RC44 Championship Tour – Copenhagen – Al debutto nelle acque del nord Europa, la classe RC44 ha benificiato di condizioni meteo strepitose ed ha chiuso la prima giornata di regate con un totale di sette voli validi, disputati con una brazza variabile tra gli 8 e i 18 nodi.
A mettersi in mostra in questa prima giornata è stato Team Aqua, capace di fare rientro in porto da imbattuto dopo sei regate. Cameron Appleton, lo skipper dello scafo di Chris Bake, ha salutato la mattinata battendo James Spithill, finito OCS a bordo di 17. Team Ceeref, guidato da Rod Davis, ha fatto quasi lo stesso, vincendo quattro dei cinque match disputati.
Dietro la coppia di testa sono diversi gli scafi a pari punti: Team Sea Dubai, No Way Back, Artemis, BMW Oracle Racing e 17.
Quando il vento è aumentato si sono visti alcuni numeri degni di nota: il duello tra Ceeref e Team Sea Dubai ha impegnato gli equipaggi in una lotta corpo a corpo, mentre Katusha, nel match contro BMW Oracle Racing, ha travolto e affondato la boa di arrivo.
Le regate valide per l’evento di match race riprenderanno domani: il vento non dovrebbe essere un problema, visto che si combatte in un paese che trae il venti per cento dell’energia elettrica necessaria dai generatori eolici.
RC44 Copenhagen Cup
1. Team Aqua, 6-0, pt. 6
2. Ceeref, 4-1, pt. 4
3. Team Sea Dubai, 3-2, pt. 3
3. Team No Way Back, 3-2, pt. 3
3. Artemis, 3-3, pt. 3
…
Video courtesy RC44 Championship Tour.
RC44 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR, TEAM AQUA UNBEATEN ON DAY ONE
[RC44 Championship Tour Press Release] Sailing for the first time in Northern Europe, the RC 44 Class benefited from great sailing conditions today. Seven match race flights got completed in winds ranging from 8 to 18 knots.
The winner of the day is Team Aqua, unbeaten after six matches and sailing very consistently throughout the day. Cameron Appleton’s day started with a tough match against the America’s Cup winner James Spithill, sailing on a boat called 17. There was no such thing as an observation round: the pre-start was very intense, and led to a premature start by Spithill that allowed Team Aqua to win a fairly easy point. The team from the UAE then aligned the victories with great confidence, finishing the day unbeaten and without being seriously threatened.
The Slovenian team Ceeref, with Rod Davis at the helm, also had a smooth ride, winning its first four matches of the day and only loosing to James Spithill’s 17 in the last flight of the day. Five teams are on a tie in third: Team Sea Dubai, No Way Back, Artemis, BMW Oracle Racing and 17.
The weather was fine all day, with the wind blowing up to 18 knots in the middle of the afternoon. Some great matches took place, including a spectacular dual between Ceeref and Team Sea Dubai (with Danish skipper Jes Gram Hansen at the helm), separated at most by one boat length during the entire regatta. Other hot moments included Katusha smashing and sinking the arrival mark, BMW Oracle Racing getting stuck in the windward mark, Terry Hutchinson testing his vocals against the referees and several teams going (herring?) fishing with their spinnakers…
The weather forecast for the coming days is variable, with some rain forecast tomorrow and a slight improvement in the coming days. As for the wind, it is usually not an issue here. Not surprising in a country that produces 20% of its energy through windmills!
RC44 Copenhagen Cup
1. Team Aqua, 6-0, pt. 6
2. Ceeref, 4-1, pt. 4
3. Team Sea Dubai, 3-2, pt. 3
3. Team No Way Back, 3-2, pt. 3
3. Artemis, 3-3, pt. 3
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