|
Jim Richardson's Barking Mad was a double winner in the 2008 Acura Miami Grand Prix, which concluded Sunday in Miami Beach.
The Farr 40 won the trophy for ''boat of the week'' in the four-class, 60-boat regatta, plus the Acura Grand Prix Championship trophy for combined wins in Miami Beach and at Acura Key West in January.
It was the first victory for Richardson, of Newport, R.I., in 11 years of competing in the Acura and its predecessors, Miami's SORC and Key West Race Week.
''It's a bit of a vindication,'' Richardson said.
``These were probably the last two major sailing regattas we've never won. We've been knocking on the door a few times. It's nice to open it and walk through it.''
Pinta won the battle, but not the war, in the hard-fought Melges 32 class.
Skipper Michael Illbruck of Munich, Germany, and his crew handily took Acura Miami, beating runner-up New Wave, co-skippered by Clearwater's Mike Carroll and Marty Kullman, by 10 points. But New Wave took the Grand Prix championship for the two-race series that includes Key West.
Illbruck was pleased with the performance of his boat and crew, including tactician, John Kostecki, in only their second regatta together.
''We did a good job,'' Illbruck said. ``John got us in the right position. We always had good speed. We had luck going for us, too.''
Flash Glove, a J/V 52 skippered by Colm Barrington of Ireland, won the Grand Prix trophy in the IRC fleet.
|
