Audi Showdown: Countback decides Farr 40 winner

Peter Campbell, RYCT

Posted: 4 Nov. 2012

Wired’s win came down to the wire – Dane Lojek pic

A countback of placings over eight races was needed to decide the winner of the Farr 40 class in the Audi Showdown which ended on Hobart’s River Derwent yesterday.

The race literally went down to the wire, with Wired (Stephen Boyes) taking the honours with four wins as against three by Voodoo Chile (Andrew Hunn).

With both boats stacked with top line sailors, the competition between the two was intense from the very start of today’s three short windward/leeward courses.

Among the crew of Wired was Richard Hewson, who skippered the Australian yacht Gold Coast to victory in the Clipper Round the World Race early this year, winning a record number of legs?

“I had a great time racing on Wired over the weekend and I can have a hot shower straight after the racing,” quipped the round-the-world skipper who spent many days at sea in the Clipper Race. “And I think I’ve been on a winner in Wired.”

Two other Clipper Race crew members, Tasmanian Gina Gourlay and British yachtsman Barry Chamberlain, also raced in the Showdown, aboard Don Calvert’s Intrigue in Division 1. Gina sailed on Gold Coast in the Clipper Race, Barry on the Scottish yacht Edinburgh.

Well-known Farr 40 sailor and sailmaker Richard Allanson was aboard Voodoo Chile.

Voodoo Chile won the first two races in this morning’s light sou’easter to throw out a strong challenge to Wired. In the final race, the two-boat duel saw Wired get the gun by just 27 seconds.

Wired’s regatta series score was 1-1-1-(3)-3-2-2-1; Voodoo Chile’s (2)-2-2-1-2-1-1-2.

Third place in all three races today went to War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith) finished on 22 points with POW (Craig Clifford) on 25 points.

The close one-design racing between the local fleet of Farr 40s over this weekend’s Audi Showdown is an indication of what can be expected when they are joined by at least four Farr 40s from the Sydney fleet for the Tasmanian championship in Hobart in early January 2013.

The SB20s and Farr 40s certainly showed what one-design racing was all about at the Audi Showdown.

Ten boat contested the SB20 class with State champion Nick Rogers sailing Toll to victory in all but two of the races.

It was an outstanding performance by Rogers, the former prominent Dragon class helmsman, and must auger well for the RYCT member’s prospects in the SB20 world championship at Hamilton Island in December.

Rogers’ only falter was a 9th in the fickle breeze of the first race today , but he followed this with two more wins, the last by just four second from Hypertronics, skippered by Steve Catchpool.

Overall, Toll notched up a net 8 points with Brainwave (Scott Brain) second on a distant 21 points, followed by Nest Property (Peter Copeland) on 26 points and Hypertronics on 28 points.

Other race winners in the SB20 class were Wicked (Andrew Blakney) and Brainwave