RC44 Championship Tour, Team Aqua al comando con BMW Oracle Racing
RC44Vela 26 Aprile 2009 Zerogradinord 0
RC44 Championship Tour – Cagliari – Condizioni meteo ancora una volta molto difficili a Cagliari, dove al vento debole e instabile, che ha risentito non poco della particolare morfologia della costa, si è aggiunta una fastidiosa onda. Una situazione gradita a Team Aqua che mettendo a segno i migliori parziali ha raggiunto BMW Oracle Racing al comando delle classifica. Dopo quattro regate, gli RC44 di Larry Ellison e Chris Bake sono infatti appaiati con 9 punti.
A seguire la coppia di testa è Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, terzo a 5 punti dalla vetta. Un distacco tutto sommato contenuto, che permetterà a José Juan Calero di giocarsi le sue chance di rimonta nella giornata di oggi, l’ultima della Cagliari RC44 Cup. L’equipaggio delle Isole Canarie si dovrà guardare dall’attacco di Team Ceeref. Lo scafo di Igor Lah, infatti, è quarto a un solo punto dal terzo gradino del podio e promette battaglia a tutto campo.
Oggi sono in programma le ultime manche e la costiera valida per l’assegnazione del DHL Trophy.
Cagliari RC44 Cup, fleet race, second day
1 – BMW Oracle Racing, Larry Ellison, 3-1-4-1 – 9 points
2 – Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 1-4-1-3 – 9 points
3 – Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Juan Calero, 2-3-5-4 – 14 points
4 – Team Ceeref, Igor Lah, 4-2-7-2 – 15 points
5 – Team Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, 5-5-2-7 – 19 points
6 – Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 7-6-3-5 – 21 points
7 – No Way Back, Pieter Heerema, 6-9-6-8 – 29 points
8- Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 9-7-9-6 – 31 points
9 – Team Austria, René Mangold, 7-8-8-9 – 32 points
TEAM AQUA JOINS BMW ORACLE RACING ON TOP OF THE CAGLIARI RC44 CUP
[RC44 Press Release] The conditions were once again very difficult in Cagliari today, with a light and unstable breeze coupled with a strong chop. Team Aqua – who was second after day one – scored the best results with a first and a third, rejoining BMW Oracle Racing on top of the provisional leader board. The juniors from Yacht Club Cagliari, who were the guest stars on board the RC44’s, had a privileged view on what it feels like to sail a forty four footer in chop and light wind: tough for the nerves, very technical and unforgiving.
The first race of the day took place on the Eastern side of the gulf of Salinas and off the famous Sella del Diavolo, an impressive rock that looks – according to the locals – like the Devil’s saddle. The conditions were indeed diabolical for the helmsmen, sail trimmers and for the chief Race Officer Peter Reggio.
Chris Bake and his Team Aqua took a perfect start at the pin end of the line and carried on to the left of the course, tacking towards the windward mark in a controlling position. Artemis and Team Sea Dubai fought for the second place throughout the race. Showing great nerves against the “rock stars”, Sea Dubai‘s Yousef Lahej managed to overtake Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis during the last downwind leg, grabbing a stunning second place. The RC 44’s remained very close throughout the race, swapping positions at every mark rounding. Despite an excellent start, Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back lost ground to finish sixth. The last four boats crossed the arrival line within ten seconds.
The breeze then died and the teams had to wait two hours until the next start, after motoring back to the usual racing area off Cagliari. BMW Oracle Racing chose the pin end of the line and sailed towards Cagliari’s impressive cliffs range, benefiting from a nice right shift and good pressure to take the lead ahead of Puerto Calero Islas Canarias and Aqua. Despite promising signs that led some of the teams to choose a smaller jib, the wind started to drop once again. It then suddenly shifted massively to the right during the last leg, increasing to 12-15 knots and making it difficult for some of the teams to cross the line under their asymmetrical spinnakers without broaching. Luckily the shift didn’t have any effect on the ranking. BMW Oracle Racing won the race ahead of Ceeref, Team Aqua and Puerto Calero. The Race Committee then bravely tried to launch a third regatta, moving the course again and again before announcing the inevitable return to the harbour.
Tomorrow’s races will start one hour earlier than today. The plan is to sail two normal courses and the coastal race DHL Trophy. According to PredictWind, the conditions should be better than today. However all weather models have had difficulties to predict the local breezes.
Cagliari RC44 Cup, fleet race, second day
1 – BMW Oracle Racing, Larry Ellison, 3-1-4-1 – 9 points
2 – Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 1-4-1-3 – 9 points
3 – Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Juan Calero, 2-3-5-4 – 14 points
4 – Team Ceeref, Igor Lah, 4-2-7-2 – 15 points
5 – Team Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, 5-5-2-7 – 19 points
6 – Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 7-6-3-5 – 21 points
7 – No Way Back, Pieter Heerema, 6-9-6-8 – 29 points
8- Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 9-7-9-6 – 31 points
9 – Team Austria, René Mangold, 7-8-8-9 – 32 points
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