Congressional Cup, Bruni comanda, Ferrarese si distingue
EnglishMatch RaceVela 24 Marzo 2011 Zerogradinord 0
Long Beach – Battuto solo da Ian Williams nel settimo degli undici voli sin qui disputati, Francesco Bruni ha chiuso da leader solitario la seconda giornata della Congressional Cup, dimostrando così di avere nei geni quello che è considerato uno degli eventi di match race più prestigiosi del calendario internazionale (montepremi complessivo da 40.000 Dollari, 10.000 dei quali riservati al primo classificato). Ricordiamo infatti che, oltre ad essere campione uscente, il timoniere palermitano aveva raggiunto la finale della manifestazione organizzata dal Long Bach Yacht Club già nel 2009, anno in cui ad aggiudicarsi il blazer rosso, singolare emblema della vittoria, è stato Johnie Berntsson.
Forte dei suoi dieci punti, Bruni anticipa Mathieu Richard, che di punti ne ha nove, e Ian Williams, fermo a quota otto anche in virtù della penalità rimediata nel corso del match contro Taylor Canfield, quando, durante le fasi di pre-partenza, la drizza dello spi del suo Catalina 37 ha toccato una delle bandiere issate a bordo della Barca Comitato.
Soddisfazioni azzurre anche in quarta posizione, dove si incontra un sorridente Simone Ferrarese, sin qui protagonista di una partecipazione di sostanza. Dopo i due successi di martedi, il recente vincitore della Ficker Cup ha messo in cascina altri tre punti grazie ai successi ottenuti contro Williams, Berntsson e Perry, con il quale condivide il gradino della classifica provvisoria.
Altro grande protagonista del mercoledi californiano è stato Taylor Canfield, che, muovendo dall’ultimo posto del matedi, ha messo la freccia ed ha eguagliato lo score di giornata di Francesco Bruni: quattro vittorie – contro Perry, Ferrarese, Williams e Berntsson – e una sola sconfitta. Risultati che hanno proiettato il rappresentante delle Isole Vergini Britanniche, debuttante nella manifestazione, in zona di media classifica, dove si lotta per accedere alle semifinali.
Le regate valide per il secondo Round Robin riprenderanno nella tarda mattinata californiana – il tardo pomeriggio europeo – e potranno essere seguite in diretta streaming tramite la home page di Zerogradinord.it.
Congressional Cup, day 2
1. Francesco Bruni, 10-1
2. Mathieu Richard, 9-2
3. Ian Williams, 8-3
4. Simone Ferrarese, 5-5
5. Dave Perry, 5-5
…
Per consultare i risultati clicca qui.
CONGRESSIONAL CUP, BRUNI LEADS BUT CANFIELD STEALS THE CON CUP SHOW
[Source Congressional Cup] Anyone who felt sorry for young Taylor Canfield after his winless opening day in the 47th Congressional Cup should get their sympathy refunded.
The 23-year-old match racing waif from the U.S. Virgin Islands followed his 0-7 West Coast debut with a 4-1 record Wednesday that was better than anyone else could manage, except overall leader and defending champion Francesco Bruni of Italy, who stands alone at 10-1 as the competition advances into the second round robin leading to the weekend’s sailoffs.
“I think our whole team was more comfortable in the boat,” said Canfield, who is not only new to the boats but the territory. It’s our first time on the [Catalina 37s] and our first time out here.”
Canfield opened with a stunning one-second photo finish against the veteran Dave Perry and followed with wins over Ficker Cup winner Simone Ferrarese of Italy, his only loss against Finland’s Staffan Lindberg and then wins against —whoa!— Great Britain’s Ian Williams and Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson.
OK, he beat Williams while he was carrying a foul for letting his spinnaker halyard catch the starting flag on the race committee boat. But as the race proceeded, Williams missed one of the many mark change signals on a shifty afternoon and sailed to the wrong windward mark.
Williams said, “We had to do two jibes coming into the [leeward] mark and everybody was busy.”
Then Canfield beat Berntsson when he responded to go with a 50-degree wind shift before his opponent did.
Certainly, Canfield’s day was brighter than the weather that deteriorated from bright sun and light, shifty wind to overcast, a light drizzle and even lighter wind, none of which diminished the show.
Bruni (10-1) broke away from a three-way tie at the top as Williams and France’s Mathieu Richard—each 3-2 for the day—remained on his heels at 9-2.
In fact, they are the only three with winning records, raising speculation on who will sail the fourth boat into the semifinals. At the moment it’s wide open.
The most spectacular finish was Staffan Lindberg’s victory over Neugodnikov. They were side by side as the Finn, on the inside, carried the Russian past the outside end of the line to gain leverage for a quick left turn back up to the line that his foe could only follow.
What Lindberg didn’t realize was that as he wheeled the boat around to go back up to finish, his tactician, Nils Bjerkas, had slipped overboard as he went forward to help douse the spinnaker. He managed to hang on and re-board before the finish.
“It came as a surprise to me to learn later that we had a guy in the water,” said Lindberg, who is in a four-way tie for fifth place at 4-7, a step behind Dave Perry at 5-6.
Lindberg’s other good news was that he was tagged for only one of the 19 penalties.
“What did we have [Tuesday]?” he said. “Ten? Eleven? I hope we can keep this momentum going.”
Racing continues Thursday off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier in east Long Beach, well inside the breakwater of the outer Long Beach Harbor. There is public parking at the base of the pier and free shuttles out to the end, where there is expert commentary, limited seating, a snack bar, restaurant and comfort stations.
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