Audi MedCup, Cristabella che sorpresa
Audi MedCupGP 42Level ClassTP52Vela 12 Maggio 2010 Zerogradinord 0
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Audi MedCup – Cascais – Il campo di regata di Cascais non si smentisce, e nella prima giornata di regate valide per la classifica del Trofeo del Portogallo Cascais, primo evento del Circuito Audi MedCup 2010, regala una meteo caratterizzata da molti salti di vento di difficile interpretazione. Dai 9 ai 15 nodi l’intensità dell’aria registrata oggi, con direzioni fra i 290 e i 300°.
Tanto, quindi, il lavoro per i tattici degli undici team. A spuntarla, dopo le tre regate di oggi, è John Cuttler, a bordo di Cristabella, che contribuisce nel portare il proprio team alla conquista di un secondo, un ottavo e un terzo posto. Tre posizioni che dopo un giorno di regate valgono, con 13 punti, la prima posizione in classifica nel Trofeo del Portogallo Cascais. Ma per il team inglese le prestazioni di oggi sono anche la conferma dei segnali positivi arrivati dopo la vittoria nella practice race di ieri.
Seconda posizione in classifica, con 14 punti, per Quantum Racing. Il team di Terry Hutchinson conquista la vittoria in gara 1, portando a casa un quinto e un ottavo posto nelle regate successive. Terza piazza al Trofeo del Portogallo Cascais, invece, per Matador, anch’egli a 14 punti. Per il team di Francesco Bruni, un settimo, un secondo e un quinto posto. Alti e bassi invece per la barca italiana, Luna Rossa, che apre la giornata con due ottime regate (quinto e terzo posto), ma perde qualche posizione in classifica generale a causa del nono posto in gara 3. Il team è ora settimo a 17 punti.
Ma la vera sorpresa della giornata arriva però, in negativo, dai campioni in carica di Emirates Team New Zealand: il team neozelandese non va oltre a un sesto posto in gara 1, terminando la seconda prova addirittura in ultima posizione. Un chiaro segnale di come quest’anno non sarà semplice proprio per nessuno. Il riscatto dei Kiwi arriva però in gara 3, con una vittoria che li porta, con 18 punti, all’ottavo posto.
Domani, in programma tre gare per entambe le Series. La diretta dell’Audi MedCup TV, che ha esordito oggi con successo, comincerà dalle ore 12:50 locali (le 13:50 in Italia), con le regate visibili dal vivo sul sito www.medcup.org e su Zerogradinord.it.
GP42 Series: practice a Peninsula Petroleum
Le barche della GP42 Series hanno disputato oggi la practice race, con Peninsula Petroleum che è andato a vincere davanti a Madrid Caser Seguros con Paolo Cian al timone, staccato di 21 secondi, e Iberdrola, lontano 24 secondi dai primi arrivati. Quarta posizione per l’italiana Airisessential. Puerto Calero, dopo qualche contrattempo nel trasferimento dalle Canarie al Portogallo, ha deciso di non partecipare alla practice race.
Audi MedCup, TP52
1. Cristabella, 2-8-3, pt. 13
2. Quantum Racing, 1-5-8, pt. 14
3. Matador, 7-2-5, pt. 14
4. Synergy, 8-1-6, pt. 15
5. Team Origin, 4-9-2, pt. 15
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AUDI MEDCUP, FIRST BLOOD TO CRISTABELLA
[Audi MedCup Press Release] Cristabella, the British flagged TP52 shrugged off any sailing superstitions that it may be unlucky to win a regatta’s practice race when they emerged from a challenging first day of the new 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit season with a very slender lead of just one point over 2008 champions Quantum Racing.
Cristabella, owned by John Cook, skippered by John Cutler and steered by Tim Powell scored a second, eighth and a third from the three races on the bay of Cascais which were contested in moderate wind conditions which were never easy or consistent.
Underlining the strength and depth of the fleet this season, the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit TP52 Series champions Emirates Team New Zealand could only muster a modest start to their defence, posting a sixth and an 11th before regaining their winning ways, victorious in Race 3 by 49 seconds over Britain’s debutants Team Origin.
After the first day of racing of the new it is an easy conclusion to draw that the three teams which are new to the Audi MedCup Circuit, Luna Rossa, Team Origin and Audi A1 Powered by All4One, have significantly increased the overall standard, even considering that some have had very little sailing time with their boats. Consistency across the three races was difficult and often teams which were among the vanguard of one race would find themselves slugging it out in the lower reaches of the fleet, unable to gain places.
Emirates Team New Zealand, for whom consistently excellent starting was one of the building blocks of their Circuit title last year, made two consecutive sub-standard starts and were unable to fight back through into the top half of the fleet. When they did conspire to get off the start line in better shape, it was a familiar sight as they extended to take their first win of the season in Race 3.
Cristabella’s laconic part Kiwi tactician John Cutler confirmed today that they were happy to take Tuesday’s winning gun for the practice race as much simply because “last year we could scarcely get out of our own way, so anything at all seemed worth taking.” Their 2009 season finished inauspiciously when they damaged their rig in the penultimate race of the season, but with a new keel, rudder, rig, sails, and changes to the crew line up, early indications suggest that the British boat could be contenders this season.
Quantum Racing won the first race of the season, just passing Cristabella on the second downwind leg. Karol Jablonski then steered the Russian boat Synergy to win the second race of the day, getting the better of Matador who took third.
GP42 Series official training race for Peninsula Petroleum
Being at his first-ever Audi MedCup regatta, it could be argued that owner/driver John Bassadone had a stroke of Beginner’s Luck in winning today’s Practice Race in the GP42 Series. After all, this was his first race appearance in his newly-renovated boat Peninsula Petroleum (ex-Madrid), even though his team had competed a few weeks ago at the Palma Vela event without him.
But they had a strong start in the 12-14 knot conditions to allow them an early lead in the race, only to get reined in by another owner-driver, Roberto Monti on Airisessential, who rounded the last top mark in the lead to the finish. But this lead too was not safe, as World Tour match race veteran Paolo Cian steering Madrid – Caser Seguros just metres astern, drove Monti and team into the corner whilst the remainder of the class gybed away back towards the favored side.
The move cost Monti the race, but he didn’t seem concerned. “This is the start of a long series, we’ll have plenty of chances to get back at Paolo,“ he said with a smile.
Reigning GP42 Series MedCup champion Puerto Calero sat at the dock today as team members arrived on site and their final preparations were being made. Skipper Jose Maria Ponce and his young team from Islas Canarias were planning a late day sail to shake out the cobwebs, but he seemed pretty relaxed.
Tomorrow sees the first races of the season for the GP42 Series.
Audi MedCup TV live broadcasts from 1250hrs local time with all of live action images from the race course, complemented by comments and interviews throughout racing on www.medcup.org
Audi MedCup, TP52
1. Cristabella, 2-8-3, pt. 13
2. Quantum Racing, 1-5-8, pt. 14
3. Matador, 7-2-5, pt. 14
4. Synergy, 8-1-6, pt. 15
5. Team Origin, 4-9-2, pt. 15
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