It was the same successful formula that served them well through the three previous days on the Bay of Palma which today ensured Vicente Tirado’s Caixa Galicia won the famous Regatta Breitling Illes Balears for the first time.
With John Kostecki calling tactics for helm Roberto Bermudez de Castro, the new Botin and Carkeek design came off the start line close enough to the favoured left of the upwind track to benefit, but was able to keep their nearest rivals, the Russell Coutts skippered Artemis, at bay from mid-way up the windward leg.
Caixa Galicia’s comfortable, conservative fourth today in the 24 boat fleet, to Artemis’ seventh, in what proved the only race of the day, gave the Galician crew a ten points margin in the prestigious four day regatta. With a big gap between second and third this morning, there was no need for them to win the race, simply to keep Artemis behind them. Off the start line Caixa were well placed to take the benefit of the persistent bend in the wind to the left side of the course which has paid a regular dividend this regatta.
To their right Artemis gained a little early on but at the first windward mark Caixa Galicia rounded fifth, with Artemis 23 seconds behind in seventh.
Downwind Artemis stayed wide to gain a good lane of breeze and pulled to within three seconds of Caixa Galicia as the pair chose opposite marks at the leeward gate, but when Artemis lost two boatlengths on the second windward leg, the overall victory was all but in the bag for Caixa Galicia.
Peter de Ridder and the crew of Valle Romano Mean Machine won today, with Eamon Conneely’s Patches in second.
Top Ten Final Results after seven races:
1 CxG Corporacion Caixa Galicia (V Tirado-ESP, Botin Carkeek 2007) 24pts,
2 Artemis (T Tornqvist, SWE – Judel-Vrolijk 2007) 34pts,
3 Siemens (A Roemmers, ARG-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 59pts,
4 Patches (E Conneely, IRL-Reichel Pugh 2007) 62pts,
5 Windquest (De de Vos, USA- Botin Carkeek 2006) 66pts,
6 Bribon (J Cusi, SM Juan Carlos, ESP- Judel Vrolijk 2007) 67pts,
7 Platoon (H M Spreer, GER-Judel Vrolijk 2006) 76pts,
8 Stay Ca lm (S Robinsonm GBR-Judel Vrolijk 2007) 79pts,
9 Valle Romano Mean Machine (P de Ridder, MON-Judel Vrolijk 2006) 81pts,
10 ONO (I Castaner-ESP-Botin Carkeek 2005) 83pts.
