Danish Royal Watchers: Frederik at the Farr 40 regatta in Hankø, Norway

Crown Prince Frederik arrived in Hankø, Norway on Tuesday afternoon July 3 after the Sunday July 1 christening of Princess Isabella. Billed Bladet gave him a congratulatory bunch of flowers on his arrival.

Crown Prince Frederik has been and returned from the Farr 40 Nordic Championship in Hankø, Norway last week. Nanoq (which means polar bear in Greenlandic) came 16th in a field of 27. The conditions throughout the regatta and particularly on the last day were difficult. Italian Vincenzo Onorato in Mascalzone Latino came first and must be very happy with that result, as he is the defending world champion having won his first world championship last year in Newport, R.I. (he has been competing since 1999). Based in Portoferrio, Italy, Vincenzo Onorato has the distinction of being, how would we say it? do we still say politically incorrect? when he won last year's champonship. He said he had won many championships before but the Farr 40 victory was the sweetest of all. “I have won four world championships as a helmsman... but this is the best. Sometimes I have won when I didn’t deserve it, but this time we deserved to win. The Farr 40 is the best offshore boat in the world, she’s beautiful, she’s like a nice blonde. This is the best time of my life.”

We thought we would include this to demonstrate some of the passion for this class of boat and the whole concept of the one-size standard for all competitors. Presumably not all the competitors think of their boats as blondes. Onward and upward! Tomorrow the Farr 40 fleet and crews are weighed and examined in Skagen in Denmark for the beginning of the 12-14 July regatta hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club. The yachts are 40 feet long and all identical in design. They do ten races for a "best of" result. Each crew is made up of four professional and five to six amateur sailors. Each yacht must be driven by its amateur owner/helmsman. Racing is precise, tactical and intense. With all other factors being equal the skill and timing in each race is crucial. To keep track of Nanoq, look for a dove grey hull with the number 24 on the bow and the sail number DEN 7.