MedCup Completed

At times it was spectacular as the sea breeze off Alicante built to 17 knots at times, but it was never easy or straightforward as the Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing (USA) eased into the overall lead of the City of Alicante Trophy Regatta after three close races today. In the GP42 Series which revelled in the sparkling conditions today, it is the Italian Roma Mk2 which leads.

Quantum Racing struck gold early, winning the first race of the day, threatening the kind of dominant performance which they displayed in certain conditions last season but it was their consistency across Races 3 and 4 of the TP52 Series which ensured they hold a three points lead over second placed Matador (ARG).

Matador, new this season, lead the overall standings after Race 3 but were slow off their final start and could only manage an eighth to share the same points tally as third places Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL).

Emerging as the day’s winner on an impressive 1-1-2 record in the GP42 Series, the Roma 2 team, led by skipper Paolo Cian (ITA), showed their experience from two previous years of GP42 campaigning in having strong starts and fast pace all around the course, but particularly so downwind where they often stretched their lead when ahead and closed the gaps when behind. Designed by Farr, the boat has just emerged from tummy-tuck surgery to the stern sections to better optimize performance downwind and in light air.

After three more windward-leeward contests in a gentler sea breeze today off Alicante an exciting final Sunday showdown is now in prospect with the City of Alicante Trophy at stake as only three points separates the top four TP52 Series boats on the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit. In the GP42 Series the Italian boat Airis leads by three points.

In the gentler conditions Torbjorn Tornqvist’s new Artemis was the standout performer in the TP52 Series today bettering back-to-back second places when they won the third race of the day, to vault six places up the leaderboard sharing the same points aggregate as Emirates Team New Zealand.

The tight knit New Zealand team started their day well when they won the first race but a less than glamorous first beat in Race 7 saw them get a taste of life in the nether regions of the fleet. But as much as their first race victory of the season it is their ability to pull back a couple of places for a tenth that ensures they could rightfully claim joint tenancy at the top with Artemis.

Emirates Team New Zealand got the better of their duel with Artemis in the first race when they held on longer to the right of the first downwind. The early stages tested the mettle of Quantum Racing who rounded the windward mark down in tenth, but the current champions dug deep for a useful fifth.

In the second race it was the turn of the Portuguese crew on Bigamist 7, long standing competitors on the Circuit, to take their first ever MedCup Circuit winning gun. The team from Lisbon and Cascais, which numbers as many amateurs aboard as they have professionals, not only proved the value of their winter training at home on their Atlantic waters and the speed they are getting from their new boat – the former Platoon powered by Team Germany – but they remained cool and unflustered, holding their nerves to win Race 6 from Artemis.

Bribon looked to be well set to win the final race of the day when Artemis managed to get inside them near the top end of the second beat, getting a left hand windshift and a little extra wind pressure and that was enough to seal the first winning gun with his new Artemis for the Swedish owner-helm Tornqvist.

Quantum Racing remained steadily consistent concentrating on sailing safely and conservatively to post a 5,6.7 to leave them only one point off in third while Matador stayed largely under the radar today – never great but never terrible – to go into the final day with a deficit of only three points on the overall lead in the TP52 Series.

While yesterday Filippo Faruffini’s Roma 2, helmed by Paolo Cian (ITA) looked as though they might dominate the GP42 Series in their MedCup debut, what a difference a day makes, as a new leader has emerged and others in this class have started taking turns in the front of the pack.

A very modest trio of results across yesterday’s races proved a spur to the Matador (ARG) team to come out fighting today and score the best pair of scores in the TP52 fleet to win the City of Alicante Trophy today after a very close fought first regatta of the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit.

From the disappointment of yesterday’s mixed bag of 7,5,5 Alberto Roemmers’ team had a long de-brief to analyse where they felt they had made mistakes. Perhaps it was the catalyst which set them up to eliminate their weaknesses, to start well in both races today, sailing fast and smart to clinch their first MedCup regatta win since 2007 when they won the prestigious Copa del Rey in Palma.

In 9-12 knots of sea breeze conditions and perfect early season Mediterranean sunshine the four leading protagonists Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Artemis (SWE), Matador and reigning champions Quantum Racing (USA) lined up side by side off the start line in the first race. Emirates Team New Zealand profited from good upwind speed and an excellent start to win the first race and earn a four points lead.

As Matador seized the lead early on the first leg of the final race, Emirates Team New Zealand looked to have done enough to score a maiden regatta win with their new boat when they rounded fourth, less than a boat length behind Artemis and with a four boat cushion to Quantum Racing.

For the Matador team, who lead after Day 1, victory is a just reward for two and half months of hard work to prepare their new Judel Vrolijk design which was build near Valencia. Three excellent periods of training in Valencia and Palma ensured the team reached the season’s first regatta in good shape.

Just when the scorecard in the GP42 Series was taking on a familiar look, the extraordinary competitiveness of this class can turn things inside out. Going into the first of today’s two races, Roberto Monti’s (ITA) Airis, driven by Cameron Appleton (NZL), looked to have things well in hand with a three-point lead, good overall speed, and smooth teamwork.

Marazzi Sailing Penalised

Marazzi Sailing are penalised for being over the TP52 Class crew weight limit in Race 1 of the Audi MedCup Circuit.

As a result of being officially measured over the crew weight limit for the TP52 Class by a small margin, Switzerland’s Marazzi Sailing have been penalised three points from their aggregate score, effectively negating their opening race win at the City of Alicante Trophy regatta.

City of Alicante Trophy, Overall standings after 1 race and Audi Med Cup Circuit 2009 standings after 1 race:

1. Matador (ARG) 2pts
2. Bigamist 7 (POR) 3pts
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 4 pts
4. Marazzi Sailing (SUI) 4pts
5. Quantum Racing (USA) 5pts

Alicante, Day 1

The Audi MedCup Circuit's first ever Swiss flagged team won the opening race of the 2009 season to give their hopes of carrying on through the season the best possible boost at the City of Alicante Trophy regatta.

Marazzi Sailing, the campaign put together by Swiss Olympic Star sailor Flavio Marazzi with Germany’s four times Olympic medallist Jochen Schuemann, seized an early advantage on the first leg of the windward-leeward track when the breeze shifted slightly to the right and went on to lead at each mark to the finish.

It proved to be a long and slightly frustrating opening day to the season. A first attempt to get the opening race away had to be halted when the fitful breeze faded to just three or four knots at the leeward mark when practise race winners Bribon had a clear lead.

But the patience on the part of the competitors and the race officers paid off and the season’s first contest was sailed in 8-10 knots of easterly breeze which offered enough in the way of changes in direction and pressure to develop a typically interesting and challenging early season contest.

The overcast, slightly grey and humid conditions did nothing at all to help the breeze build and only one race could be completed for the twelve competing TP52’s.

Marazzi Sailing, the 2008 Reichel Pugh design Artemis, were always able to keep control of the fleet, extending slightly over Alberto Roemmers’ new Matador which took second place. Recovery of the day was that of the Portuguese team Bigamist 7 which was clearly over the start line early at the extreme left end of the start line. Tactician Hugo Rocha ushered helm Afonso Domingos towards the right flank of the course and they were well placed to also reap the dividend as the small wind shift arrived, going on to finish third.

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) had a spirited joust at times with the current Audi MedCup Champions Quantum Racing (USA), and skipper Dean Barker and tactician Ray Davies kept the upper hand across the finish line to take fourth, 27 seconds ahead of the American boat.

The GP42 class had their practice race, running on the same course, with Islas Las Canarias Puerto Calero taking first gun.

City of Alicante Trophy, Race 1
1.Marazzi Sailing (SUI)
2.Matador (ARG)
3.Bigamist 7 (POR)
4.Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)
5.Quantum Racing (USA)

MedCup Alicante Trophy

In 2007 Bribon won her maiden regatta to take the City of Alicante Trophy just days after being completed, built in near to record time, winning by a single point. And last year it was only one point which separated Bribon from retaining the Alicante trophy, finishing second to Mean Machine.

With French double Olympic medallist Thierry Peponnet steering, Bribon - which is completely unaltered since last season - lead at every mark of today’s curtain- raising practice race and crossed the finish line well clear of Portugal’s second placed Bigamist 7, Pedro Mendonca’s latest TP52 which is the former Platoon powered by Team Germany.

The hazy conditions which prevailed over Alicante denied any chance of the light, and times shifty and patchy breeze building to anything meaningful. Rarely did the wind top nine knots, but it was always enough for Bribon to keep the 12 boat TP52 fleet trailing behind. The typically understated Peponnet confessed later that part of their winning move, starting off the pin end, was as much as result of snaring a plastic bag around their keel two and a half minutes before the start gun. They crossed the fleet mid-way up the first beat, gaining a steady advantage after they tacked, and were more than 30 seconds clear as they lead away from the windward mark.

Audi MedCup 2009

Five regattas on the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit means that each single regatta this season is more important, leaving less opportunity for crews to learn, change and optimise on the race course. With just four weeks left to the first regatta of the season, the curtain raiser that is the City of Alicante Trophy, TP52 and GP42 is coming up fast on the horizon.

For teams who have to complete the preparation of their new boats, time will slip away quickly. The new Matador, having been built in Spain for Alberto Roemmers’ Argentinian team, will race this week at the Palma Vela regatta in Mallorca where three or four Audi MedCup TP52’s will compete as an important part of their build up to Alicante. So too John Cook’s Palma based Cristabella and both of the Russian boats Valars 3 (ex Mean Machine, Podolsky Kirill) and Synergy (ex USA 17) be competing at the big start of season regatta.

Eleven TP52’s and six GP42’s seems likely to be the entry for the City of Alicante Trophy regatta. Racing at the City of Alicante Trophy starts with the Practise Race on Tuesday 12th May, thereafter racing for the TP52 Series points starts on Wednesday 13th May and the GP42 Series points racing starts on Thursday 14th after a Practise Race Wednesday.