TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari

Today was the coastal race which was basically two longer windward leeward courses tied together, with about eight miles of reaching each way.

The wind was more left in direction today and lighter. We started in 8.5 knots of wind. No one used the mast head genoas on the first windward leg although we were right on the cross over with the light jib.

We had a decent start and stayed on starboard for quite a long way. To leeward of us were, Mutua Madrilena, Bribon, Quantum, Mean Machine, Audi Q8 and Caixia Galicia.

We had no problem to hold our spot and Audi Q8 and Caixa tacked fairly soon after the start. Clearly, Mutua and Bribon wanted to go left. Most of the rest of the fleet tacked onto port as the right has been dominant., Platoon came out of the right 5 minutes after the start and crossed everyone who was on port by 1 minute. Seeing that, they tacked back for more on the right also.

Anyway, as we went up the windward leg, Mutua and Bribon starting making good gains on the left and Artemus who was behind us realized this first. They led our group over there and passed us and Mean Machine with that move. In the end, it was all about the left and that was about it for the day.

Down the run you had to go all the way to the right corner, then reach for eight miles, nothing changed, then up the second windward leg of five miles you had to go all the way to the left and one tack it. Anything ventured out the right was lost. Then down the last run you had to go all the way back to the same corner you had just come from and then eight miles of reaching to the finish.

That was about it. A delivery really after the first windward leg.

We did not do a brilliant job and finished 7th. Mutua Madrilena won, Bribon was second and Caixa was third. We actually moved up a place in the standings to 6th, but the bad news is that we lost contact with third place in the regatta which was Bribon and all the boats just in front of us in the standings. This race was a double counter, one finish at the second windward mark and one score at the finish. Nothing changed in between so it was a double counter based on the first windward mark which was about 40 minutes into the 4 hour tour. Quantum and Mean Machine had a bit of an off day (for them) finishing 5th and 6th.

There are four races left, so we can still come back but we have to sail better than we have been.

Tomorrow might be a better day for some of us, as it is the 4th of July. I am looking to anything for help at this point.

For complete results go to www.medcup.org