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Guy Stening has finished a highly creditable fourth overall in the highly rated Moby M30 World Championship at Porto Cervo on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Sailing Optimumm, Stening, a member of the RSYS sailing committee, fought strongly for a podium place on the final day of racing, with a 2nd, a 12th and a 4th placing, but could not quite make the top three.
Nevertheless, it was an outstanding performance by the sole Australian crew in the highly competitive fleet of 39 yachts from 14 nations which saw an Italian, an American, a French and an Australia boat finish in the top four.
Stening has only been sailing a M30 (previously called the Mumm 30) for the past 18 months but he put together a strong campaign which saw the chartered Optimumm turn in placings of 21-8-1-12-4-6-2-12-4 to finish on 70 points in the no-discard series.
When he returns to Sydney Stening will have a brand new boat waiting for him to race with the RSYS Division 1.
The new M30 World Champion boat is Matrix ArcaTxActive (ITA), owned by Luigi Melegari and Gianmarco Rinaldi and with Tommaso Chieffi on tactics, finishing on 50 points.
Former Farr 40 World Champion Jim Richardson sailed Barking Mad (USA) with Terry Hutchinson calling tactics into second place on 58 points; Vincent Portugal’s New Caledonia (FRA), with Francois Brenac on tactics came in third on 60 points while Guy Stening’s Optimumm, with Steve McConaghy as tactician, placed fourth on 70 points.
Unfortunately, the Australians hopes of a final day of fresh to stong winds were not forthcoming with the breeze easing away from 14 knots to 5-6 knots throughout the day.
Race Seven, the first of the day, started with northerly winds of approximately 14 knots and saw Barking Mad take her first victory pf the World Championship series ahead of Guy Stening’s Optimumm (AUS) and Lorenzo Santini’s Uka Uka (ITA).
In Race Eight Enfant Terribile, owned by Gianluigi Serena, took her first victory of the series over Mezza Luna (FIN) Harry Roshier in second and Maga Joanna (ITA), owned by Luigi Parente, in third.
By the start of Race Nine the wind had shifted to 340° and dropped to approximately 5-6 knots. Optimumm was up in 2nd place early in the race, but dropped to 4th as the wind eased away, with Matrix ArcaTxActive winning the last race to confirm the World Championship victory.
Optimmum’s rivals for the other top three placings, Barking Mad and New Caledonia, finished astern but not far about for Stening to lift from fourth place overall. – Event Media/Peter Campbell
Moby M30 World Championship, final results:
1. MATRIX ARCA TX ACTIVE (Gianmarco Rinaldi, ITA) 15,12,2,6,1,2,4,7,1, 50.00 points;
2. BARKING MAD (James B. Richardson, USA) 5,6,21,4,5,5,1,5,6, 58.00
3. NEW CALEDONIA (Vincent Portugal, FRA) 7,2,13,1,3,8,12,6,8, 60.00
4. OPTIMUMM (Guy Stening, AUS) 21,8,1,12,4,6,2,12,4, 70.00
5. MASCALZONE LATINO (Vincenzo Onorato) ITA,23,25,5,5,2,11,7,4,15, 97.00
6. UKA UKA (Lorenzo Santini, ITA) 9,9,3,10,27,3,3,33,3,100.00
7. ENFANT TERRIBLE (Serena Gianluigi, ITA) 2,30,7,13,9,13,16,1,23,114.00
8. ANN BE ESPOIR IDF (Yoann Richomme, FRA) 4,5,10,7,19,14,9,21,26,115.00
9. ASSOTUBI MUMMYONE (Mingozzi / Bonora, ITA) 12,1,4,15,12,24,29,9,13,119.00 10. GROOVEDERCI (Deneen B. Demourkas, USA) 3,28,17,14,14,1,24,8,11,120.00
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