Quantum takes further lead in Cagliari
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Ian Roman/AUDI MEDCUP
Full power as Matador foils the Mistral in the Audi MedCup series off Cagliari yesterday
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A mistral blowing from the north-west sent the TP52 fleet, TP stand for Trans-Pacific, scurrying for cover on the less than oceanic Bay of Cagliari yesterday, reducing the tally of races in the Audi Medcup grand prix to just one and increasing the lead held by the American yacht Quantum to four points.
Stuart Alexander takes in Sardinia in our sailing podcast
Skipper Terry Hutchinson has clawed his way to the top over Peter de Ridder's Dutch team on Mean Machine, clearly the best prepared of the 16 which contested the opening regatta in Alicante, by tackling some vulnerability in light winds and benefitting from better breezes in Marseille.
The last day today should see more benign conditions, perhaps too benign after the Mistral blows itself out overnight. So the likelihood is there will be a maximum of two races. If Hutchinson can hang on he would then be the overall leader at the halfway stage of the six-regatta series, which returns to Spain later this month and ends in Portugal in September.
"It was a bit on the edge when you are racing right next to someone. It was challenging, that's for certain," said Paul Cayard, skipper of the Spanish America's Cup team boat, El Desafio. His tactician, British-born Kiwi John Cutler, added: "I saw 30 knots of wind speed and 20 knots of boat sped. We don't carry sails for much more than 20 knots of wind, which is usual in the Mediterranean."
The Swedish boat Artemis, with a strong contingent from America's Cup challenger BMW Oracle onboard, was the clear winner from a revitalised Matador following crash damage in Marseille, navigated by Steve Hayles, was second.
In the mid-Solent, lie was much calmer, for the spectators at least, as the 45 boats in the Rolex Commodores' Cup completed a 12-mile race in 12 to 14-knot south-easterlies which left the Great Britain Red team with an expended lead. They have a 10-point cushion over the defending French Blue team and another seven and a half over third-placed Ireland Green.
A 50-mile clockwise round the Isle of Wight course is scheduled for today with a final short inshore race, but scoring double points, tomorrow.
