ENVY Scooters Beachball 52

Barry Cuneo purchased the former Audi Azzura/Shogun V/Ichi Ban from Matt Allen in October and renamed it Envy Scooters Beach Ball 52. Allen added a new keel fin and mast and dominated Division 1 at 2015 Airlie Beach RW, won every race in Division 1 at the 2016 Sydney Harbour Regatta, and ditto for the 2016 NSW IRC Championship. Further mods for offshore racing and the TP52 notably won the 2016 Sydney Gold Coast race by nearly six hours, then finished second to Beau Geste at the 2016 Australian IRC Championship. Sat in the winner’s seat of the 20116 Sydney Hobart for the best part, but ultimately placed fifth overall, second in Division 1, after a classic Derwent shutdown, ahead of winning the 2017 Brisbane Gladstone Race.

While this will be his first Hobart as a boat owner, Cuneo has a solid sailing background, including with a Beneteau 40.7, which finished eighth overall in the 2017 Brisbane Keppel Tropical Race. With a 50% youth crew from RQYS (he is Vice Commodore), they were crowned 2015 Melges 32 Australian champions after contesting the Worlds earlier in Miami. Cuneo competes regularly and has travelled to Sydney for Farr 40 events, finishing with podium places. The former sea pilot also has a penchant for fast cars, contesting the Targa High Country 2016, the same event which he spectacularly crashed out of this year. Has imported ‘Big Raffa’ Trujillo, the Spanish four-time Finn Olympian with Silver from Athens and VOR crew in last edition.

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