Audi MedCup, Quantum Racing e il vento sorprendono tutti
Audi MedCupTP52Vela 19 Agosto 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=3726 w=300 h=204 float=left]Audi MedCup 2009 – Portimao – Nonostante le previsioni della mattina parlassero di poca aria davanti a Portimao, sul campo di regata il Maestrale è arrivato prima del previsto. Quantum Racing è la sorpresa del giorno, e con due vittorie conquistate è il primo leader del Trofeo del Portogallo.
Sembrava non dovesse esserci vento per tutto il giorno, con il Maestrale atteso, lieve, solo in serata. Invece, dagli 8-10 nodi delle prime gare, la giornata si è conclusa con l’arrivo del vento da Nord di intensità attorno ai 16-17 nodi, che ha permesso al Trofeo del Portogallo di vivere un’intensa giornata di regate.
Protagonista della giornata è stato Quantum Racing, che dopo la vittoria nella Practice Race di ieri si ripete oggi portando a casa due primi posti e un quarto che consentono al team di Terry Hutchinson di chiudere la prima giornata in testa al Trofeo del Portogallo. Per il team americano, sono state determinanti le partenze e le scelte tattiche quasi sempre perfette. Seconda posizione per Artemis, che con un secondo, un terzo e un quarto posto (ottenuti dopo grandi rimonte) insegue gli statunitensi a tre lunghezze di distanza. Dopo il duo di testa seguono tre barche a 11 punti: Bigamist, vincitore della terza regata, Bribon ed Emirates Team New Zealand. I Kiwi, leader del Circuito, dopo un secondo e un terzo posto sprecano tutto in Gara 3, chiudendo solo sesti.
Alti e bassi per Matador, sesto a 17 punti, davanti a Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 (22 punti). Dopo un ottavo e un nono posto, il team con Riccardo Simoneschi e Francesco de Angelis si riscatta in Gara 3, scegliendo il bordo buono e portando a casa un quinto posto ottimo per il morale e per la classifica generale, che vede ora il team italiano in settima posizione.
Islas Canarias Puerto Calero si conferma già dalla Practice Race di oggi la squadra da battere, grazie a una vittoria davanti a Roma e Caser Endesa. Bella la prova degli spagnoli, che dopo aver girato le prime boe in terza posizione, riescono nell’ultimo bordo a passare sia Roma, con Paolo Cian che ha ripreso il timone della barca dopo la parentesi cagliaritana, sia Caser Endesa. Quarta posizione per Turismo Madrid, davanti ad Airis.
Audi MedCup 2009 – Trofeo del Portogallo
TP52 Series
1. Quantum Racing (USA), 1-1-4, 6 punti
2. Artemis (SWE), 3-4-2, 9 punti
3. Bigamist (POR), 5-5-1, 11 punti
4. Bribón (ESP), 6-2-3, 11 punti
5. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 2-3-6, 11 punti
seguono 5 scafi
[flashvideo filename=video/medcup/AudiMedCup09_Portimao_day1.flv /]
Video courtesy Audi MedCup.
AUDI MEDCUP, THE RETURN OF QUANTUM RACING
[Audi MedCup Press Release] After three good races off Portimao today Quantum Racing lead the TP52 Series fleet at the Portugal Trophy regatta.
Back on the waters where they won the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit title a little less than a year ago, Terry Hutchinson and the crew of Quantum Racing gave themselves the best possible tonic after their disapointing seventh place finish last month in Sardinia when they won the first two races of the Portugal Trophy regatta today, then fought back to a well earned fourth place in the third contest to lead the event by three clear points.
It was an interesting, testing day for the ten TP52 crews off Portimao as the early, light sea breeze built for the first race before it gave way to the NW’ly gradient wind which offered two excellent races in which big gains and losses were available dependant on the shifty, puffy conditions presented racing closer to the Algarve shore.
Across the day it proved a comprehensive test, from the finesse and tactical racing of the light sea breeze to bursts of downwind planing in the third race the reigning champions proved to themselves they have the tools, skills and most all perhaps the confidence to win regattas. Their opening race win was their first winning gun since Marseille in June.
Their 1,1,4 for the day leaves them three points clear of 2007 champion owner-helm Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) and his team on Artemis who rolled out a consistent 3,4,2 to lead by two points a logjam of three teams on 11 points.
Local favourites Bigamist 7 lead the first race but failed to convert it to a winning gun, but they did make amends when they won the third race, holding off Artemis to lie third overall after the first day’s racing.
Quantum Racing built their foundations early in the day when they won the first race.
Local hopes sky-rocketed when Bigamist 7 made a strong start off the pin end of the start line and lead around the windward turn in 8 knots of sea breeze, ahead of Quantum Racing with Artemis in third.
Terry Hutchinson (USA) and crew managed to get down inside Bigamist on the run and were able to round the leeward gate ahead, in the lead. The current overall champions retained their composure nicely on the final ran when Emirates Team New Zealand enjoyed a close tussle – gybe and counter-gybe – with Artemis.
With all four leading boats virtually overlapped at the finish Quantum Racing took first, with Emirates Team New Zealand stealing second, Artemis getting. Matador in fourth completed a worthy recovery from seventh place at the first mark.
It was a repeat performance in the second contest after the breeze clocked round to the NW as if cued by the day’s forecast, strengthening nicely to 15-17 knots. Quantum Racing (USA) lead from the windward mark to the finish.
Bribon gained on the second downwind to pass Emirates Team New Zealand on the final run to take second place.
With the windward mark closer in to the shore, at the western corner of the bay off Alvor, the gain was to the right, inshore, off west extension of the Praia Rocha beach.
Quantum Racing made another strong start which allowed them to tack early and lead around the windward mark with Emirates Team New Zealand second.
GP42 Series Practice Race
Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) who won last month in Sardinia and lead the series won the GP42 Practice Race after Roma 2, driven by Paolo Cian, got off to the best start in this closely matched fleet. The Canarias team led by helmsman Jose Maria Ponce (ESP) passed all at the leeward gate to take the lead and hold it to the finish.
“Except for our mainsail, we used practice sails today,” explained Ponce, “but still feel good about the boat and our speed. The breeze came up into the first run, so we shifted to the Medium jib on the second beat and Code 2 kite on the run, and felt pretty good. We’re looking forward to having some good races at this regatta.”
Making his GP42 Series debut as tactician on Turismo Madrid (ESP), veteran match racer and America’s Cup alumnist Philippe Presti (FRA) shared his thoughts on racing in this small but intense fleet.
“In big fleets, you can get spread out from the competition and if you don’t have superior speed you still have an opportunity for gains by playing wind shifts. But with five boats, speed is very important, because everyone has room to spread out and stay together in the same shifts and let the boat go fast. We’ll be focusing on how we can improve on that this week.”
The Airis (ITA) team may also be hunting for speed, as they finished today more than a minute behind, despite having on board British double Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson as guest tactician.
Audi MedCup 2009 – Portugal Trophy
TP52 Series
1. Quantum Racing (USA), 1-1-4, 6 punti
2. Artemis (SWE), 3-4-2, 9 punti
3. Bigamist (POR), 5-5-1, 11 punti
4. Bribón (ESP), 6-2-3, 11 punti
5. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 2-3-6, 11 punti
seguono 5 scafi
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