The reign of Enfant Terrible ends with a crown

SAN DIEGO — Alberto Rossi and his crew aboard Enfant Terrible have ended each day of racing at the Farr 40 Midwinter Championship on the top of the scoreboard. In a class where consistency is key, Enfant proved day after day to be the most consistent competitors in the class. The Italian crew raced a beautiful regatta against some very serious competition, and now they will head into the rest of the Farr 40 circuit as the Midwinter Champions.

“My crew has been fantastic,” said Enfant owner Alberto Rossi. “We understood the situation going into the last race.” In Race 10, Enfant trailed just behind Plenty, whose first place finish narrowed the gap between the two leaders.

Going into the final race of the regatta, four points separated Plenty from the coveted top spot. A disappointing ninth place in Race 10 knocked Struntje light below Flash Gordon 6, leaving Plenty and Enfant as the two contenders for the crown.

“We got into a match race with Plenty during the starting sequence,” Rossi said of the moments leading up to start of the final race. With a four point advantage, the regatta was Enfant’s to lose and they knew it. A heated tacking battle in the last race ensured that Plenty wouldn’t stray too far ahead.

Ultimately, Enfant finished fifth and Plenty finished sixth. John Demourkas and the Groovederci crew saved their best race for last, finishing first in the final race. Close behind them was Helmut Jahn’s Flash Gordon 6 in second place.

In addition to their podium finish in third place, Flash Gordon was the top boat of Day Four. “We’re happy with today,” Jahn said.

“We came together and learned, and because of it today was our best day.” Looking forward, Jahn and his crew are eager to continue their momentum into the next regatta. “For the first regatta of the series, this doesn’t hurt. Our goal moving forward is to just try and be in the top three.”

In an incredible debut regatta, newcomer Rick Goebel is the Corinthian class Champion. With the first regatta under his belt, Goebel is eager to dive into training. “This year, the timing really works well with training. With everything happening on the West Coast, we’re able to train here at home and worry about travelling next year,” Goebel said. Insanity plans to compete at Sydney next year.

Goebel sees this regatta as just the beginning, but for Rossi, the Midwinter Championship was all about redeeming the past. “We really have to thank Marco Capitani, our coach,” Rossi said. “He did a really great job solving some of the problems we took with us from the last championship in San Francisco.”

After four beautiful days of racing, the Farr 40 class will head to San Diego Yacht Club for awards and prizes. The Farr 40 circuit will continue May 27 to May 30 at the West Coast Championship, hosted by Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club.