. However, a smaller time disparity between the first and fifth place boats in PHRF 3 benefits NKE Electronics.