Mean Machine emerged from a classic sea breeze day of three good races on the Bay of Palma to lead the 14th Regatta Breitling by seven clear points from Matador. With sea breeze peaking at 13 knots, Mean Machine (MON) won their 11th victory from 31 starts when Peter de Ridder (NED) got the best of a busy tussle at the committee boat end of the line, pulling away from Quantum Racing (USA) to tack early and gain the right hand side of the course. In such typically Palma sea breeze conditions it was the right side of this race course which was almost always favoured, often making the starts the most critical and the most exciting part of each race. Indeed while the breeze was dropping a little during the third race, the right hand end of the start line, at the committee boat was busy, with three boats shut out. A final shift on the last run allowed some significant place changing. Mean Machine proved her strengths downwind when they recovered three places on the first run to eighth and then again on the second run when they rose from 11th to seventh.
While Mean Machine enhanced their position atop the 14th Breitling Regatta leader board, the 2006 MedCup Champions team will take a certain satisfaction in now sharing the same points tally as second placed Artemis (SWE) on the Audi MedCup Circuit standings, proving their steady recovery after being disqualified from the Coastal Race in Marseille.
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