NEWPORT, R.I. (July 25, 2004) - For the 83 boats competing at New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, today's two races held in strong, 15-17 knot breeze were a welcome finish to three days of competitive racing. Over 500 sailors competed for class championships in eight one-design classes: Farr 395, Farr 40, Swan 45, J/105, J/35, J/120, J/109 and Henderson 30. Masquerade was named "Best Performing One Design Boat," and its owner Tom Coates of San Francisco was awarded a Rolex timepiece.

Consistency paid off in the Farr 395 class for Roger Wagner's Endurance, which posted only one fourth among firsts and seconds in the class's "no throwout" series. The boat, named after Shackleton's adventure to the South Pole, won both of its races today in the eight-boat class. "It's never as easy as it looks," said Wagner of Stamford, Conn. "Over the last couple of days, the crew continued to put in 110 percent. We put in some hard work, and we talked about anything that didn't seem right and the crew never let down." Race Week doubled as the Farr 395 North American championship.

Roger Wagner's Endurance of Stamford, Conn., won the Farr 395 class at the New York Yacht Club Race Week presented by Rolex. July 25, 2004. Photo by Dan Nerney

Barking Mad returned to the podium as Farr 40 class champion. Owned by Jim Richardson of Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I., Barking Mad won its class at the 2002 NYYC Race Week. Next up for Richardson is preparing for the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, set for September 8-11 in San Francisco. "That's my goal," he said. "No one has ever won the worlds twice, and we're setting out to be the first to do so." Nine boats competed for the North American championship, including Gem, campaigned by the U.S. Coast Guard academy. Virago, owned by Stuart and MarrGwen Townsend of Chicago, Ill. finished second, with Jeff Siegal's Appreciation in third. Jim Richardson's Barking Mad of Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I. won the Farr 40 class at the New York Yacht Club Race Week presented by Rolex. July 25, 2004. Photo by Dan Nerney

Over 180 boats competed in the fourth running of New York Yacht Club Race Week presented by Rolex. The biennial event hosted 79 entries in the four-day "first half," devoted to IMS, PHRF, Classic Yacht and 12 Meter racing. Splitting the handicap and one-design portions of Race Week was the Distance Race that was sailed on Wednesday and scored separately.

Rolex Watch U.S.A. has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of NYYC events since 1994. Supporting sponsors of Race Week include Mount Gay Rum and Heineken USA.

For more information, visit www.nyyc.org or contact the New York Yacht Club Sailing Office, Harbour Court, 5 Halidon Avenue, Newport, R.I. 02840; phone 401-845-9633; fax 401-846-3303; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more photos, go to http://www.regattanews.com.