Leaving the Portimao race course having dropped six points off their Circuit lead it was hardly crisis time for Quantum Racing when they finished 10th in Race 6 of the Portugal Trophy Regatta - only their third double points score of 50 races so far of the Audi MedCup season - but the American boat did cede the regatta lead to Paul Cayard and the Spanish America’s Cup team on the green hulled El Desafio.
In light and shifty winds, between five and eight knots, Desafio posted a seventh and a second place to lead the second placed Argentinian boat Matador by a single point on the Portugal Trophy regatta leaderboard.
Alberto Roemmers’ Matador crew not only had the best day in the fifteen boat fleet, winning the first race and finishing second to Platoon powered by Team Germany in the second contest, but they overtook Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis, to now hold third place on the overall Audi MedCup Circuit standings going in to Thursday’s crucial double points coastal race.
A delay was required until the wind spread more uniformly across the course area but there were still patches of lighter pressure and changes in wind direction through both races to challenge the brains of the afterguards. It was the same pair of boats which lead to the windward mark in both races. Platoon Powered by Team Germany with Jochen Schuemann steering and Rod Dawson on tactics and Matador which is steered by Guillermo Parada (ARG) with Francesco Bruni (ITA) as tactician. Matador eased through Platoon on the first run, getting a little lower and deeper into better breeze first and went on to win comfortably by 54 seconds, while the Platoon managed to make their early lead stick in the second race, crossing the finish line 41 seconds up on second placed Matador.
A delay was required until the wind spread more uniformly across the course area but there were still patches of lighter pressure and changes in wind direction through both races to challenge the brains of the afterguards. It was the same pair of boats which lead to the windward mark in both races. Platoon Powered by Team Germany with Jochen Schuemann steering and Rod Dawson on tactics and Matador which is steered by Guillermo Parada (ARG) with Francesco Bruni (ITA) as tactician. Matador eased through Platoon on the first run, getting a little lower and deeper into better breeze first and went on to win comfortably by 54 seconds, while the Platoon managed to make their early lead stick in the second race, crossing the finish line 41 seconds up on second placed Matador.
With their local hero 1996 Olympic bronze medallist Hugo Rochas calling tactics, there was a promising result for the local Portuguese crew on Pedro Mendonca"s Bigamist 6 when they finished fourth. The 2005 Reichel Pugh design is now the oldest boat in the 15 boat fleet but lies a very respectable 11th overall, gaining one place in the regatta standings today.
