The coastal race carries a double points bounty at the regatta, and it is scored in two halves. Boats have to complete the first half correctly to score in the second half. The course is 25 - 30 miles within the Bay of Palma. As usual two variable marks are in use to offer a good mix of upwind-downwind work as well as the longer reaching legs which test the extent of the sail inventories a little more.
Torbjorn Torqvist's Artemis crew, lead by a great performance from skipper Russell Coutts, scored maximum points from the 33.7 miles coastal race which spanned the Bay of Palma and provided a comprehensive test on all points of sail. Artemis' finished three minutes and 11 seconds ahead of Peter de Ridder's Valle Romano Mean Machine and closed the gap on Regata Breitling Illes Balears leader Caixa Galicia to seven points. Vicente Tirado's Caixa Galicia came away with a fifth and fourth, which tactician John Kostecki acknowledged could have been worse, but it sets up the prospect of an exciting final showdown tomorrow when two windward-leeward races are scheduled. But the biggest loss today proved later to be that for Valle Romano Mean Machine who fell victims to the Coastal Race's double jeopardy penalty. A visit to the protest room was the result of an incident with Balearia at the first windward mark and De Ridder's team were consequently scored disqualified from both parts of the race, suddenly being burdened by an additional 50 points, dropping them to a provisional 14th in the regatta.
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