Audi MedCup 2010 – Mancano solo due mesi alla regata di apertura della stagione 2010 del Circuito Audi MedCup, che si svolgerà nelle difficili e ventose acque atlantiche fuori Cascais. C’è molta attesa per questo evento che solleverà il sipario su una nuova, spettacolare stagione del circuito di regate leader al mondo.
Negli ultimi mesi c’è stato molto ‘movimento’ attorno alla flotta dei TP52: i team che hanno scelto di partecipare ai cinque eventi del circuito o al mondiale che si svolgerà a ottobre, hanno infatti lavorato per ‘aggiornare’ le barche in seguito alle leggere modifiche apportate alla Box Rule della Classe: hanno quindi aggiunto 150 kg nella chiglia per compensare la riduzione di equipaggio, hanno adottato la randa ‘squadrata’ in testa con doppio paterazzo di poppa, e hanno aumentato la superficie dello spinnaker, montando anche bompressi.

L’organizzatore del Circuito, World Sailing Management – una divisione del Grupo Santa Monica Sports – si aspetta di avere lo stesso numero di partecipanti nella flotta dei TP52 dell’anno passato, se non di più.

“Ci aspettiamo da 10 a 13 barche nella flotta dei TP52 e 5 o 6 nella Classe dei GP42, tutto considerato un bel numero, dato il momento economico” commenta Nacho Postigo, uno dei fondatori del Circuito. “La Classe dei TP52 ha effettuato le modifiche previste senza alcun problema”, aggiunge.

Certamente due nuovi team di America’s Cup si stanno preparando in tal senso
Uno è il britannico Team Origin con la nuova barca disegnata da Juan Kouyoumdjian, in via di completamento presso il cantiere Salthouse Boats di Auckland. Si tratta dell’unico TP52 nuovo costruito quest’inverno e arriverà direttamente in Portogallo via nave per le regate.

Mike Sanderson (NZL), CEO di Team Origin, dice: “Non abbiamo grandi margini di tempo, ma ce la faremo. La barca lascerà la Nuova Zelanda a metà marzo. Abbiamo deciso di imbarcarla su una nave che trasporta frutta e che quindi sarà abbastanza puntuale, altrimenti il suo carico andrà in malora… La faremo arrivare nel porto più vicino all’evento per fare subito misurazioni e test e cominciare gli allenamenti. Certo, avremmo voluto fare le cose con più calma, ma sapevamo dall’inizio che sarebbe andata così quindi speriamo solo di cominciare il prima possibile. Non vediamo l’ora, sarà un gran bell’anno”.

L’atro è Emirates Team New Zealand, campione in carica dell’Audi MedCup, che ha terminato le modifiche al suo scafo e già cominciato gli allenamenti ad Auckland. Il CEO Grant Dalton dice che non hanno modificato sostanzialmente lo scafo e che navigheranno più o meno con lo stesso equipaggio dell’anno passato.

Il vincitore 2008 dell’Audi MedCup, Quantum Racing, invece, ha effettuato un bel lavoro di refitting e ha aggiornato il profilo del ponte. Per quanto riguarda Artemis, il team di Torbjorn Tornqvist vincitore nel 2007 e terzo assoluto nel 2009, ritornerà più agguerrito che mai.

Alberto Roemmers e il suo team Matador iniziano ad allenarsi il 19 marzo, approfittando della regata Palma Vela, dove saranno raggiunti da Artemis, Cristabella e dai russi di Synergy.

Il team spagnolo Bribón ha apportato modifiche minori al suo scafo, oltre a quelle previste dal regolamento: è passato al timone a barra, cambiato il sistema di controllo della randa, e modificato la deckline nella poppa, conformandosi ai TP52 più nuovi. Navigherà con un equipaggio quasi totalmente spagnolo, con Gonzalo Araujo al timone coadiuvato dal britannico (e due volte medagliato olimpico) Ian Walker alla tattica.

Ignasi Triay, project manager e trimmer su Bribón, dice: “Non sarà facile per noi, considerando anche che la nostra barca è alla quarta stagione. Acchiappare team come Quantum Racing, Team Origin o Emirates Team New Zealand non sarà semplice ma ce la metteremo tutta. Il mondiale ci ha dimostrato che, con vento leggero e mare piatto, la barca è davvero competitiva. L’anno scorso Dean Barker ha detto che secondo lui, se non facciamo errori, possiamo arrivare fra i primi tre. Ma loro hanno una barca che gli consente di recuperare anche una brutta partenza, per noi non è così…”.

Come Bribón, anche il team britannico Cristabella di John Cook, è basato a Palma e per il suo scafo sono previste modifiche all’armo e una rotazione dell’equipaggio. Per il 2010 nel ruolo di prodiere ci sarà l’irlandese Justin Slattery – che ha vinto un giro del mondo – insieme al navigatore Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher.

Brendan Darrer project manager di Cristabella dice: “Certamente sarà una stagione dura per noi; lo diciamo ogni anno e, infatti, è così, ma speriamo che questa sia la stagione del ‘crack’, dove finalmente possiamo dimostrare un reale miglioramento. Ci contiamo molto”.

Le speranze del pubblico ‘di casa’ sono affidate ovviamente a Pedro Mendonça e al suo Bigamist che si è allenato tutto l’inverno nelle acque di Cascais. Il team portoghese, che ha avuto un’ottima prestazione nel 2009, può aspirare a grandi risultati per la stagione 2010 dell’Audi MedCup.

Anche la flotta dei GP42 prende corpo. Al momento, c’è sicuramente almeno una barca nuova nel Circuito, che ha deciso di partecipare dopo aver corso il mondiale di flotta nel 2009.

Pensando al pubblico
La stagione che inizierà tra due mesi non vedrà solo nuovi team, nuove regole e nuove sedi ma anche e soprattutto, un nuovo sforzo per avvicinare il pubblico all’Audi MedCup Circuit e farlo appassionare a questo sport. Fernando Iñigo, Direttore Marketing dell Circuito Audi MedCup e di World Sailing Management, spiega: “Stiamo lavorando per consolidare il successo ottenuto l’anno passato in TV, aggiungendo alcune importanti novità – che scoprirete a breve – e che rivoluzioneranno il concetto di comunicazione nello sport della vela. Inoltre, abbiamo disegnato una bellissima e originale area pubblica che certamente contribuirà a realizzare il nostro obiettivo: rendere il Circuito Audi MedCup un evento popolare e amatissimo. In questo senso, la scelta di Barcellona e Cascais, è fondamentale!”.

AUDI MEDCUP 2010, TWO MONTHS TO GO: COMMENCING COUNTDOWN
[Audi MedCup Circuit, Press Release] It is two months before the start of the first regatta of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit season, the Portugal Trophy which will take place on the testing Atlantic waters and winds off Cascais, raising the curtain on what promises to be a fascinating and exciting year for the world’s leading regatta circuit.
Activity throughout the TP52 fleet has been building up progressively over recent months. Small changes to the TP52 Class Box Rule mean that all of the teams which plan to compete at this season’s five Audi MedCup Circuit regattas or the TP52 World Championships in October are required to have made the prescribed modifications to their existing boats: adding 150kgs of weight to the keel to compensate for the reduction in crew weight, moving to a ‘square-top’ mainsail with twin backstays and increasing spinnaker area and adopting bowsprits.

The Circuit organisers World Sailing Management, a division of Grupo Santa Monica Sports, are expecting to welcome the same number as 2009, or perhaps one more TP52 to the arena this season. Two new America’s Cup teams are well into their preparations.

“ We expect 10 to 13 boats in the TP52 class and five or six in the GP42 class, all in all a good line up considering the economic climate.” Comments World Sailing Management’s Nacho Postigo, Audi MedCup Circuit’s Technical Director.

“ The TP52 class has gone through the winter modifications without major problems”.

Great Britain’s TeamOrigin have their new Juan Kouyoumdjian designed boat nearing completion at Salthouse Boats in Auckland. Theirs is the only new build TP52 this winter and they are due to ship the boat directly to Portugal.

Mike Sanderson, CEO of Team Origin said: “The schedule was always going to be tight but we are on time. The boat is due to leave New Zealand in the middle of March. We have it booked on a fruit ship which means it is pretty reliable because if it gets late then the fruit goes rotten. We will ship it directly to somewhere close to the venue and do its final measurement there and will sail it there for the first time. It is not optimum for how we would have loved to have done it, but we always knew that, we knew that that’s what the schedule was going to be before started building it, so we are just going to have to hope that we can get it on the pace as quickly as possible. We are really looking forward to it. It is going to be an amazing year. We really can’t wait”.

Current Audi MedCup champions Emirates Team New Zealand completed their modifications in-house and have been trial sailing the new configuration on the waters off Auckland in excellent conditions. Otherwise, explains CEO Grant Dalton, the only change to their winning set up is the new paint job. They will sail with exactly the same core sailing team, with the exception of the reduced crew number.

2008 Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing who finished overall runners-up are believed to have taken the opportunity to update their deck profile and have made a bigger winter refit. Torbjorn Tornqvist’s 2007 champions Artemis, third overall in 2009 have a busy sailing season planned and will be back to challenge hard. Alberto Roemmers’ team of Matador start training on March 19th as a build up to the Palma Vela regatta, where up to five teams will race including Artemis, Cristabella, Matador and Synergy are expected to take part.

Spain’s Palma based Bribón has undergone some minor modifications along with the class rule modifications. They have changed to tiller steering, removing the twin wheels, changed the mainsheet system and extended the deckline to the vertical at the back of the boat, in line with all the other newer TP52’s. They will sail with an almost all Spanish crew with helm Gonzalo Araujo taking on the role he completed so well at the TP52 World Championships in Palma last year. Great Britain’s double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker will serve as tactician.

Ignasi Triay, project manager and trimmer on Bribón concludes: “It will be difficult for us I am sure with our boat in its fourth season. It will be really tough for us to get a top five finish with teams like Quantum Racing, TeamOrigin and Emirates Team New Zealand fighting it out for the top spots, and then the two Russian boats and Bigamist going so well now, but we will be really trying our hardest. The World Championships really proved to us that in flat water and lighter winds the boat can be competitive. Dean Barker said last year that if we sail a perfect race we can finish top three. They have a boat that they can get back into contention in a race even if they don’t make a great start, and that – for us – is the big difference”.

Also based out of Palma is John Cook’s British flagged Cristabella which has a new rig and will have some crew changes with round the world Racing winning bowman Justin Slattery joining at the sharp end, and round the world and America’s Cup navigator Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher, joining the team again.

Brendan Darrer project manager Cristabella said: “It is going to be difficult for us this season for sure. Each year we say it will be harder and it does get harder. But it will be a cracking year and we are really looking forward to it. Most of all we want to see a realistic improvement in our own performance, and if we can see that we will be happy”.

Home hopes for the opening regatta will be with Pedro Mendonça’s Bigamist who have been winter training hard off their native Cascais. Their prolonged training together was the foundations for a very successful 2009, and so on their own local waters, the Portuguese team have a good chance of starting the 2010 Audi MedCup season on a high note.

The GP42 fleet is taking shape presently with at least one boat which is new to the Circuit, stepping up after enjoying their participation at the 2009 GP42 World Championships.

Thinking on the public
The new season starting in two months will not just add new teams, rules and venues, but a new effort in popularising both the Audi MedCup Circuit and the sport of sailing. Fernando Iñigo, Audi MedCup Circuit and World Sailing Management Marketing Director, explains: “We are working on consolidating the TV successes we achieved in 2009, including important innovations that we will reveal soon which will revolutionise the way we communicate the sport of sailing. Apart from that, we are designing a new and more ambitious public area in order to keep on evolving our goal of making the Audi MedCup Circuit more popular. In that sense, the two new venues, Barcelona and Cascais, are key”.

Audi MedCup – Auckland – Annunciata da insistenti rumors prima e dall’Audi MedCup poi, la partecipazione di Team Origin al prossimo circuito Audi MedCup sta ormai prendendo forma. A uscire allo scoperto è lo stesso team britannico che tramite il suo sito internet ha reso noti alcuni dettagli della prossima campagna TP52. Designer del team sarà Juan Kouyoumdjian mentre come costruttore è stata scelta la Salthouse Boatbuilder di Auckland, in Nuova Zelanda, dove già si sta allenando Emirates Team New Zealand, che ha sottoposto lo scafo dominatore della passata stagione a una serie di interventi migliorativi. Ormai prossima al varo, la barca verrà varata nel corso dei prossimi giorni e a marzo verrà trasferita in Europa in vista dell’inizio del circuito Audi MedCup.

Juan Kouyoumdjian, progettisti di quello che Nacho Postigo, direttore del circuito, in un’intervista a Zerogradinord ha annunciato come una barca rivoluzionaria, ha commentato: “Sarà una campagna molto interessante: la decisione di costruire la nuova barca è stata presa per tempo, ancor prima che fossero decise le nuove regole di classe. Il lavoro di progettazione è quindi proceduto seguendo diversi step ed è stato finalizzato solo dopo la definizione degli ultimi dettagli regolamentari”.

Poche le novità nel sailing team, che sarà composto dai soliti noti appartenenti al sindacato britannico. Tra questi Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy, Ian Moore, Andrew Simpson.

AUDI MEDCUP, TEAM ORIGIN PRESENTS ITS TP52 SEASON
[Source Team Origin] Team Origin decided to build a new TP52 for the 2010 season and engaged with Juan Kouyoumdjian and his design team as the Principal Designer of the boat. Juan and his team have worked closely with the Team Origin sailing team in developing the new boat and the process they followed has reflected closely that of an AC design process for the purposes of training and testing. The boat is currently being built at Salthouse Boatbuilders in Auckland, New Zealand, and the team is very pleased with the progress to date. The boat will be shipped to Europe in March ready for the first TP52 Audi Med Cup event in May 2010.

Juan K added his thoughts on this TP52 project, “It has been a hectic and tight programme – the decision to build a new boat was made early on by the team but we had to wait for the TP52 Class to finalise some rule changes and therefore that made it quite a pressurised situation. We were able to start work on some areas ahead of schedule based on some ‘intelligent assumptions’ but only finalized the design details after we had the class rules in full.

He went on to add, “It is a new class for us to design and therefore we were playing the game of catching up and understanding as well as coming up with our own set of solutions, a process of discovery and response, which has presented its challenges but has been a really enlightening process too. We worked incredibly closely with the sailing team and we are all very much looking forward to seeing the end result of the new boat. In summary I think we all feel we have a lot to gain and little to lose in this process.”

The sailing team announced so far for the Team Origin TP52 sees many familiar squad names and promises to be an exciting team – Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy, Ian Moore, Andrew Simpson, Mike Sanderson, Tony Mutter, Christian Kamp, Chris Brittle, Julien Cressant and Matt Cornwell.

Audi MedCup – Madrid – Dopo anni di attesa, finalmente due sedi ‘candidate’ molto amate dai velisti di tutto il mondo, sono entrate a far parte del Circuito Audi MedCup: si tratta di Barcellona e di Cascais/Lisbona che diventano ‘venues’ ufficiali per la stagione 2010.

World Sailing Management e le autorità municipali di Barcellona e di Cascais, infatti, hanno firmato un accordo affinché le due città facciano parte della stagione 2010 dell Circuito Audi MedCup. “Per noi, è un sogno che diventa realtà – ha detto Nacho Postigo (ESP), Manager Tecnico del Circuito – Barcellona è un porto ‘simbolo’ della Spagna e Cascais, con i suoi venti forti, è la sede ideale per regatare; siamo davvero felici”.

Cascais, a maggio
Il calendario 2010 dell’Audi MedCup parte con una novità: il primo evento, infatti si svolgerà dall’11 al 16 maggio a Cascais. Poche sedi europee possono vantare condizioni meteo simili a quelle della città portoghese che, con i suoi venti sostenuti, è il campo di regata ideale per ogni velista, come si è visto durante l’ISAF World Sailing Championship 2007. “Normalmente il campo di gara prevede la partenza all’interno della baia, dove il vento è intorno ai 10 nodi, poi le barche effettuano una bolina che le porta alla boa di fronte al Capo. Lì possono esserci anche 25 nodi!” dice Postigo. Saranno certamente regate spettacolari anche per chi le osserva, come è stato l’anno scorso per il Ciudad de Cartagena Trophy, dove le onde erano talmente alte, che le barche sembravano dei sottomarini!

Dopo l’’apertura’ di Cascais, il Circuito si sposta a Marsiglia, dove si disputerà il secondo Trofeo della stagione tra il 15 e il 20 di giugno.

Barcellona, a luglio
Tra il 20 e il 25 di luglio Barcellona ospiterà il terzo evento della stagione, in un periodo dell’anno in cui la città catalana è ‘baciata’ da una termica perfetta con un vento da sudovest chiamato Garbí. Ma condizioni meteo a parte, Barcellona è una delle città più belle, amate e interessanti d’Europa – senza dimenticare che ha ospitato importantissimi eventi sportivi, come le Olimpiadi del 1992 – e il suo ingresso nel Circuito non può che aumentare l’interesse e il fascino per l’evento. Inoltre, la Municipalità è partecipe nell’organizzazione di un villaggio a terra che coinvolgerà pubblico e regatanti.

Nacho Postigo sottolinea poi un aspetto importante del Circuito 2010: “Considerando che Cascais è un sobborgo di Lisbona, possiamo affermare che quest’anno il Circuito toccherà tre delle più importanti città d’Europa: Lisbona, Barcellona e Marsiglia”.

Dopo Cascais, Marsiglia e Barcellona, il Circuito toccherà le seguenti tappe: Cartagena (24-29 agosto) e Cagliari (20-25 settembre).

Nuove regole, più spettacolo
La stagione 2010 vedrà non solo due nuove sedi, ma anche una serie di nuove regole per le imbarcazioni partecipanti. Tra le novità che riguardano i TP52, anche una nuova randa squadrata e spinnaker asimmetrici più grandi murati su bompresso senza tangone.

Per quanto riguarda l’equipaggio ci saranno due persone in meno e questo renderà la conduzione della barca ancora più complessa e tecnica. Un’altra novità riguarda la possibilità di avere a bordo un ospite per ogni regata (Vip, sponsor…) che si godrà lo spettacolo dal vivo.

Team Origin, in arrivo…
Nacho Postigo è stato a Valencia per incontrare Mike Sanderson, CEO del sindacato britannico di America’s Cup, Team Origin, che sarà uno dei nuovi team partecipanti al Circuito 2010 nella Classe di TP52. Il campione kiwi ha dato a Postigo molte informazioni sulla costruzione della barca e sul team, che debutterà a Cascais.

Calendario Circuito Audi MedCup 2010:
Evento 1, Cascais (Portogallo), 11-16 maggio
Evento 2, Marsiglia (Francia), 15-20 giugno
Evento 3, Barcellona (Spagna), 20-25 luglio
Evento 4, Cartagena (Spagna), 24-29 agosto
Evento 5, Cagliari (Italia), 20-25 settembre

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BARCELONA AND CASCAIS JOIN THE AUDI MEDCUP CIRCUIT
After several years as potential candidate venues for the Audi MedCup Circuit, two of Europe’s most desirable cities, Barcelona and Cascais/Lisbon, have now been confirmed on the competition schedule for 2010.
World Sailing Management and city representatives of Barcelona and Cascais have now reached agreements to ensure that these venues will be two of the five which will constitute the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit.

“ It’s realising a dream for us in many ways. We have been wanting to go to Barcelona for a long time. In sailing it is one of the most renowned Spanish venues for every sailor, and also to Cascais, where strong wind should be assured”, said Nacho Postigo (ESP), Technical Manager of the Circuit.

Cascais, in May
The Audi MedCup Circuit 2010 schedule opens with an entirely new venue. The year’s first event will take place between the 11 and the 16 of May in Cascais, Portugal.
Few cities in Europe can offer the weather conditions which the Portuguese city enjoys in spring and summer.. The reputation for strong, consistent winds was apparent when the city hosted the 2007 ISAF World Sailing Championships, and the venue is open to the Atlantic which should ensure big swells.

“ The usual race courses for the regattas held in Cascais start within the bay, where the prevailing wind can reach 10 knots, and from there, the boats sail to windward towards a mark set infront of the cape. There you can find 25 knots wind”, Postigo adds.
It could be the Estoril Circuit of sailing, potentially one of the most exciting regattas of the season, a great curtain raiser, which would have a good chance to provide images reminiscent of the ones which emerged from the big days off Cartagena, where the boats surfed spectacularly on, and through, lumpy swells several metres high.

After the Cascais Premiere, the Audi MedCup Circuit moves to Marseille, where the second trophy of the season will be disputed, between the 15th and the 20th of June.

Barcelona, in July
Barcelona will host the third event of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit between the 20th and the 25th of July. At this time the Catalan capital city enjoys great thermal winds of the southwest, known as Garbí.

As well as the pleasant summer weather conditions, Barcelona is the perfect showcase for the Circuit, richly endowed with the experience and infrastructure of a city which holds many sailing competitions in Spain including the 1992 Olympic Sailing Regatta. The 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit event benefits from the full participation of the city hall in the organization of the events which will ensure a lively public village while the races take place on the water. And of course as a backdrop, the major European city needs no introduction as a cultural, architectural, culinary and nightlife capital that few can rival.

With these new two additions, Nacho Postigo stresses the importance of having made it to bring the Circuit to three of Europe’s big cities: “ Cascais is very much a satellite suburb of Lisbon, and we can highlight then that this year that the Audi MedCup Circuit will be held in three big European citites: Lisbon, Barcelona and Marseille.”

After Cascais, Marseille and Barcelona, for the third time the Circuit is guaranteed an enhusiastic welcome in Cartagena in Murcia, Spain (24th till 29th of August) and on the Italian island of Sardinia, Cagliari (20th to 25th of September).

New rules mean a better show
The 2010 season will not only have new venues, but also new rules, which will make the boats faster and more spectacular. The TP52’s new configuration includes a square topped mainsail, as well as bigger assymetric spinnakers on bowsprits instead of a spinnaker pole. Crew numbers are cut by two, which makes sailing more testing and more exciting. Also new is the new guest spot onboard every boat for each race.

Team Origin, in motion
Nacho Postigo was in Valencia to meet Mike Sanderson (NZL), CEO of Team Origin the British America’s Cup syndicate, one of the new entrants to the 2010 TP52 Series of the Circuit. The Kiwi Round the World Champion and former World Sailor of the Year updated the Audi MedCup’s Circuit Technical Manager on his team’s status, the boat’s construction schedule prior to its debut in Cascais for the first time.

Audi MedCup Circuit’s Schedule 2010:
Event 1, Cascais (Portugal), 11th to 16th of May
Event 2, Marseille (France), 15th to 20th of June
Event 3, Barcelona (Spain), 20th to 25th of July
Event 4, Cartagena (Spain), 24th to 29th of August
Event 5, Cagliari (Italy), 20th to 25th of September

Audi MedCup – Valencia – Charterizzato da Luna Rossa in vista della stagione 2010, Pisco Sour, il TP52 di Dabliu Sail Project, la società gestita da Vasco Vascotto e Andrea Cecchetti, è stato trasferito presso la base valenciana del team italiano per essere sottoposto a una serie di interventi tesi ad adattarlo al nuovo regolamento approvato sul finire della passata stagione.

La barca è passata dal porto commerciale alla darsena interna al Port America’s Cup nel corso della mattinata odierna, proprio mentre Alinghi 5 e USA iniziavano una nuova giornata di allenamenti.

AUDI MEDCUP, WORK IN PROGRESS ON PISCO SOUR
Audi MedCup – Valencia – Chartered by Luna Rossa in view of the 2010 season, Pisco Sour, the TP52 owned by Dabliu Sail Project, the company run by Vasco Vascotto and Andrea Cecchetti, arrived today to the valencian base of the Italian team to be modified and adapted under the new rules approved at the end of the past season.

Louis Vuitton Trophy – Londra – Team Origin, sfidante britannico all’America’s Cup, ha confermato oggi la propria partecipazione alle Louis Vuitton Trophy in programma a Nizza tra il 7 e il 22 novembre. Una partecipazione, ha sottolinetao il team di Sir Keith Mills, che rappresenta solo il primo passo verso un 2010 ricco di appuntamenti.

Oltre a tutti gli eventi griffati Louis Vuitton – ricordiamo che dopo Nizza i team si ritroveranno ad Auckland, ad Hong Kong, negli Stati Uniti e a La Maddalena – e a portare avanti l’iniziativa Race for Change, il sindacato inglese, composto dai grandi nomi della vela anglosassone – tra questi i campioni olimpici in carica Ben Ainslie e Iain Percy – prenderà parte all’Audi MedCup con un TP52 di nuova costruzione e al World Match Racing Tour.

“Il programma di impegni per il prossimo anno metterà a dura prova non solo il sailing team – ha spiegato Sir Mills – Anche dal punto di vista manageriale e logistico, infatti, sarà una bella prova: l’attività spazierà dalle big boats, al match race, alle regate di flotta di altissimo livello”.

“Abbiamo creduto sin dal principio nell’idea di Louis Vuitton e quando abbiamo visto che le cose venivano fatte nel modo giusto abbiamo scommesso sulla manifestazione prestando la nostra barca ed entrando a far parte della World Sailing Team Association, in modo da poter avere voce in capitolo nella gestione finanziaria e tecnica. Inoltre, in questo modo anche il nostro shore team sarà impegnato attivamente nella preparazione delle barche”.

TEAM ORIGIN FIRMS UP SAILING PLANS FOR 2009 AND 2010
[Source Team Origin] Team Origin, the British America’s Cup sailing team, today confirmed its entry in the new Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta to be held in Nice, France. This event, the first of a set of match race regattas, to be sailed in America’s Cup Class yachts, kicks off in Nice in five weeks time (7-22 November 2009) where eight teams from seven nations have so far entered and are expected to compete. The Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas then plan to move on to events in four other venues around the world in 2010.

Team Origin’s entry in the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas rounds out the team’s extensive sailing programme for 2010, which also includes competing in the Audi MedCup series in TP52 race boats and the World Match Race Tour. The ‘Race for Change’ programme announced by the team two weeks ago in London presented the team’s strategic partnership with their Environmental Partner, the Carbon Trust, along with a compelling Partnership proposition to attract commercial partners.

“When looking at the sailing programme for the end of 2009 and 2010 we wanted to compete in the events that would give all parts of our team and not just the sailing team, further hands on operational experience,” said Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal.

“From the point of view of the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas, we decided to become a preferential shareholder in the parent company, as well as to allow our America’s Cup training yacht, GBR-75, to be used as one of the race boats for the forthcoming Nice event. The Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas are owned by the teams themselves through the parent company, the World Sailing Team Association (WSTA), and are promoted and organised in association with Louis Vuitton and a local yacht club in a democratic and transparent manner. This is something we feel strongly about and we intend to play an active role in the management of the series,” concluded Sir Keith.

“With this arrangement our shore crew are actively involved in preparing and maintaining the boats and keeping the teams racing during the event and our management team are involved in the commercial and event management side of the project. This enhances Team Origin’s preparations for the America’s Cup”, commented Mike Sanderson, Team Director.

Each of the five Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas take the form of a match race event consisting of round robins, semi-finals and finals, similar to the format used at the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger races for the America’s Cup from 1983 to 2007. The races are sailed in America’s Cup Class boats provided by the organisation so that competing teams rotate through the pairs of boats as the event progresses.

“From a sailing point of view we have put together about as an ambitious a sailing programme as we could possibly want for an America’s Cup challenger in waiting. A combination of match racing in big boats at the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas against some of the best teams in the world, plus a match race programme in smaller boats on the World Match Race Tour, along with competing in the fleet race keelboat series racing TP52s in the Audi MedCup. I cannot think of a better way to push the sailing and overall team to develop in areas that will benefit us for the long term,” commented Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Helmsman.

Team Origin is back on the water this week at the World Match Race Tour event in Hamilton, Bermuda (Argo Group Gold Cup) where the team of Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy, Christian Kamp and Matt Cornwell will race against 23 other teams in what promises to be a hotly contested event. Racing starts tomorrow on Tuesday 6th October and goes on until Sunday 11th October.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Madrid – Abbattere i costi e aumentare performance e numero di partecipanti: sono questi i principali obiettivi che gli organizzatori del Circuito Audi MedCup si impegnano a realizzare nella stagione 2010.

Sulla scia del successo della stagione 2009, organizzatori, sponsor e armatori del circuito di regate leader al mondo, hanno deciso di impegnarsi con questi obiettivi in mente: abbassare i costi della competizione, permettendo, così, a più team di partecipare, aumentare ulteriormente le performance delle imbarcazioni TP52, accrescere l’interesse verso la bella Classe dei GP42 e, ovviamente, migliorare costantemente l’evento, in modo da renderlo sempre più appetibile per gli sponsor.

Tagliare i costi nelle TP52 Series significa fondamentalmente ridurre il numero di equipaggio, limitare le regate di allenamento prima dell’evento e abbassare il limite massimo di vele consentito per stagione. Secondo Nacho Postigo, Direttore tecnico del Circuito, un team al top della classifica, risparmierebbe circa 200.000 euro alla fine della stagione.

Ospiti: in
Per aumentare l’interesse degli sponsor, da adesso in poi è prevista la partecipazione di un ospite a bordo nelle TP52 Series e nelle GP42 Series per tutti i giorni di regata; un’occasione unica per vivere da dentro l’emozione e la competizione che si respirano in barca durante una gara del Circuito Audi MedCup. Come per altre competizioni simili, è però obbligatorio che questi ospiti non influenzino in alcun modo l’andamento della barca.

Peso equipaggio: giù, costi: giù, performance: su
Il peso massimo consentito per un’imbarcazione TP52 passerà dai 1.273kg attuali, ai 1.050 del 2010. Questa soluzione, non solo farà risparmiare circa 30.000-50.000 Euro/stagione, ma renderà anche la barca più difficile da condurre. Inoltre, lo scafo sarà ancora più performante, grazie all’introduzione di uno spinnaker più grande su bompresso, di una randa molto squadrata in testa e di un bulbo più pesante.

Numero di vele: giù, costi: giù
Numero e forma delle vele cambieranno nel 2010: scompaiono i costosi Code Zero in testa d’albero (inclusi rollafiocchi, stralli e sistemi idraulici), mentre il numero di vele che si potranno stazzare in una stagione scenderà a 15 (contro le 19+3 permesse nel 2009); sono ammessi in barca solo 4 fiocchi e 4 spinnaker. Banditi anche i materiali ‘esotici’ per gli spi che potranno essere realizzati unicamente in poliestere o nylon.

Giorni di allenamento: giù, costi giù, visibilità: su
Il Circuito Audi MedCup 2010 limiterà il numero di giorni di allenamento ‘in-venue’. La flotta dei TP52 dovrà essere ormeggiata in banchina la sera del venerdì e poi al Regata Village per tutto il sabato, in modo da essere ammirata dal pubblico. Domenica e lunedì sono dedicati alle registrazioni e alla regata ‘amichevole’; l’Official Practice Day per i TP52 sarà martedì. I GP42 seguiranno un calendario simile, con le barche a ‘disposizione’ del pubblico nella giornata di sabato e la regata di prova il giovedì successivo. Entrambe le Classi termineranno le regate di domenica (tranne che per l’ultimo evento della stagione). Questo, per garantire una massiccia presenza di pubblico, sia in mare sia nel Villaggio Regate a terra.

Per i potenziali armatori-sponsor è stata redatta una sorta di ‘guida al budget’ per i GP42 e i TP52. Il budget medio per un GP42 si aggira intorno ai 467.000€ per il programma charter, che copre tutti e cinque gli eventi, sino ai 992.000€ se si acquista una barca nuova e la si rivende a fine stagione.

Per i TP52 il programma base prevede un costo di circa 800.300€ che sale a 1.78m€ se si costruisce una barca nuova (potenzialmente vincente) che poi si rivenderà a fine stagione.

È importante sapere che nel 2008 il programma Top 5 dedicato ai TP52 ha avuto un impatto sui media stimato in 2.3m di Euro* (TV e carta stampata nei sei paesi europei monitorati, Italia, Spagna, Francia, Portogallo, Inghilterra e Germania). (*fonte Sport&Markt)

AUDI MEDCUP, COMMITMENT FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE
[Audi MedCup Press Release] Driving down costs whilst raising performance and participation. These are the fundamental principles which the Audi MedCup Circuit are firmly committed to for the 2010 season.

In the wake of a very successful 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit, the organisers, stakeholders and boat owners involved in the world’s leading regatta circuit are committed to making further savings to reduce participation costs for teams, to step up the performance and competitiveness of the TP52’s, to further highlight the success of the GP42 Series, as well as continually improving the return for team sponsors in both Series.

The savings which apply to the TP52 Series are principally the reduction of crew numbers and costs, limiting the number of pre-regatta training days allowed, and a further cut in the TP52 sail allowance for the season. According to Audi MedCup Technical Director Nacho Postigo the net savings over the season for a typical top team would add up to around Euros 200,000.

Guests: in
At the same time, in order to enhance the commercial return to sponsors or to offer owners and crews the chance to take their private guests out racing, there will now be one guest spot on board the TP52 Series and the GP42 Series boats in each race of each regatta.

The guests will effectively be right in the middle of the action, each and every race. Crews may choose to change guests each race if they wish, but the clear requirement is that they can have no influence on the performance of the boats, keeping their legs and torso inside, sailing towards the back of the boat.

Crew Weight: down, costs: down, performance: up
The weight limit for ‘active’ TP52 crew has been reduced to 1050kgs for 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit, down from 1273kgs this season. Not only will this reduce costs – saving an estimated at €30-50,000 per season – but it will make the boats more challenging to handle with fewer crew.

But the performance of the TP52’s will be given a significant boost with bigger spinnakers set on a bowsprit, square top mainsails and added weight in the keel bulb.

Sail Allowance: down, costs: down
The number and type of sails has been reduced again for the 2010 season. No longer are expensive masthead Code Zero type headsails allowed (together with their furlers, stays and hydraulic rams). Only 15 sails can be measured in for the season (against the 19 + 3 allowed in 2009), and only four jibs and four spinnakers can be carried on board. Exotic, costly materials have been outlawed for spinnakers which can now only be manufactured in woven polyester or nylon.

Practice Days: down, costs down, public visibility: up
The 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit will now limit the number of ‘in-venue’ practice days for all teams. For example all of the TP52 Series fleet must now be at the dock by the Friday evening, and moored in the Audi MedCup Village through the first Saturday to allow for public visiting the boats. Sunday and Monday will then be registration and unofficial practice days whilst the Official Practice Day for the TP52’s will be the Tuesday; the GP42 class will follow a similar schedule with the boats available for public visit on Saturday and racing their practice race on Thursday. Both classes racing will end up on Sunday (except for the last event of the circuit), allowing this way for more public to be present both on the water and at the village on the last two days of racing.

For potential participants, the Audi MedCup Circuit has also drawn up a comparative set of guideline budgets, which represent, typically, both ends of the spectrum, to campaign a GP42 or a TP52.

The budget range for a GP42 is between €467,000 for a charter program covering all five regattas to about €992,000 for a full new build winning boat program, based on selling the boat at season’s end.

For the TP52 the entry level program is reckoned on being around €800,300 for the season to €1.78m to achieve a potentially winning program based on a new build boat which is sold at season’s end.

Against these budgets it is also worth noting that in 2008 a Top 5 TP52 Programme generated an estimated €2.3m of media impact on TV and in the written press across the six European countries monitored, Spain, France, UK, Germany, Portugal and Italy (*source Sport&Markt).

Foto courtesy Ainhoa Sanchez.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – L’ultima tappa dell’Audi MedCup 2009, conclusasi la scorsa settimana a Cartagena, ha regalato grandi emozioni in virtù delle condizioni meteo estreme, come raccontano gli scatti di Ainhoa Sanchez.

AUDI MEDCUP, SOME SHOTS BY AINHOA SANCHEZ
Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartgena – The last leg of Audi MedCup 2009 see through the lenses of Ainhoa Sanchez.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Il circuito Audi MedCup si è concluso a Cartagena con la vittoria di Emirates Team New Zealand. Ecco il resoconto video del Trofeo Regione di Murcia, ultima tappa della manifestazione riservata ai TP52.

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AUDI MEDCUP, REGION OF MURCIA TROPHY VIDEO RESUME
Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – The Audi MedCup circuit reach the end in Cartagena with the overall victory of Emirates Team New Zealand. This is the video resume of the event.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Riviviamo l’ultima giornata di regate valide per il Trofeo Regione di Murcia, al termine del quale Emirates Team New Zealand e Islas Canarias Puerto Calero hanno festeggiato la conquista della vittoria assoluta nel circuito Audi MedCup.

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AUDI MEDCUP, REGION OF MURCIA TROPHY LAST DAY VIDEO
Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Thanks to Audi MedCup media team we can give a look to the last day of race valid for the Region of Murcia Trophy.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Un’altra giornata di vento instabile ha decretato gli ultimi verdetti del Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia e del Circuito Audi MedCup 2009, con Emirates Team New Zealand campione della tappa e della classifica overall. Un vero dominio, quello dei kiwi, capaci di vincere ben quattro eventi su cinque: a Marsiglia, Cagliari, Portimao e Cartagena. Unico passo falso dei Kiwi, il terzo posto di Alicante, quando chiusero a 2 punti dal vincitore Matador.

Oltre agli argentini, sono stati solamente Artemis e Quantum Racing a dare filo da torcere a Emirates Team New Zealand, con gli americani, campioni nel 2008, che hanno terminato in seconda posizione, staccati di ben 74 punti. Il distacco maggiore nella storia del circuito. Terza posizione overall, a sei punti dal team di Terry Hutchinson, per Artemis, nonostante il team svedese avesse a bordo alcuni “personaggi” di spicco della vela mondiale, da Paul Cayard a Russel Coutts. Quarta posizione per i vincitori del Trofeo Città di Alicante, gli argentini di Matador. Il team con Francesco Bruni alla tattica non è riuscito a ripetere l’impresa della prima tappa, perdendo molte posizione durante l’evento di Portimao.

In classifica generale, quinta posizione per Bigamist. I portoghesi, nonostante il budget limitato, hanno infatti regatato benissimo anche a Cartagena, portando a otto il bottino di vittorie. Meglio di loro, han fatto solo i kiwi, con 14 gare conquistate. Sesta piazza per Synergy, con il nostro Francesco Mongelli a bordo in qualità di navigatore, che grazie alla vittoria odierna e alla rottura di Bribon è riuscito in extremis a superare in classifica la barca spagnola, settima. Nona posizione infine per Audi TP52 Powered by Q8. La barca italiana ha alternato buone prove come quelle di Cartagena a prestazioni meno esaltanti, facendo registrare un decisivo miglioramento proprio nel finale di stagione, con segnali importanti per lo skipper Riccardo Simoneschi.

Nulla da fare dunque nemmeno a Cartagena per gli avversari dei neozelandesi, con Dean Barker & Co. in grado di dettare legge con ogni condizione di mare e vento, dalle brezze leggere agli oltre 30 nodi d’aria, e capaci di chiudere le sei regate del Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia con tre vittorie, due secondi posti e un terzo. Uno score davvero impressionante.

Dietro a Emirates Team New Zealand, primo dunque con 10 punti, si è piazzato Bigamist 7, la vera rivelazione del Circuito. Terza piazza a Cartagena per Quantum Racing, autore anche in Spagna di prestazioni molto altalenanti. Soltanto quinto, invece, Artemis, con Vasco Vascotto al timone, davanti a Bribon e Audi TP52 Powered by Q8. Il team di Riccardo Simoneschi con vento molto forte ha potuto dimostrare tutto il suo valore, disputando due regate davvero eccellenti. Male Matador, che con l’ottavo posto è scivolato dal secondo al quarto posto nel Circuito.

Tra i GP42 la spunta Islas canarias Puerto Calero
Finale di stagione amaro per Roma, con la barca italiana superata in vetta al circuito nell’ultima regata dell’anno. I ragazzi di Paolo Cian, in vantaggio di due punti questa mattina, hanno infatti chiuso gara 6 al quarto posto, tre posizioni dietro alla vincente Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. La vittoria di regata permette agli spagnoli di vincere il Trofeo (seconda Iberdrola davanti a Roma) e di superare gli italiani nel circuito, vinto con un punto di vantaggio. Applausi comunque per Roma, capace di regatare sempre ad altissimi livelli. Terza posizione per Caser-Endesa, staccata di 25 punti dalla prima in classifica, e quarto posto per l’altra italiana Airis, che dopo la bella partenza di Alicante si è un po’ persa per strada.

Con il Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia, termina dunque il Circuito Audi MedCup 2009, pronto a tornare nella prossima primavera con nuovi team e nuove emozionanti regate. Il primo appuntamento del prossimo anno comincerà l’11 di maggio. Una data da non scordarsi. Nel frattempo, entrambe le Series continueranno a confrontarsi nei rispettivi mondiali: quello della TP52 si terrà a Palma di Maiorca dal 6 all’11 ottobre, mentre i GP42 si contenderanno la Global Cup dal 13 al 17 ottobre a Lanzarote.

Trofeo Caja Mediterráneo Regione di Murcia
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1-3-2-1-2, 10 pt.
2. Bigamist 7, 6-4-2-1-4-6, 23 py.
3. Quantum Racing, 8-6-1-3-5-4, 27 pt.
4. Synergy, 9-7-8-4-3-1, 32 pt.
5. Artemis, 7-2-7-6-6-5, 33 pt.

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 1-2-3-3-6-1, 16 pt.
2. Iberdrola, 3-1-1-6-4-2, 17 pt.
3. Roma, 4-4-2-1-2-4, 17 pt.
4. Turismo Madrid, 7-3-5-2-1-5, 23 pt.
5. Caser-Endesa, 2-5-6-5-3-3, 24 pt

Circuito Audi MedCup 2009
Classifica Finale

TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 128.5 pt.
2. Quantum Racing, 202.5 pt.
3. Artemis, 208.5 pt.
4. Matador, 209.5 pt.
5. Bigamist, 212 pt.

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 98 pt.
2. Roma, 99 pt.
3. Caser-Endesa, 123 pt.
4. Airis, 142 pt.
5. Turismo Madrid, 159 pt.

AUDI MEDCUP, THE WINNING DUO
[Audi MedCup Press Release] Immaculate team work, consistently strong tactics and perfect reliability underpinned a comprehensive overall victory for Emirates Team New Zealand who lifted the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit Trophy today in Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.

Kept on ice for two days since the Kiwi team clinched the Circuit title after building an arithmetically untenable margin by Thursday evening, the champagne flowed after they docked in front of the welcoming crowd lining Cartagena’s Aphonso XII promenade.

Lead by skipper Dean Barker, the New Zealand team won four of this season’s five regattas culminating in their dominant performance at this Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia regatta. With a second place today they won by 13 points over Portugal’s Bigamist 7, while Quantum Racing, the outgoing champions, finished third in the regatta and secured the runners-up on the season standings 78 points behind the Kiwi team.

After missing out on victory in Alicante because of one error on the final run of the last race, Emirates Team New Zealand set about ensuring they improved at every successive regatta. In Murcia this week they were invincible in the big breeze, a class apart, and convincing in all other conditions. Of the six races which could be raced here they won six, completing a tally of 14 wins from 43 starts. The Kiwi team had no gear or sail failures through all five regattas, never had to re-start and only once took penalty turns, in Marseille.

The freshly crowned 2009 champions have at their core a number of sailors with essential MedCup and TP52 experience. Tactician Ray Davies won overall in 2006 with Mean Machine, Dean Barker, who has steered TP52’s every year since the Circuit started in 2005 and navigator Kevin Hall were on second placed Warpath that year. But their team skills and spirit has also been hard wired at America’s Cup level, winning – and losing – together.

After a long wait for the breeze to settle to a sailable, solid direction today it was the Russian team on Synergy who went on to win, just as they did in the final race in Portimao.

So the Kiwi team lead the celebrations tonight, looking to make a small impact on the red labelled Great Wall, a season’s worth of untouched beers from their sponsor.
The Audi MedCup Circuit returns in 2010 with the first event beginning on May 11th. The TP52 Class convene in Palma, Mallorca for the TP52 World Championships (6-11 Oct).

GP42 Series, Down to the wire, Islas Canarias win
The assembled crowd was awaiting a display of match race mastery from GP42 Series leader Paolo Cian and his Roma 2 team, the same skill that has found him success on the World Match Racing Tour. Going into today’s final race, Roma led runner-up Islas Canarias Puerto Calero by two points, but with 13 firsts in the 39-race series to 11 for Roma, the Italians had to either beat or finish directly behind the young Canarias team to win the overall prize. So everyone was expecting a fight.

Yet the Roma team did not engage in pre-start combat, electing instead to do what they’ve done best throughout this season: get a fabulous start on the line and take an early lead. They used this lead to force Canarias to the right, but unfortunately this was appearing to be the favored side, and once Iberdrola got into the mix as well, Roma found themselves behind and unable to catch up.

Even on the first downwind leg, Roma gybed close on the Canarias team, protecting the path to the bottom gate, but it was Iberdrola acting as the spoiler, forcing Roma outside the mark at the rounding and forcing the Italians back into the pack. The battle then shifted to that for the lead between Canarias and Iberdrola, and the bright green team led by last year’s class season champion Laureano Wizner and his Desafio alumnists were ahead for a while, putting Roma back in contention for the series.

But the Canarias team were smooth and fast, the breeze was increasing from 10 to 14 knots, and so they took the lead around the top mark and even split back to the right side on the run when Roma so jealously guarded the left. It was a shift, favorable current, and a course change that all conspired to make the right pay off, vaulting not only Canarias and Iberdrola ahead, but Caser-Endesa as well.

So congratulations go to Daniel Calero and his home-grown team from Islas Canarias for a hard-fought and well-earned victory in the GP42 Series.

Next stop for the GP42’s will be in Lanzarote, Islas Canarias for their GP42 Global Cup over 13-17 October, where 10 teams are expected to compete.

Trofeo Caja Mediterráneo Regione di Murcia
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1-3-2-1-2, 10 pt.
2. Bigamist 7, 6-4-2-1-4-6, 23 py.
3. Quantum Racing, 8-6-1-3-5-4, 27 pt.
4. Synergy, 9-7-8-4-3-1, 32 pt.
5. Artemis, 7-2-7-6-6-5, 33 pt.

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 1-2-3-3-6-1, 16 pt.
2. Iberdrola, 3-1-1-6-4-2, 17 pt.
3. Roma, 4-4-2-1-2-4, 17 pt.
4. Turismo Madrid, 7-3-5-2-1-5, 23 pt.
5. Caser-Endesa, 2-5-6-5-3-3, 24 pt

Circuito Audi MedCup 2009
Classifica Finale

TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 128.5 pt.
2. Quantum Racing, 202.5 pt.
3. Artemis, 208.5 pt.
4. Matador, 209.5 pt.
5. Bigamist, 212 pt.

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 98 pt.
2. Roma, 99 pt.
3. Caser-Endesa, 123 pt.
4. Airis, 142 pt.
5. Turismo Madrid, 159 pt.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Tre, due, uno… Non sono solo i piazzamenti odierni di Emirates Team New Zealand in questo penultimo giorno di regate al Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia, ma anche il conto alla rovescia del team di Dean Barker & Co. verso la grande festa di domani. Per i leader incontrastati di Circuito e Trofeo, dunque, lo score parla ora di ben tre vittorie su cinque regate disputate.

Anche oggi, sul campo di regata tanta onda e vento molto teso, arrivato ben oltre i 20 nodi nel pomeriggio, e instabile come non mai, con la Giuria e i tattici costretti a fare gli straordinari. Buona prestazione di giornata, oltre che per Emirates Team New Zealand, anche per Bigamist, che grazie alla vittoria in gara 4 balza al secondo posto del Trofeo, a 9 punti dai kiwi. Giornata positiva anche per Quantum Racing, che nonostante l’ennesimo spi rotto, con un primo, un terzo e un quinto posto vola con 24 punti al terzo posto in classifica, davanti a Bribon (27 punti).

Male invece Artemis e Matador: gli svedesi, quinti con 29 punti, portano a casa due settimi e un sesto posto, mentre gli argentini conquistano un quarto, un quinto e un ottavo posto. Scivola al sesto posto Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 (10,7,9). Circuito purtroppo finito, invece, per gli inglesi di Cristabella, che in gara 5 rompono la parte superiore dell’albero.

Nel Circuito è ancora tutto aperto nella lotta al secondo e terzo posto. Con Emirates Team New Zealand matematicamente vincitore del Circuito Audi MedCup 2009 (per loro, 73 punti di vantaggio sui secondi), i riflettori rimangono ora puntati sulla lotta per il podio, con quattro barche racchiuse in soli otto punti: Quantum Racing (199.5 punti), Artemis (204.5), Bigamist 7 (206) e Matador (207.5). Domani, con le tre regate in programma, tutto sarà dunque ancora possibile.

Dopo le regate sono stati premiati tre armatori della TP52 Series: Pedro Mendonça di Bigamist, Alberto Roemmers di Matador e José Cusí di Bribón. Per loro, un tributo per l’attaccamento al Circuito e per i grandi sforzi fatti ogni anno per la Series.

Nella GP42 Series Roma torna in vetta a Trofeo e Circuito
Giornata perfetta per la barca italiana Roma, che grazie a una vittoria e due secondi posti, balza in testa sia al Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia, sia al Circuito Audi MedCup 2009. Anche in virtù della pessima giornata di Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, che non va oltre a due terzi e un sesto posto. Nel Trofeo, Roma comanda dunque con due punti di vantaggio su Iberdrola e Islas Canarias. Due anche i punti di vantaggio degli italiani su Islas Canarias nel Circuito. Giornata positiva anche per Turismo Madrid, che conquista la prima vittoria della stagione e si assesta, con 18 punti, al terzo posto nel Trofeo. Domani, occhi tutti sulla sfida Roma-Islas Canarias, pronti a un finale al cardiopalma.

Per entrambe le Series, domani il Comitato di Regata cercherà di dare il via a tre prove. Prima partenza anticipata dunque alle ore 12.00.

Circuito Audi MedCup 2009
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1-3-2-1, 8 pt.
2. Bigamist, 7, 6-4-2-1-4, 17 pt.
3. Quantum Racing, 8-6-1-3-6, 24 pt.
4. Bribón, 3-5-9-8-22, 27 pt.
5. Artemis, 7-2-7-6-7, 29 pt.

GP42 Series
1. Roma, 4-4-2-1-2, 13 pt.
2. Iberdrola, 3-1-1-6-4, 15 pt.
3. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 1-2-3-3-6, 15 pt.
4. Turismo Madrid, 7-3-5-2-1, 18 pt.
5. Caser-Endesa, 2-5-6-5-3, 21 pt.

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3, 2, 1 COUNTDOWN TO THE FINALE
[Audi MedCup Press Release] Three different boats won races on this penultimate day of the Audi MedCup Circuit season’s TP52 Series but it is Emirates Team New Zealand who look set to extend their unprecedented record, setting up to win four of this season’s five regattas.

While conditions were not as tough as Thursday’s, the breezes in each successive race proved different, hard to read, and a over the three contests a comprehensive test for tacticians and crews in both TP52 and GP42 Series. Consistency across the three heats was keynote and it was Emirates Team New Zealand whose 3,2,1 proved telling as they stretched nine points clear of Portugal’s Bigamist 7.

If concerns exist that the razor sharp Kiwi team have set the bar high this season consider the Portuguese crew. Under Olympic Star helm Afonso Domingos, the team which comprise 40% amateurs with a well prepared 2008 Judel-Vrolijk boat, bought through the winter, are seriously challenging the 2007 MedCup Champions for third overall on the series, lie second overall at this regatta and are gunning hard into the final day to better their three fourth place finishes in Marseille, Cagliari and Portimao.

The New Zealand crew may be past the finishing post in terms of the Circuit title, but the tussle for second and third will go to the wire.

Only eight points now separate Quantum Racing, current tenants of second place from fifth placed Matador whose painful slide down the series rankings this regatta could not be checked today, particularly with their eighth in the third race when they twisted their gennaker around the keel.

Quantum Racing won the first race of the day ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand. A crisp start from Terry Hutchinson (USA) and the afterguard of the reigning champions laid the foundation in the 11-14 knots of breeze.

In the second race there was a pronounced split in the breeze, especially where it was influenced by the high, rocky promontory near the top of the windward leg. This time there were some major gains and losses to be made. Emirates Team New Zealand had lead to the leeward gate with Bríbon giving chase. Both tracked left into the building breeze after the gate, but Matador, Bigamist and Artemis struck it rich on the right and crossed the leaders on the top third of the beat. As the wind flicked back at the windward mark Bigamist were able to slip inside Matador and Artemis, as the pair, who were both all but stalled by the sudden change. While Bigamist took the winning gun, Emirates Team New Zealand gained four places on the run and surged to finish just four seconds behind.

The Kiwi machine was at full revs in the final race when the wind piped up to 22 knots and the seas kicked up again. While Bríbon hung tight and took a good second, there were problems among the fleet. Quantum Racing split another kite, but Cristabella’s season looks to have finished early after the top metre and a half of the mast snapped off.

Roma takes back the lead
Today’s three races in the GP42 fleet were critical for determining the overall Series champion, as Roma were able to extricate themselves from yesterday’s carnage to take back a 2-point series lead from archrivals Islas Canarias Puerto Calero.

But it wasn’t easy: At some point in today, nearly every team had their time at the top of the pack, including Iberdrola, who are sailing their first and only MedCup event, and Airis who have had some tough luck in the last few stages in the series.

Success came for some in having clever positioning and tactics, always important in this small but competitive group, as the first two races in particular were sailed in some very tricky conditions, with the breeze being on and off extremes of 8 to 14 knots. Match race expert Paolo Cian and his Roma team seemed particularly adept at this.

But for others raw speed and maybe a little luck were the keys, and in this regard the Islas Canarias team excelled early in the afternoon, but then Turismo Madrid came on later to take their first-ever MedCup win. In this race there was a return to large, towering seas and a stiff breeze, maybe turned down just a notch from the Red Zone conditions of yesterday, and thus infinitely more fun.

There were still mishaps, with the big waves making tight layline calls very precarious. Nearly everyone had their share of close encounters with the top mark, with Caser-Endesa, Islas Canarias and Airis all having to do penalty turns. When Iberdrola had their turn to shoot the mark in the last race, overlapped with Caser-Endesa, they fell off on to port tack and therefore had not one but two turns to complete.

But all will be forgotten tomorrow when the final showdown between the two leaders determines who takes the overall GP42 Series Audi MedCup title. The class will afford some spectators with unique access to all the action: tomorrow each GP42 will compete with a guest on board, a new and exciting innovation for the Audi MedCup.

Circuito Audi MedCup 2009
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1-3-2-1, 8 pt.
2. Bigamist, 7, 6-4-2-1-4, 17 pt.
3. Quantum Racing, 8-6-1-3-6, 24 pt.
4. Bribón, 3-5-9-8-22, 27 pt.
5. Artemis, 7-2-7-6-7, 29 pt.

GP42 Series
1. Roma, 4-4-2-1-2, 13 pt.
2. Iberdrola, 3-1-1-6-4, 15 pt.
3. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 1-2-3-3-6, 15 pt.
4. Turismo Madrid, 7-3-5-2-1, 18 pt.
5. Caser-Endesa, 2-5-6-5-3, 21 pt.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Condizioni molto impegnative quelle che si sono trovati a fronteggiare ieri pomeriggio i protagonisti dell’Audi MedCup 2009. Un video, in casi del genere, vale più di mille parole.

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Video copyright Audi MedCup.

AUDI MEDCUP, BIG WAVES IN CARTAGENA
Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Big waves and strong wid yesterday in Cartagena for the first races of Audi MedCup final event. Look the video to see the TP52’s action,

Audi MedCup 2009 - Cartagena – Dopo due giorni senza vento, Eolo si rifa oggi, regalando al Circuito Audi MedCup una delle più belle giornate della stagione, con onda molto formata e vento oltre i 30 nodi. Permettendo così di aprire le danze al Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia.

Protagonisti della giornata sono stati, ancora una volta, i kiwi di Emirates Team New Zealand, che hanno dimostrato la propria enorme superiorità sul resto della flotta andando a vincere due gare su due. I neozelandesi balzano dunque subito in vetta al Trofeo.

Splendida prova oggi anche per i velisti italiani, con Riccardo Simoneschi e il suo Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 in forma davvero smagliante. Il team nostrano ha portato a casa un secondo e un terzo posto, dimostrando finalmente tutto il valore del team. Con le prestazioni di oggi, Simoneschi & Co. si piazzano così al secondo posto nel Trofeo davanti a Bribon, recuperando punti anche in classifica generale.

Benissimo anche Vasco Vascotto, chiamato a un debutto davvero complicato a bordo di Artemis, quarta ora nel Trofeo. Lo skipper triestino, dopo il settimo posto iniziale, in gara 2 è riuscito a portare la barca svedese al secondo posto, dopo un emozionante testa a testa con Emirates Team New Zealand. Grazie ai risultati odierni, Artemis supera così nel circuito sia Quantum Racing, sia Matador, passando dal quarto al secondo posto. Americani e argentini sono stati infatti autori di una giornata incolore, vittime anche di molte rotture (spinnaker per Quantum, draglie, drizza e ancora spi per Matador).

Per domani, ci si interroga fortemente sulle previsioni meteo. Vento permettendo, gli occhi saranno ancora puntati sull’emozionante lotta per il secondo posto.

Nella GP42 Series vola Islas Canarias
Brutta giornata per Roma, che chiude per due volte al quarto posto e lascia scappar via Islas Canarias Puerto Calero in testa alla classifica. Gli spagnoli con un primo e un secondo posto balzano infatti in vetta al Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia, distaccando nel Circuito gli italiani di ben 5 punti. Nel Trofeo secondo posto a sorpresa per Iberdrola, grazie a un terzo posto in gara 1 e una vittoria in gara 2. Terza piazza per Caser-Endesa, davanti a Roma. Paolo Cian e compagni dovranno ora tirare fuori le unghie se vorranno recuperare una difficile situazione.

Circuito Audi MedCup 2009
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1, pt. 2
2. Audi TP52 Powered by Q8, 2-3, pt. 5
3. Bribón, 3-5, pt. 8
4. Artemis, 7-2, pt. 9
5. Bigamist 7, 6-4, pt. 10
seguono 5 scafi

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 1-2, pt. 3
2. Iberdrola, 3-1, pt. 4
3. Caser-Endesa, 2-5, pt. 7
4. Roma, 4-4, pt. 8
5. Turismo Madrid, 7-3, pt. 10
segue uno scafo

FLYNG KIWIS
[Audi MedCup Press Release] As if to display exactly why they are the champions-in-waiting of the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit TP52 Series, Emirates Team New Zealand produced a flawless display across two very challenging big breeze races today to set themselves off on the perfect footing as the Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia Trophy finally got under way.

While other teams were found wanting, some struggling in the short, steep seas off Cartagena and the gusty, shifty SW’ly wind which peaked at 27 knots, Emirates Team New Zealand took flight, revelling in the robust conditions.

Most of all their wins today proved the virtue of their many years of top level racing together as a crew, but – as other teams suffered equipment failures and shredded sails – their triumphs are testament to their exceptional high standards of preparation.

“Our biggest worry was breaking something and you do all you can to prevent that, but on the other hand you can’t sail slow. It was fantastic crew work all round. Years sailing together make that difference which is as well because a lot of the time it is just about impossible to communicate.” Grinned Emirates Team New Zealand’s relieved Ray Davies, who revealed that, after calling tactics today, his secondary role in the high speed, wet, bumpy, surfing conditions was keeping helmsman Dean Barker wedged inside the boat as they ploughed through the walls of white water.

He warned that the 2009 title may be all but theirs, but: “We’ll be keeping the hammer down to win this regatta now.”

If Emirates Team New Zealand had a memorable red letter day, it was a dark afternoon for Matador. A sequence of mishaps and breakages conspired to drop the Argentinian boat from second to fourth overall on the Circuit. Their problems started with a broken aft stanchion and went on to include a broken spinnaker pole, jockey pole, slipping halyard clutches, a shredded gennaker and another broken stanchion.

While Artemis added a second place to their seventh in the first race and promoted themselves to second on the Circuit, rivals Quantum Racing tore three spinnakers as well as catching Bigamist 7’s discarded kite around their rudder and keel which required them to stop for several minutes to disentangle themselves from the sail debris.

Italy’s Riccardo Simoneschi and his team on Audi Q8 proved one of the most consistent teams in the big waves, posting a second and third for the day. They lost one spinnaker, but sailed two tight, steady races to lie second overall in the TP52 Series regatta, three points up on José Cusi’s Bribón.

While there has been days with more breeze over the last couple of years on the Audi MedCup Circuit, and indeed venues with bigger waves, the action today was most spectacular as both the TP52’s and GP42’s surfed downwind, cascading into the back of the wave in front to erupt in spumes of spray.

GP42 Races 1 and 2
The going was tough, but the tough got going today in the GP42’s, with those that minimized damage and keeping the boat under the sails coming prevailing.. Sailed by a young energetic team who hail from a place where such conditions are commonplace, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) posted a 1-2 for the day, which now places them with a 5-point buffer over series rival Roma 2, who struggled through the day on 4-4.

“Today’s races were all about surviving – said Islas Canarias pitman Francisco Díaz – It was about handling things as little and as safely as possible. For us it’s been good fun, but probably not that fun for our owner Danny [Calero] since we’ve broken the mainsail and some other things. But we are fighting for the Audi MedCup title with Roma, so we wanted to keep an eye on them. In the first race they broke the spinnaker when they were ahead, so we won but it was because they broke”.

“It was Code Red out there, we felt like a submarine – said mid-bowman Pat Shaughnessy as he helped pump hundreds of litres of seawater out of Roma when back at the quay. Shaughnessy who is President of Farr Yacht Design, the designers of Roma, said – We had everyone aft in the boat but just couldn’t keep that bow up”.

But their travails were not as bad as those on Turismo Madrid. The Spanish team had a similar experience in the first race as Roma did in the second, but it they also had a man overboard to retrieve as well. Trimmer Robin Imaz went overboard while trying to assist skipper Jose Maria van der Ploeg at the helm. Madrid fouled a line around their propeller and was therefore limited in their manoeuvrability. Airis sailed close by to assist in the rescue, a testament to their sportsmanship and to the nature of the conditions.

But the Madrid team quickly affected repairs and got back into the game after a late start in the second race, managing an impressive 3rd place despite never flying a spinnaker at all in that race. Tactician Philippe Presti took this in stride, saying: “Of course we won the non-spinnaker division, we have two Star boat champions on the boat!” referring to he and skipper Jose Maria van der Ploeg.

Circuito Audi MedCup 2009
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1, pt. 2
2. Audi TP52 Powered by Q8, 2-3, pt. 5
3. Bribón, 3-5, pt. 8
4. Artemis, 7-2, pt. 9
5. Bigamist 7, 6-4, pt. 10
followed by 5 boats

GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 1-2, pt. 3
2. Iberdrola, 3-1, pt. 4
3. Caser-Endesa, 2-5, pt. 7
4. Roma, 4-4, pt. 8
5. Turismo Madrid, 7-3, pt. 10
followed by 1 boat

Audi MedCup 2009 - Cartagena – Due intere giornate senza gare sono davvero troppe per il Circuito Audi MedCup, ormai davvero ansioso di scendere in acqua per confrontarsi nel Trofeo Caja Mediterraneo Regione di Murcia. Le previsione per il vento sembrano leggermente migliori rispetto ai giorni passati, anche se l’aria vera si formerà solo intorno alle ore 16.00. Il Comitato di regata cercherà comunque di dare il via a tre prove a bastone per ciascuna Series.

Prove a bastone previste anche per domani. Annullata dunque la regata costiera, proprio per permettere alla giuria di dare la partenza di più prove possibili, recuperando così le due giornate in bianco.

Intanto importanti novità per la TP52 Series. In mattinata è stato infatti presentato il Mondiale TP52, che si svolgerà dall’6 all’11 ottobre nelle acque di Palma di Maiorca. Già dieci le imbarcazioni iscritte. Rispetto al Circuito Audi MedCup 2009 mancheranno Emirates Team New Zealand e Bigamist, ma ci sarà l’ingresso di due nuovi team: Spirit of Malouen VI – Paprec Recyclage, dell’armatore Jean-Luc Petithugueni e lo skipper Stephane Neve, e Henri Lloyd – Weapon of Choice, con il timoniere Tom Wilson agli ordini dell’armatore Antony Langley.

Oltre ai dieci iscritti, ci sono anche due team ancora in stand by.

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Intervista a Nacho Postigo. Video copyright Zerogradinord.it.

TP52 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, ON A PROMISE
[Audi MedCup Press Release] Hopes are high that the Caja Meditarraneo Region of Murcia Regatta should finally get under way today in light of a forecast which seems to promise a building SW’ly breeze during the mid to later afternoon.

By two o’clock in the afternoon the wind may still be quite unstable as the breeze trends right and decreases, around 160-180 degrees, but around 1500hrs the SW’ly gradient should start to become established over the race area, 6-11knots. Then by 1700hrs it could reach 15-25 knots with a nasty swell kicked up. Offshore there will be gusts to 30 knots.

Unfortunately now the coastal race has been cancelled in favour of maximizing the number of windward leeward races to be sailed before the end of Saturday.

The TP52 World Championships where officially launched this morning. A healthy entry of ten boats from eight countries may yet be supplemented by a further one or two teams who have still to finalise their plans.

Taking place in Palma, Mallorca between 6th and 11th October, the boats which are entered are:
Quantum Racing, owner Doug DeVos-Fred Howe, skipper Terry Hutchinson
Bribon, owner José Cusí Ferret, skipper Thierry Peponnet
Matador, owner Alberto WH Roemmers, skipper Guillermo Parada
Cristabella, owner John Cook, skipper John Cook
Artemis, owner Torbjorn Tornqvist, skipper Torbjorn Tornqvist
Audi TP52 Powered by Q8, owner Riccardo Simoneschi, skipper Riccardo Simoneschi
Valars III, owner Kirill Podolsky, skipper Sergei Chevstov
Spirit of Malouen VI-Paprec Recyclage, owner Jean-Luc Petituhugenin, skipper Stephane Neve
Henri-Lloyd Weapon of Choice, Anthony Langley, skipper Tom Wilson
Synergy, Gateway Overseas Ltd, skipper Valentin Zavadnikov.

“It was a logical choice to go to Palma – remarked Rob Weiland, TP52 Class Manager – As the place where the TP52 really took hold in Europe it is a nice gesture to be going back. We had hoped that it might stimulate a comeback from some of the excellent Spanish teams and are still hopeful”.

Foto courtesy Ainhoa Sanchez.

Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – Alcuni degli skipper dell’Audi MedCup 2009 ritratti da Ainhoa Sanchez accanto al trofeo destinato al primo assoluto.

AUDI MEDCUP, SOME SHOTS BY AINHOA SANCHEZ
Audi MedCup 2009 – Cartagena – The Audi MedCup’s skipper see throurgh the lenses of Ainhoa Sanchez.