Builder: Dufour Yachts (FRA)
Designer: Umberto Felci
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Farr 40 Europeans at Royal Southern Yacht Club - Day 2
Author: Bob Fisher
Great Day for Oscar Strugstad’s Dawn Raid
Oscar Strugstad had a 'glamour' day in the Solent scoring two firsts and a fourth to return to the top of the leaderboard of the Farr 40 European Championship. He had initially occupied that spot after the first two races, but dropped to sixth when he took a five place penalty for an infringement in the first race of the series.
The second day was all Dawn Raid’s; Strugstad and his crew hardly put a foot wrong and capitalised on others’ errors to enhance their good sailing on a day when the north-westerly gradient breeze was steadier than it might have been and the strength increased as the day wore on.
Sailing the triple windward/leeward courses, the 22 boat fleet was tightly packed throughout, which made Strugstad’s performance all the more praiseworthy. He thanked his crew, led by tactician Ian Walker and navigator Jules Salter, who are from the GBR Challenge America’s Cup squad. They certainly kept him going the right way each time, not easy as the races were held at both flood and ebb tide.
In the first race, Dawn Raid was away to a big lead and finished well clear of David Murrin in 2XL, who in turn had a comfortable lead over Mark Heeley in GBR-25. But this was the last good result of the day for Murrin, who was 15th in the next race and two further back in the third.
The second race saw much place changing after Philip Tolhurst in Warlord had led around the windward mark the first time. Tony de Mulder in Victric V had displaced him by the time they rounded for a second time with the reigning world champion, John Calvert-Jones in Southern Star, next. These two held their positions on the run, but after another beat and run, it was Southern Star in front with the 1998 world champion, Jim Richardson in second place, adding to the sixth he scored in the first race.
John Oswald in Game On, third overnight, added a third to the ninth he scored in the first race and established himself among the potential winners of this European Championship which is organised by the Royal Southern Yacht Club.
In the third race of the day, Strugstad made a perfectly timed start at the committee boat end of the line and was never headed. Tony Buckingham in A Bit of a Coup followed doggedly for second place and Ken Bruneflod in Hurrycane from Sweden was third.
The championship is narrowing with Strugstad three points clear of Richardson, and another seven to Oswald. John Calvert-Jones is seven further points away in fourth place.
Race 3:
Race 4:
Race 5:
More Information:
- YachtsandYachting.com Farr 40 Page
See also: DUFOUR 41 CLASSIC for sale
