A first and a second from two difficult races today on the Bay of Palma sees the 2007 world champions Artemis (SWE) emerge with only the slimmest possible lead after four races have now been sailed at the 2009 TP52 World Championship. The Swedish flagged team are tied on points with local favourites Bribón (ESP). José Cusí’s crew from the host club, with round the world racer Gonzalo Araujo (ESP) on the helm, also erred on the conservative, safe side where possible and posted a second and a third. In the flat water, short beats and modest wind-speeds it was day for clear thinking and concise decision making, especially at the busy, often frenetic first windward mark roundings.When they made strong start off the pin end of the line in Race 4, overnight leaders Quantum Racing (USA) looked to be well set to at least consolidate on the two points lead that they held. But at the first windward mark approach, while Artemis squeezed only away a few metres ahead, they were suddenly trapped on their port tack approach, as the starboard tack line up lifted and they had to bail out to the back of the queue. . Choosing prudence and dipping hard, Quantum Racing the current champions managed to come back from tenth round that first buoy to rescue a sixth place finish, but they slid to third overall, still only two points off the leading pair’s aggregate.
