RC44 Championship Tour, Barker incontenibile

Malcesine RC44 Cup – Malcesine – Primo giorno di regate valide ai fini della Malcesine RC44 Cup e subito Dean Barker balza sugli scudi, mettendo in cascina 3 vittorie su altrettanti match disputati.

Il timoniere di Artemis, quindi, ha preso la testa dell’evento di match race, nell’ambito del quale è seguito da un nutrito stuolo di avversari, tutti attestati a quota 2. Tra questi figuranom Ray Davies (No Way Back), Camerin Appleton (Team Aqua) e Sebastien Col (Team Ceeref). Solo un punto in 3 regate per BMW Oracle Racing, attestato in settima posizione alla pari con Team Sea Dubai.

Domani l’appuntamento è fissato per le 8.30, quando si cercherà di sfruttare il Peler, famoso vento che sul Benaco soffia la mattina presto da nord verso sud.

Match-race, provisional results after 4 flights:
1. Artemis, Dean Barker, 3/0, 3 points
2. No Way Back, Ray Davies, 2/1, 2 points
2. Team Aqua, Cameron Appleton 2/1, 2 points
2. Team Organika, Karol Jablonski 2/1, 2 points
2. Ceeref, Sébastien Col, 2/1, 2 points
2. Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Maria Ponce, 2/2, 2 points
7. Team Sea Dubai, Markus Wieser, 1/2, 1 point
7. BMW Oracle Racing, Larry Ellison, 1/3, 1 point
9. Team Jelik, Frank Pong, 0-2, 0 point
9. Team Austria, Christian Binder, 0-3, 0 point

[flashvideo filename=video/rc44/RC44_Malcesine09_day1.flv /]
Video courtesy RC44.

MALCESINE RC44 CUP, SUPER DEAN BARKER
[RC44 Championship Tour Press Release] Can anyone stop Dean Barker in Malcesine? The kiwi sailor is unbeaten after three matches sailed against Sébastien Col, Karol Jablonski and Larry Ellison. Four flights got completed today and eight more remain to be sailed tomorrow; needless to say that there’s still a long way to go.

The Series got underway just after lunch, once the Ora (the local thermal breeze) had established itself with enough stability to allow fair matches. There was no time for warming up, or observing the opposition. Dean Barker and Artemis’s first race was scheduled against Sébastien Col’s Ceeref: a strong match. Col was just back from the Grade one match race event in Marstrand, and obviously didn’t lack practice! But nor did Artemis. The team had a good pre-race briefing with their coach Rod Davis and they arrived on the course fully prepared for what was to come. Barker dominated the pre-start, took the best start, controlled the race and won a first point, soon followed by two more.

Sébastien Col got his revenge in the next match, against the tandem Ellison-Coutts. BMW Oracle Racing wasn’t at its best today, winning a single match against Team Austria but loosing two other important points against Artemis and Organika. This last match, sailed in the fourth flight of the day, took place in a dying and very shifty breeze. Organika managed to take the best start but lost the lead at the windward mark before regaining it during the second beat.

Many other great matches took place today, including a fantastic dual between Team Puerto Calero Islas Canarias and Team Aqua. The two teams remained very close throughout the race, and crossed the arrival line separated by one second!

It was also a very special day for Frank Pong and his team on board Jelik, who were sailing for the first time in the RC 44 Championship Tour. There is obviously a lot of work to do for this new team; tomorrow will provide a good opportunity with no less than eight flights on the menu. The racing will start at 8.30 AM, hopefully with the same strong northerly breeze as in the past days.

Match-race, provisional results after 4 flights:
1. Artemis, Dean Barker, 3/0, 3 points
2. No Way Back, Ray Davies, 2/1, 2 points
2. Team Aqua, Cameron Appleton 2/1, 2 points
2. Team Organika, Karol Jablonski 2/1, 2 points
2. Ceeref, Sébastien Col, 2/1, 2 points
2. Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Maria Ponce, 2/2, 2 points
7. Team Sea Dubai, Markus Wieser, 1/2, 1 point
7. BMW Oracle Racing, Larry Ellison, 1/3, 1 point
9. Team Jelik, Frank Pong, 0-2, 0 point
9. Team Austria, Christian Binder, 0-3, 0 point

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