Audi MedCup, i kiwi e la tripletta
Audi MedCupGP 42Level ClassTP52Vela 21 Luglio 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=3450 w=300 h=204 float=left]Audi MedCup – Cagliari – Tre vittorie nelle tre gare odierne per i neozelandesi, davvero perfetti sotto ogni aspetto. Bene anche Matador, Artemis e Synergy . Nella GP42 Series, per scaramanzia Airis lascia la vittoria a Turismo Madrid.
Splendido esordio al Trofeo Regione Autonoma della Sardegna per Emirates Team New Zealand, che nelle prime tre regate della tappa italiana, conquista altrettante vittorie. In una giornata caratterizzata da una termica da sud capace di soffiare fino a 16 nodi per tutto il pomeriggio, impossibile per chiunque, dunque, stare dietro ai Kiwi. Unici a provarci, Artemis e Synergy.
Alla fine della prima giornata, Emirates Team New Zealand si porta quindi subito al comando della classifica, con solo 3 punti. Secondo posto per Matador, con 10 punti, davanti ad Artemis, fermo a 11.
Nella GP42 Series, Practice Race dominata da Airis, con Vasco Vascotto alla tattica, che però per scaramanzia (la stessa che ieri aveva contagiato Matador e Bigamist 7) decide di non oltrepassare il traguardo, lasciando la vittoria a Turismo Madrid, davanti a Islas Canarias Puerto Calero e a Caser Endesa. Flotta comunque molto compatta, con quattro barche in otto secondi.
Gara 1
Sole e vento sulla Baia degli Angeli di Cagliari, con aria attorno ai 10-12 nodi e boa di bolina posizionata a 170°.
Emirates Team New Zealand parte subito forte e apre il proprio Trofeo Regione Autonoma della Sardegna con l’ennesima vittoria del Circuito Audi MedCup 2009. Splendida prova per i neozelandesi, che si portano in testa alla regata fin dall’inizio e chiudono con una decina di secondi di vantaggio su Artemis, con la barca svedese che paga una partenza non esaltante.
Terzo posto per Matador davanti ai russi di Synergy e a Bribon. Settimo posto per Audi TP52 Powered by Q8.
Gara 2
Vento che gira leggermente a Sud (175°) e aumenta d’intensità, salendo attorno ai 14 nodi. Seconda regata del Trofeo, e seconda vittoria per Emirates Team New Zealand, che anche qui a Cagliari si conferma la barca da battere. Secondo posto per Artemis, galvanizzato dalla presenza a bordo di Paul Cayard, che chiude con pochi secondi di vantaggio davanti a Matador.
Prime tre posizioni identiche, dunque, nelle prime due regate del Trofeo Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, con Artemis e Matador che si propongono come gli avversari più temibili per i Kiwi.
Quarto posto in gara 2 invece per Quantum Racing, davanti a Bigamist e Bribon. Nono Audi TP52 Powered by Q8.
Gara 3
Davvero emozionante gara 3, con vento salito a inizio regata a 16 nodi e girato nuovamente a 170°. Ennesima splendida regata per i neozelandesi, che con una vittoria al fotofinish portano a termine una splendida tripletta nella prima giornata del Trofeo Regione Autonoma della Sardegna.
Tutto si decide nell’ultima poppa, quando Dean Barker si avvicina minaccioso a Synergy, mette pressione ai russi inducendoli a sbagliare qualche manovra, e li sorpassa sul finale andando a vincere con pochi metri di vantaggio sui russi. Terzo posto per Bribon, davanti a Matador, Cristabella e Audi TP52 Powered by Q8. Buona prova per Simoneschi & Co, capace di stare nella prima metà del gruppo fino alla fine.
Terminate le regate è stato poi il momento, a Cagliari, degli eventi organizzati nel Villaggio Audi MedCup. Tanta attesa per il concerto di stasera dei Fuori dal Gruppo. Domani, per le interviste dopo il rientro delle barche, Gabriele Cutini Costa sarà in compagnia dei velisti Ivaldi, Bressan e Ponce, mentre lo studio live si arricchirà della presenza di Francesco de Angelis.
Region of Sardinia Trophy
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1, pt. 3
2. Matador (ARG), 3-3-4, pt. 10
3. Artemis (SWE), 2-2-7, pt. 11
4. Synergy (RUS), 4-8-2, pt. 14
5. Bribón (ESP), 5-6-3, pt. 14
[flashvideo filename=video/medcup/MedCup09_CA_day1.flv /]
Video copyright Audi MedCup.
PURE NEW ZEALAND IN SARDINIA
[Audi MedCup Press Release] Emirates Team New Zealand won all three races on the first day of the Region of Sardinia Trophy for the TP52 Series.
Three wins from three starts allowed Dean Barker (NZL) and the crew of Emirates TeamNew Zealand to not only take a comfortable overall lead after the first day’s racing at the Region of Sardinia Trophy, the third event of the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit, but also today to more than double their overall lead on the season long Circuit.
In the GP42 Series’ practice race, superstition again prevailed as the Italian entry Airis, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics, passed outside the finish line leaving four boats to finish behind them within eight seconds. Turismo Madrid took the first gun.
Consistently strong starting by the Kiwi team was the passport to their hat-trick of winning guns. It was only in the third windward-leeward contest that they had to overcome another boat, the Russian Synergy, to keep their perfect score-line intact.
Competition in the TP52 fleet was always close due to the very steady sea-breeze conditions with only tiny speed differentials between the first and tenth TP52’s. After the first start skipper-helm Dean Barker and the New Zealand crew were able to ease away from current Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing upwind in the 13 knots of breeze, and lead around the first windward mark to win, ahead of Artemis and Matador.
The second race saw a repeat performance from the New Zealand afterguard and again they won gun-to-gun as Artemis and Matador took second and third respectively, but on the third they only managed to roll the Russians on the closing stages of the final run, while José Cusi’s Spanish boat Bríbon finished
Race 1
Racing in 12-14 knots of perfect sea breeze and flat water helm Dean Barker executed a text book start to keep their nearest rivals, the defending Audi MedCup Champions Quantum Racing in check from early in the first beat. Whilst the current Audi MedCup Circuit leaders were able to clear the first windward mark with a comfortable early lead over the team which had gone furthest to the right upwind, Russia’s Synergy. Quantum Racing rounded tenth. From there Emirates Team New Zealand were unchallenged to the finish, while Paul Cayard guided Torbjorn Tornqvist to a valuable second place on Artemis, with Matador taking third.
Race 2
Emirates Team New Zealand won the second race in much the same manner that they earned victory in Race 1 With a start which was close to perfection in terms of timing and speed build, the Kiwi team were quickly in control of the fleet on the first beat, again leading at every mark of the windward leeward course. Cayard and Hamish Pepper conspired to sail a strong, confident race on Artemis, profiting a little when Matador and Bribon tussled towards the top end of the second beat. Bribon were third all the way around the course but suffered when they went too far to the right on the final downwind, dropping to a sixth place finish.
Race 3
The third race was probably the most exciting. Synergy started well and were able to profit from an early position to the right. While they were then able to hold their lead around the windward mark Bribon were forced to tuck behind starboard tack Emirates Team New Zealand to round a close third. The leading duo were comfortably clear down the final run when Emirates Team New Zealand took the race to leaders Synergy who were not quite as slick gybing under pressure. But the Russian team fought back and were less than half a boat length behind at the finish line.
Region of Sardinia Trophy
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1, pt. 3
2. Matador (ARG), 3-3-4, pt. 10
3. Artemis (SWE), 2-2-7, pt. 11
4. Synergy (RUS), 4-8-2, pt. 14
5. Bribón (ESP), 5-6-3, pt. 14
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