Exclusive Interview with Geoff Stagg - Tricky Day At The Office For Farr 40 Fleet in Hobart - Day 2

Farr 40 Class Founder, Geoff Stagg is currently in Hobart to watch eight of Australia’s most competitive Farr 40s battle it out for the National Championship and coveted John Calvert-Jones Trophy. He was out on the Derwent River today and Ready About Yachting caught up with him post racing.

Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

“It was fantastic racing today particularly Race 7, the last race of the day.  The Race Committee did a great job of finally setting up the line and he we had a very square course. It was very windy, very puffy, very shifty and there were a lot of lead changes at the top mark each time,” an enthusiastic Stagg said back at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, the host club for the event.

Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

“The final race of the day was the most awesome competition. Transfusion got a great start, as did Estate Master, Wired and Voodoo Chile. But there was plenty of carnage in this race because at the first bottom mark rounding Wired had the inside position and managed to take out Edake.

Wired Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

Skippered by Jeff Carter with young gun tactician Evan Walker calling the shifts, Edake slipped from third place to dead last with the spinnaker draped all over the deck.

Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

“On the last beat Martin Hill (Estate Master) had to perform a 720 degree penalty turn and was at the back of the fleet. He came screaming down the run and managed to tick off four or five boats to claim second place. That’s quite a feat to achieve from going from a red flag to a second.

Voodoo Chile  Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

Stagg was impressed with Andrew Hunn and his Voodoo Chile crew, with a newly repaired David Chapman calling the shifts, sailed a great race to rack up another the win, their second for the day. Chapman was forced to call on the services of his neurosurgeon Skipper yet again after lacerating his leg during the Farr 40 Tasmanian State Titles on Monday.

Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

‘The boats were flying downwind doing speeds in the vicinity of 17-19 knots by my estimation in perfect conditions and there were very few wipeouts, plenty of control. Particularly in that last race Andrew (Hunn) on Voodoo Chile steered the boat really nicely," Stagg said.

Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

“Transfusion got a bit out of sorts towards the end of the last race. On the beat they went to the right side of the race track and that was expensive. It was a very tricky day out there and the first part of the day it was absolutely the right hand side of the course and the eastern shore. But later on in the day by the last race it was the western shore that prevailed. And that’s where Transfusion got out of sorts. They went up the last beat on the right hand should and they should have gone to the left.

Photo: Dane Lojek/Farr 40

“Voodoo Chile and Estate Master read it perfectly and on the next run they both extended away from Transfusion and although Wired came up pretty rapidly they couldn’t the Tasmanian boat.

For full results see>>>

Lulu Roseman