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Illbruck third in Europe champs

Farr 40 Class yachts are racing for the first time in the Mediterranean this year

PORTO CERVO, Sardinia -- German entrepreneur and sailing enthusiast Michael Illbruck has come third in the Farr 40 European Championships.

Illbruck, head of the victorious Volvo Ocean race syndicate Illbruck Challenge, raced his own boat with American John Kostecki, his Volvo Ocean skipper, as tactician.

The championship was won by Italian Massimo Mezzaroma sailing Nerone, who beat Wolfgang and Angela Schaefer's Struntje Light from Germany.

This is the first season the Farr 40 Class has been racing in the Mediterranean. The Bruce Farr design has become very popular in the U.S., northern Europe and Australia.

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The special feature of the class rules is that the owners have to helm the boats on the inshore races, allowing non-professional owner drivers to compete at world class level.

However, most of the owners hire top professionals as tacticians to sit beside them and show them the way.

Farr 40 European Championship Final Result