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Si e’ rotto un’incantesimo

Lauro — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:56:47 +0000

Però era bello…

World Sailing Management (WSM), organizers of the MedCup sailing circuit, the official international competition of the TP52 and Soto 40 classes, regrets to announce to all those involved and interested in this prestigious circuit, that it has decided to suspend the 2012 season.

This difficult business decision was taken for the following reasons, all of them related to the economic and financial crisis affecting the whole world and Europe in particular:

Serious uncertainty regarding the number of boats, mainly in the 52 Series (TP 52 class), willing to commit to compete in all of the events comprising the circuit with the risk of an insufficient number of competitors to ensure the competitive level reached by the circuit in previous seasons.
The lack of financial resources available to local authorities in their bid to become potential venues for the events of the circuit, which limited the ability to address their usual obligations and maintain the circuit’s level of quality.
Together with the abovementioned factors, a decrease in the support needed from AUDI AG, which has been the circuit’s title sponsor, has led WSM to terminate, early and peacefully, the sponsorship deal linking both companies.

In brief, WSM believes that it is more rational to suspend the Circuit than let it continue with falling standards.

Nevertheless, WSM will continue to work during 2012 in order to overcome these difficulties, confident that it will be able once again to provide the sailing world with the spectacle that the MedCup Circuit has always been.

Madrid, December 6, 2011

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Audi MedCup – Quantum e Iberdrola allungano in classifica

Bras de Bois — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 06:54:37 +0000

Con ben tre prove disputate, e tre diversi vincitori (Gladiator, Bribon e Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE), piccola rivoluzione oggi nella classifica del Trofeo di Marsiglia. L’unico team a non cedere, è il solito Quantum Racing (3,4,3), che con 24 punti riesce ad allungare il proprio vantaggio sul secondo classificato. Una seconda piazza, da oggi occupata con 27 punti da Container (2,3,2), il migliore di giornata con due secondi posti e un terzo. Il team tedesco, pur non avendo ancora vinto una prova dall’inizio del circuito, stupisce anche qui a Marsiglia per la sua grande costanza di risultati. E con solo 3 punti di distacco dagli americani, è uno dei possibili outsider per la vittoria di tappa.

Prima vittoria marsigliese per Bribon
Dietro a Container, mantiene il terzo posto con 29 punti Bribon (8,1,4) che ottiene anche la sua prima vittoria nel Trofeo di Marsiglia. Dietro agli spagnoli, quarto posto a 31 punti per RÁN, che dopo due belle prove chiuse al quarto e al secondo posto (ottenuto nonostante due penalità nell’ultima boa), in gara 3 si rende protagonista di un incidente con Gladiator: risultato, contatto fra la poppa di RÁN e il bompresso dei britannici, costretti al ritiro. Squalificato, invece, il team svedese. In serata, atrriva la notizia del redress a 5 punti concesso a Gladiator.

Continua la sfortuna di Azzurra
Quinta posizione, con 32 punti, per Synergy Russian Sailing Team (6,6,5), davanti a uno sfortunato Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (5,5,6): nell’ultimo bordo di gara 2, dopo essere stato in testa dall’inizio della regata, l’equipaggio italiano viene beffato da un buco di vento che lo scaraventa in quinta posizione. In classifica, sesta posizione, a 34 punti, per Bruni e Vascotto, lontani ora 10 lunghezze da Quantum Racing.

Finalmente Schumann
Chiudono la classifica, due dei vincitori delle regate odierne, Gladiator (a 35 punti dopo il redress), e Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE, con il team franco-tedesco del timoniere Jochen Schumann che riesce finalmente a conquistare la prima vittoria nel Circuito 2011.

Sempre Iberdrola fra i Soto 40
Nella 40 Series, continua il dominio di Iberdrola Team, con gli spagnoli che portano a casa oggi una vittoria e un secondo posto. Vittoria di giornata anche per Noticia IV. In classifica, con solo 7 punti comanda dunque Iberdrola, seguito a da XXII Marseille (12 punti) e Patagonia by Negra (12 punti). Chiudono la classifica Noticia IV (13 punti), e Ngoni (16 punti).

Domani la costiera
Domani, la 52 Series affronterà la propria regata costiera, mentre la 40 Series sarà impegnata in altre due regate a bastone. Le regate avranno inizio alle ore 13:00, con l’Audi MedCup TV che come sempre trasmetterà le immagini in diretta sul sito medcup.org.

La sintesi delle regate odierne
Regata 1: A Bribon una pazza regata
Regata 2: Finalmente Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE!

Risultati Trofeo di Marsiglia

52 Series
Dopo 7 prove

1. Quantum Racing (USA), 4+1+1+8+3+4+3= 24 punti
2. Container (GER), 7+3+4+6+2+3+2= 27 punti
3. Bribón (ESP), 3+2+6+5+8+1+4= 29 punti
4. RÁN (SUE), 5+5+2+4+4+2+9 (DSQ)= 31 punti
5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 2+4+7+2+6+6+5= 32 punti
6. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 1+7+3+7+5+5+6= 34 punti
7. Gladiator (GBR), 8+8+5+1+1+7+5 (RDG)=35 punti
8. Audi Sailing Team Powered by ALL4ONE (EUR), 6+6+8+3+7+8+1= 39 punti

40 Series
Dopo 4 prove

1. Iberdrola Team 3+1+1+2=7 punti
2. XXII-Marseille 1+3+5+3=12 punti
3. Patagonia by Negra 4+2+2+4=12 punti
4. Noticia IV 5+4+3+1= 13 punti
5. Ngoni 2+5+4+5=16 punti

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Audi MedCup – Cascais, we have lift off! Marseille approaches

Bras de Bois — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:04:18 +0000

Of the five Soto 40’s representing four different nations which competed in the testing series of eight windward-leeward races contested in winds which averaged over 20 knots, four different boats won races. The racing proved very tight, rewarding smooth and accomplished crew work in the strong breezes and there was no team with an obvious edge in boat speed.
“Looking back at Cascais perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the Soto 40’s debut was seeing four different boats winning races, and the boat which was second overall was a Portuguese crew who only saw a Soto 40 for the first time when they stepped on board a few days before racing started.”, comments Nacho Postigo, Audi MedCup Circuit Technical Director, who served as tactician on Patagonia. “For sure the top boats were simply the crews who sailed the best and put together the best regatta, and I have to say that as tactician we were sailing the oldest boat in this fleet, hull number 2, and we never at any stage did feel we were at any disadvantage. Iberdrola won because they sailed the best. But the truth is that any of us could have won more races if we had not made mistakes. I am sure that the one design concept immediately proves it works and it will be interesting to see what happens at the next regattas, where there should be a greater mix of wind strengths.”
“The other stand out feature that we have had feedback from all around the world about – people watching the live TV feed – is that the boats look fast and fun. We can certainly confirm that from on board. Downwind we were usually doing between 17 and 20 knots, and they were very controllable.”, says Postigo. “For Marseille we are looking at a mix of weather, we will hopefully see the Mistral again there, but it would be usual to see some sea breeze conditions as well in mid June. In Cascais we had a good number of potential owners out on the water, taking the guest spot during races and the feedback was tremendous. And we have plenty of owners and owners representatives lined up for future regattas.”, he adds.
Opportunities for potential owners
There are still opportunities for potential owners to test sail the Soto 40 at Audi MedCup Circuit regattas. In terms of costs Nacho Postigo can provide a detailed budget breakdown for the fixed and running costs for a potential Audi MedCup Circuit campaign, ranging from running a used boat with an entirely amateur crew through to an almost fully professional programme. It should be noted at this stage that none of the current teams consist of all paid professionals.
A guide price for a new boat delivered to Valencia is currently (depending on instruments) around 339.000€ + VAT. The current resale value of a three year old boat is around 235.000 €. The sail programme is strictly limited to one race set, one main, two genoas, two spinnakers. After the boat has done 30 races you can build two additional sails.
Five Soto 40’s are expected to compete in France at the Marseille Trophy.
Quotes:
Norberto Alvarez Vitale (ARG), Soto 40 Class president and owner-skipper of Patagonia (ARG): “The boats where flying as you probably all watched on Audi MedCup TV, downwind we were doing 16 to 22 knots non stop. The wind was 20 to 22 knots all the time over all five days. The media seemed to fall in love with the boat, and also the concept of the class. The sailors and guests on board also loved it especially when they got on to the downwind leg…For sure there is a lot of line to pull with an A2 or A4 kite, but adding a pedestal on this boat, would have added approximately 45.000 dollars by the time is installed with all things needed. That is something we did not want to do, since it would only scare people away at the time of buying a boat because of price. Tacking is definitely not a problem at 25 knot winds, since in Chile the fleet of 8 Sotos there do that all the time. Having said that, it does require good coordination by the crew. Upwind the boats were doing 7.8 knots solid, at a TWA of 34/35 degrees.”
Kevin Sproul (GBR), Tactician, Ngoni (GBR): “The boat is brilliant, just great and very full-on in Cascais. As first timers at an Audi MedCup Circuit it was fantastically well organized and clearly the circuit gets a big following and lots of PR. We were really pleased to win the race we did win and to be fair it was really the first time everything clicked the way it should. We got the start we wanted and went the way we needed to and were quick downwind. We knew it would be tough and so you get a lot of satisfaction from doing well when you do. One of the great things for the future of the class, for sure, is that it is not a class that owners can simply throw money at and expect to do well, everything is well limited and that has to be good for the future.”
Agustin Zulueta (ESP), project manager, Iberdrola (ESP): “We believe the Soto 40 is the perfect class for the Audi MedCup Circuit. We’ve sailed in strong winds and the boat performed without any problem, reaching a speed range difficult to get in a boat this size, 40 feet. It’s quite an easy boat to sail and since they are all the same the crew really has to work at its best to get the best performance. It’s easy to handle for the performance it can deliver; in the first race in Cascais we reached 22 knots speed! Boat owners thinking about joining the European fleet will really enjoy it, we really expect it to grow and become bigger than the fleet in South America.”
James Boyd (GBR), editor-publisher The Daily Sail, media guest on Ngoni in Cascais: “The Soto 40 performs like a sportsboat. Downwind in 20 knots, as I experienced on Ngoni, is a thrill, with green water occasionally coming over the bow. I suspect we weren’t that much slower than the TP 52’s.”

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Great movie by Quantum

Bras de Bois — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:15:17 +0000

Hanno ripreso ad andare forte ma l’altro anno ci avevano abituato a dei grandiosi video…..non si sono fatti aspettare!

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Pix of the week

Bras de Bois — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:56:34 +0000

Per vedere i bellissimi scatti di Carlo Borlenghi&Co digita qui

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Audi MedCup – Green Revolution in Cascais: Quantum Racing and Iberdrola Team win the Cascais Trophy

Bras de Bois — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:08:14 +0000

Both successful programmes roll forwards from a previous iteration. For Quantum Racing (USA), who won five races from nine starts, it is the first victory in the class for the America’s Cup winner Ed Baird (USA) and for a brand new Botin Partners designed boat which is a successor to their 2008 circuit winner, while for Iberdrola Team (ESP) who win the first ever Soto 40 regatta in Europe – their success takes up the reins from previous campaigns at America’s Cup, TP52 and GP42 circuits.

Quantum Racing came into the regatta well behind their desired schedule but were soon able to reveal excellent upwind speed in the brisk winds which prevailed through the nine races, a strong foundation on which to build success on the windward-leeward track which more often than not favoured one side of the courses and also in the high points value 38 miles coastal race in which they finished second.

Though they made several crew changes since last season, continuity at the back of the Quantum Racing line up was ensured with world championship winners Kevin Hall (USA), navigator, Ado Stead (GBR), tactician and mainsail trimmer Skip Baxter (NZL) able to give valuable support to Baird, whose confidence grew noticeably through the regatta.

They finished with two wins Sunday, again proving solid in the strong NW’ly winds.
In the first race of the day Quantum Racing were quickly able to dominate on the right side of the upwind getting around the WW1 mark with a tiny lead over Markus Wieser (GER) and the crew of Container (GER)

The German flagged crew made the better set and gained more wind pressure offshore, to the right side of the downwind but Quantum Racing were able to take the preferred inshore, right buoy which allowed them to get back to the right again and lead to the finish.

Second place for Container kept them in the hunt in their tussle for second with Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA) who were compromised by snaring a fishing buoy and line which slowed them on the first upwind, while Ràn (SWE) took third.

The final race of the regatta was something close to a repeat performance by Quantum Racing who, having clinched the regatta title, were able to start conservatively and use their upwind edge in the 19-24kts breeze to be able to earn that favoured berth again and lead from first mark to the finish. If they were under pressure from Audi Azzurra Sailing Team it evaporated when the Italian team were forced to leave their kite in the water when the take-down line tangled, leaving them with the spinnaker dragging alongside them.

From second Audi Azzurra Sailing Team dropped places but fought back to a spirited fourth. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, winners of the first race of the regatta and the season took a well earned second behind their sister-ship with which they shares an identical sail programme and a lot of performance intelligence.

While Audi Azzurra Sailing Team could not make their promising starts stick, so Container were able to finish their first Audi MedCup Circuit regatta with a fifth place, just enough to give second overall, by one point from Audi Azzurra Sailing Team.

Ed Baird, winning skipper helm said: “The guys have done a great job figuring out how to make this boat go and obviously it worked out pretty nicely. We have a lot to talk about now and find a way to sail faster, there are plenty of things to do before the next event. We don´t know how the boat is going to act in light weather conditions, we haven’t experienced them and we don´t know how the rest of the boats are going to sail in such conditions, we´ll have to learn how to handle the boat as quick as we can. When it´s windy like that you have to be in the hunt at the first top mark, you have to be going fast down there, the other boats showed over and over again that of you got tangled up with other boats downwind, someone is going to come down from behind. It´s important to find that lane Adrian and Kevin Hall did great guiding us in the racecourse, gave us great confidence and it worked out great”.

Consistency was the watchword in the Soto 40 fleet where the British boat Ngoni of Tony Buckingham scored their first win of the regatta when they comfortably lead Iberdrola across the finish line of the first race, while in the second – with the regatta win already secured it was Iberdrola which proved supreme in the strong winds and big downwind conditions.

“The truth is that we sailed great,” smiled Iberdrola’s skipper helm Jose Maria Torcida, “The conditions have been good and pretty similar every day, with lots of wind. We sailed well downwind , reaching peak speeds of 20-22 knots, which was absolutely sensational. The crew´s work has been outstanding, I think that it was due to the training that we did before the competition started.”
“The conditions have been perfect, it´s a perfect spot for sailing, no wonder so many great sailors have come out of here. It really is a spectacular place”.

Cascais has proven consistently windy, with the reliable NW’ly Portuguese trade winds regularly building to more than 20 kts, peaking at 22-24 kts for the second race today – to offer fabulous sailing conditions for both classes, once again enhancing its reputation as a premier venue in Europe.

Cascais Trophy
52 Series
Final results
1.Quantum Racing (USA), 3+3+5+1+1+1+3+1+1= 19 points
2. Container (GER), 2+2+4+3+3+3+7,5+2+5= 31,5 points
3. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 5+1+2+2+6+2+4,5+6+4= 32,5 points
4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 1+6+3+4+4+6+6+5+2= 37 points
5. Ràn (SUE), 6+4+6+5+7+5+1,5+3+3= 40,5 points
6. Bribón (ESP), 4+7+1+6+2+7+10,5+4+6= 47,5 points
7. Audi Sailing Team Powered by All4One (EUR), 7+5+7+7+5+4+9+7+7= 58 points
8. Gladiator (GBR), 9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+13,5 DNC+9DNC+9DNC=85,5 points

Owner driver trophy: RÀN

40 Series
Final results
1.Iberdrola Team (ESP), 1+1+2+2+3+1+2+1=13
2.XXII Portuguese Sailing Team (POR), 3+2+4+3+2+2+4+3=23
3.Bigamist (POR), 2+4+3+1+1+5+3+6 DNF=25
4.Patagonia (ARG), 4+3+1+4+5+4+5+2=28
5.Ngoni (GBR), 5+5+5+6DNF+4+3+1+4=33

Owner driver trophy: Patagonia

Quotes:
Ed Baird (USA), skipper, Quantum Racing (USA):
”It was a very exciting week of racing, terrific, I never imagined that these boats could be that exciting going downwind. The guys have done a great job figuring out how to make this boat go and obviously it worked out pretty nicely. We have a lot to talk about now and find a way to sail faster, there are plenty of things to do before the next event. We don´t know how the boat is going to act in light weather conditions, we haven’t experienced them and we don´t know how the rest of the boats are going to sail in such conditions, we´ll have to learn how to handle the boat as quick as we can. When it´s windy like that you have to be in the hunt at the first top mark, you have to be going fast down there, the other boats showed over and over again that of you got tangled up with other boats downwind, someone is going to come down from behind. It´s important to find that lane Adrian and Kevin Hall did great guiding us in the racecourse, gave us great confidence and it worked out great”

Adrian Stead (GBR), tactician, Quantum Racing (USA):
“It was a fantastic event for us, phenomenal, we are very pleased with how things have been going so far. At the beginning of the week our goal was to stay in touch because we were a little behind in our preparation. We´ve learned every day, improved our sailing and found the chemistry that made the team work very well. Technically, we´ve been trying to work in every area of the boat, in our communication, trying to understand everything that´s happening out there in the water, with the current, with the breeze… I think that we made the best we could out of the wind. We sailed quite well upwind, it´s very easy to not be in the front row at the top mark, in this fleet you need every inch and we maximized that”.

José María Torcida (ESP), skipper, Iberdrola Team (ESP):
“The truth is that we sailed great, the conditions have been good and pretty similar every day, with lots of wind. We started well in the first race but went a bit to the left, after that the current didn´t let us be upfront at the top mark. We had to recover and later, after the leeward gate, we were already second. We almost reached Bigamist but couldn´t do it at the end. In the second race we had a problem at the starting line, we rushed and had to slow down, so it was hard to speed up again. We sailed well downwind , reaching peaks of 20-22 knots, which was sensational. The crew´s work has been outstanding, I think that it was due to the training that we did before the competition started. The conditions have been perfect, it´s a perfect spot for sailing, no wonder so many great sailors have come out of here. It´s a spectacular place”.

Vasco Vascotto (ITA), skipper, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“We sailed poorly, and with this fleet, if you make mistakes you pay. Now we have to rest a bit in order to be in the best possible shape in Marseille, that´s the key for us now. The result is not bad, but we leave with a bittersweet feeling. We got tangled up with a fisherman´s buoy in the first race, but we were behind and the result would´ve been the same if we didn´t. In the second one, we had a bit of bad luck, because the gennaker´s bag got tangled up in the spinnaker´s retriever system and we couldn´t bring down the gennaker downwind. We have to congratulate Quantum Racing, next time we´ll try to be stronger”.
Marc Lagesse (SOU), navigator, Container (GER):
“It´s been a very tricky venue and the rest of the boats are all tough, but we delivered. The level´s so high that we could easily be last at the next regatta. We are very happy with how the boat sails in strong wind. Consistency´s been the key for us. We didn´t want to start very aggressively and we sailed in a conservative way, staying with the fleet. We didn´t win a race, most teams did and we still got a second place, so we are very happy”.

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Audi MedCup – Ran’s marathon win, Iberdrola lead Soto 40s

Bras de Bois — Sun, 22 May 2011 02:12:20 +0000

And as the 40 Series fleet approach their final day of their first regatta in Europe a win in the close, exacting second race which was contested closer inshore, over a shorter more tactical course, keeps the Spanish crew of Iberdrola Team in the driving seat with a lead of six points after six of eight planned races.

Zennstrom’s crew with Gavin Brady calling tactics and Steve Hayles as navigator, sailed an impeccable, relatively trouble free race, leading at every mark of the track which took the fleet out to Cabo Raso to the west of Cascais – where the winds peaked at 22kts – down river towards Lisbon where the breeze dropped to a much more gentle 12kts with a strong current to contend with.

While their success was in the simplicity of their clean sailing, keeping out of trouble ahead of the chasing pack, comebacks of different magnitudes were required for second placed Quantum Racing and third placed Audi Azzurra Sailing Team.

For Quantum Racing that was fighting back from being slightly out of phase when the pressure proved to be offshore, to the left of the first short beat, but for Vasco Vascotto, Francesco Bruni and the crew of Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, fouling Synergy Sailing Team on the long beat to Cabo Raso – not completing their tack in time – required a penalty which meant they rounded the most westerly turn of the course in last place with a deficit of 1 minute and 34 seconds.

But to their credit, according to Vascotto they stuck to the game plan, worked furthest offshore on the long run back, picking up some stunning surfs in the brisk conditions, to pass the mid-race mark in fourth, just 16 seconds off third placed Synergy Russian Sailing Team. Their atonement was completed when they overhauled the Russians on the penultimate leg.

And while America’s Cup winning helm Ed Baird and the Quantum Racing crew did their best to bounce the Italian flagged boat right and offer Synergy an opening, this ensuring a one boat buffer between them and their nearest rivals for the overall, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team kept their cool and, as Vascotto put it later, are ‘still alive’.

While the top four were those who kept their attack on the rails in the stiff conditions, the so-far consistent Container ripped their preferred heavy airs downwind spinnaker from luff to leech and were relegated to today’s second division as a consequence, so too Bríbon slumped back on this downwind handicapped also by a spinnaker tear.

“It was just great downwind sailing, I mean phenomenal downwind sailing!” smiled Adrian Stead, Quantum Racing’s tactician, “….just great fun, completely full on and it just adds to it, seeing kites blowing up around you, and people struggling.”

Race winner Zennstrom said: “ We handled the boat well and managed to stay away from them. We´ve made so many mistakes this week that it was time for us not to make any, and we almost achieved that goal. It was important to get our first win, it boosts our confidence. Now we can put our first Audi MedCup victory behind and try to get a few more in the future”.

Afonso Domingos, Inaki Castaner and the Bigamist crew won the first, boisterous Soto 40 race with a 50 seconds lead over their compatriots on XXII Portuguese Sailing Team, while the Spanish team finished third.

But the second heat of the day showed a different side of the adaptable Soto 40’s as they raced on their own laid course with a windward mark just off the Cascais Marina entrance. With the wind shifting and puffing up and down, blowing off the town, a thrilling five way tussle saw Iberdrola prevail, holding a slender lead over XXII, while Tony Buckingham’s Ngoni (GBR) stole a third place on the final beat.

Niklas Zennström (SWE), skipper, RÀN (SWE):
“We are very pleased because we´ve had very bad days before. We took a good breath yesterday, we went back to basics and it helped us to get our confident back. It was a nice race, we wanted to have a good start and we did. We sailed very well upwind and going downwind was also a lot of fun, but at the second mark Quantum nearly got to us. We handled the boat well and managed to stay away from them. We´ve made so many mistakes this week that it was time for us not to make any, and we almost achieved that goal. It was important to get our first win, it boosts our confidence. Now we can put our first Audi MedCup victory behind and try to get a few more in the future”.

Afonso Domingos (POR), skipper, Bigamist (POR):
“The first race was great, with great conditions as usual in Cascais, lots of wind and big waves… Just after the start we gained speed and after a while being second we managed to lead the race. We´ve gone great upwind, which helped us stay on top for so long. The tactic job by Hugo Rocha has helped us a lot; we saw that Iberdrola was getting closer, but kept sailing well and got a victory. The second one didn´t go well, we were in a tight pack and we couldn´t sail the way we should´ve had”.

Kevin Hall (USA), navigator, Quantum Racing (USA):
“We are really pleased with the result, started a little back from the line but got a really nice stretch later on that put us back in the fight. Going downwind was a lot of fun, but it got kind of tricky at the end with the current. After that it was a nice trip up and down the river. We almost reached RÀN at the bottom but they did a really nice job. The boat is going very well, we have a great crew and the sails are doing fine. We were trying to stay put of trouble and stay in the hunt.”

Pichu’ Torcida (ESP), skipper, Iberdrola Team (ESP):
“We almost started out of line at the first race, we missed a position and struggled against XXII, who forced us for the rest of the race. We beat them later with a leeward tack and almost caught Bigamist. After that we went fine downwind and chose the right mark, but upwind Bigamist made us go right and we got stuck. We had to recover again and managed to finish third. We started great in the second race by the pin, in the favored side, and we rounded the top mark leading although we had a problem with the spinnaker, a knot, that we finally solved. The critical moment came at the leeward gate, because XXII protested, but we didn´t break any rules, we left enough space and the committee showed the green flag. Then we sailed well but it was quite difficult since the boats were on both sides and we had a difficult task covering them. It was thrilling”.

Cascais Trophy
52 Series overall standings after 7 races

1-Quantum (USA) 3+3+5+1+1+1+3 = 17 points

2-Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA) 5+1+2+2+6+2+4,5 = 22,5 points

3-Container (GER) 2+2+4+3+3+3+7,5 = 24,5 points

4-Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) 1+6+3+4+4+6+6 = 30 points

5-Ràn (SUE) 6+4+6+5+7+5+1,5 = 34,5 points

6-Bribon (ESP) 4+7+1+6+2+7+10,5 = 37,5 points

7-Audi Sailing Team powered by All4One (EUR) 7+5+7+7+5+4+9 = 44 points

8-Gladiator (GBR) DNC+DNC+DNC+DNC+DNC+DNC+DNC = 67,5 points

40 Series overall standings after 6 races

1-Iberdrola (ESP) 1+1+2+2+3+1 = 10 points

2-Bigamist (POR) 2+4+3+1+1+5 = 16 points

3-XXII Portuguese Sailing Team (POR) 3+2+4+3+2+2 = 16 points

4-Patagonia (ARG) 4+3+1+4+5+4 = 21 points

5-Ngoni (GBR) 5+5+5+DNF+4+3 = 28 points

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Audi MedCup – Firing up the green machines

Bras de Bois — Fri, 20 May 2011 23:20:42 +0000

In the 52 Series at the Cascais Trophy it is the newly launched green machine of Quantum Racing which today proved they are already well into in the straps for the season.

After winning the second race Thursday Ed Baird and crew extended their run to three successive wins from six starts, while their level of perfect symmetry, two wins today in robust conditions was not quite achieved in the Soto 40 series by the Iberdrola Team skippered by Jose Maria Torcida, but his team proved their powers of recovery when they took a pair of second places which ensures they retain their comfortable lead.

With winds which averaged more than 22 knots and gusted to 28 knots in the second race, the boisterous conditions took some crew closer to their early season limits, but the drama, such as it was, was confined to ill luck and the odd torn sail.

Early in the second race the Russian team on Synergy had their lifeline lashing which dumped three crew into the water, and on the first upwind of the first race Iberdrola compromised their prospects when they picked up a lobster pot and struggled to get free.

Otherwise there were a few modest broaches and some slightly dented egos, but all in all it was another memorable day of racing in conditions which further endorse Cascais’ reputation as the wind capital of Portugal.

Confidence on Quantum Racing is building:

“Today we get our best start yet this afternoon, we sailed our best downwind and we sailed our best upwind. We are pretty happy with where we are. We look back at where we were last Wednesday and I can see a big step forward, just confidence and time in the boat and my communication with Ed. (Baird, skipper helm),” explained Adrian Stead, Quantum Racing’s tactician, “ I feel very confident with what I have seen today, there are still gains to be made with each race we do.”

Second placed Container have retained a level of measured consistency from a very experienced crew who seemed rock solid in their boat handling today complemented by steady strategies from tactician Hamish Pepper. Their pair of third places today leaves Markus Wieser’s team three points behind Quantum Racing, while Italy’s Audi Azzurra Sailing Team bolstered an otherwise lacklustre first race sixth with a second place in the second race today to hold third, one point behind the debuting Germans.

The Golden Ticket
Though the first beats remain resolutely one sided – the favoured right closer to the cascais shore is the golden ticket – on the first upwind it was those who judged the first layline best who were able to chase Quantum Racing hardest. Ross MacDonald and Marcel Van Trieste were able to set Bribon helm Gonjalez Aurajo a target which they achieved with little to spare, but they were able to squeeze around the first buoy in second which they held to the finish.

And in the second race it was Ed Baird’s perfect timing at the committee boat end of the line, Quantum Racing’s best start of the season yet, which was the foundation on which to build their second win of the day. This time Bribon slightly undercooked their approach and were judged to have skiffed the mark.

A two turns penalty dumped them from challenging Container for second to a painful seventh place finish.

Patagonia, steered by class president Norberto Alvarez Vitale, with Nacho Postigo on tactics, guided the largely amateur crew to their first win in Europe when they were able to profit as Iberdrola’s unexpected catch halted them, while Bigamist took third.

Local Star class Olympian Afonso Domingos on mainsheet, Hugo Rocha on tactics and Spain’s Inaki Castaner form the backbone of the Bigamist team and they proved the depth of their talent when they won Race 4, the second of the day, in the strong winds, despite only having sailed the Soto 40 for a matter of five days so far.

Quantum Racing lead overall by three points into Saturday’s picturesque coastal race, which carries 1.5 points weighting, while the Soto 40’s are scheduled to race two more windward-leewards.

Cascais Trophy
52 Series

Day 3

1.Quantum Racing (USA), 3+3+5+1+1+1= 14 points
2. Container (GER), 2+2+4+3+3+3= 17 points
3.Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 5+1+2+2+6+2= 18 points
4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 1+6+3+4+4+6= 24 points
5. Bribón (ESP), 4+7+1+6+2+7= 27 points
6. Ràn (SUE), 6+4+6+5+7+5= 33 points
7. Audi Sailing Team Powered by All4One (EUR), 7+5+7+7+5+4= 35 points
8. Gladiator (GBR), 9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+9DNC+9DNC=54 points

40 Series

Day 2

1.Iberdrola Team (ESP), 1+1+2+2=6
2.Bigamist (POR), 2+4+3+1=10
3.Patagonia (ARG), 4+3+1+4=12
4.XXII Portuguese Sailing Team (POR), 3+2+4+3=12
5.Ngoni (GBR), 5+5+5+6DNF=21

Quotes:

Ed Baird (USA), skipper, Quantum Racing (USA): “We are very happy with how the day went, for sure, the boat is performing very nicely in that breeze. We are starting to get along more comfortable with how the boat sails. We didn´t do anything different, we were trying to do the same things that we did yesterday. We didn´t want to get in trouble ourselves but find a clear area in which to sail upwind over the first leg.
But, look at how close the races are, we actually commented how small the leeward gate looks with all those boat squeezing in. Any mistake you make is going to cost you, we made some errors but luckily for us they were small and they didn´t hurt us with the rest of the teams”.

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA): “It is a shame to lose some of the guys we did, but we did look carefully at the options who we bring in.
It has kind of complemented what we had already, because we have Ben Durham coming in from Luna Rossa, we have Louie (trimmer Grant Loretz) coming in from Team New Zealand and that has given us just a slightly different take on how things work. We have a bit more horsepower on the boat, playing with the weights a bit we took the opportunity to be sure that when we have four people on the handles we have a lot of kilograms of strength on the handles, so that has worked well. We definitely feel stronger, we have people on the boat in Joe Spooner and Louie who have won the Circuit already and they bring new ideas and it is good.”
“Ed Baird is building more and more confidence. He learns more every day and the last race showed that, that for me is great. He is understanding the boat more and more, and has the confidence to say if the boat feels too loaded, say, it is just experience of driving the boat. He hasn’t done as much TP52 sailing as a lot of people and it is switching into a light weight boat, and here we are, today we get our best start yet this afternoon, we sailed our best downwind and we sailed our best upwind. We are pretty happy with where we are. We look back at where we were last Wednesday and I can see a big step forward, just confidence and time in the boat and my communication with Ed.

I feel very confident with what I have seen today, there are still gains to be made with each race we do.”

Rod Dawson (NZL), tactician Synergy (RUS): “In fact it was the lashing that broke, we had broken a stanchion yesterday but it was the lashing which went and three of us went in the water, including myself. We were picked up very quickly and were only in the water for a matter a a few minutes. According to the rule now we had to stop the boat and I think that is a good safety feature now. Everyone was OK it was just a mishap, but was a bit frustrating because we had made a good start and were in the mix.

Otherwise we are a bit disappointed because the boat is certainly fast and we are very happy with it, but we put the spinnaker under the bow earlier and the broken lifeline cost us, but we well get there. There are few things to sort out.”

Afonso Domingos (POR), skipper and mainsheet trimmer Bigamist (POR): “Great day for us, the crew has done a magnificent job in the first race. We started in the first place and we sailed well enough to keep that position until the end of the race. Our speed going upwind was not as good as we´d like it to be, the key for us is to sail in a more technical way, which is going to be really important if you want to be fisrt. Our first start of the day was bad and that left us with a third place”.

Guillermo Parada (ARG), skipper, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“It wasn´t a great day for us. In the first race didn´t sail at the top of our capabilities, we made bad decisions and we paid in the long run. It was just a bad race. In the second one I sailed pretty badly upwind to start with, but we sailed better and we managed to finish second, which makes us feel better at the end of the day. It also keeps our chances alive facing the last two days of the competition. We have to analyze our mistakes, correct some things here and there, and keep on going”.

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Audi MedCup – Iberdrola power to early lead in Soto 40, consistent Audi Azurra Sailing Team lead TP52′s

Bras de Bois — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:01:52 +0000

Spain’s Iberdrola Sailing Team fulfilled expectations that the European team who have had their boat longest and trained hardest might prevail, but even though they lead at each mark and won back-to-back races, they were never out of reach and the two Portuguese teams which have only had their boats for a matter of days both had second places and were certainly in contention.

In the 52 Series it was again consistency rather than brilliance which won the day, this time the pair of second places for Audi Azzurra Sailing Team was enough to scale the leaderboard to top the seven boat fleet, one point ahead of Germany’s Container.

Over four races there have now been four different winners, as first Bribon and then Quantum Racing both proved the virtue of sharp starting and being able to gain early control of the right, inshore side of the opening beat.

Both times the winners were able to extend to win comprehensively in the fresh breezes which presented some brilliantly exciting downwind sailing.

Quantum Racing’s win in the second race was momentarily in jeopardy when two of their ultra-faired stanchions snapped, almost plunging their crew into the water.
Had that happened their 250 metres lead would have very quickly disappeared.
But the crew clung to each other, stayed out of the sea, and the world champions’ first win of 2011 elevates them to third, two points off the lead and one point behind Markus Wieser and the crew of overnight leaders Container (GER)

In the first race, helm Gonzalez Aurajo (ESP) in concert with tactician Ross MacDonald (CAN) did a smart job of winning the committee-boat, right hand end of the start line and they were able to peel away to the right early, capitalising quickly to lead around the windward mark by 19 seconds ahead of Jochen Schuemann’s Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE.

Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA) were not so good off the line but worked their way up from fifth at the windward mark with a good first run and second beat to take second with Russia’s Synergy Sailing Team in third.

With the breeze stiffening for the second race Quantum Racing won the start cleanly and were also able to dictate terms to the chasing pack before the first windward mark, new skipper-helm Ed Baird (USA) collecting his first Audi MedCup winning gun.

In the Soto 40 fleet second places were shared equally between the home Portuguese crews as Bigamist finished behind Iberdrola in the first race and Francesco Lobato’s team on XXII Portuguese Sailing Team secured second in the second contest despite finishing with a rip in the lower sections of their gennaker.

Boat handling was key in the Sotos, acknowledged Iberdrola’s skipper helm Jose Maria ‘Pichu’ Torcida, not least gybing the very large gennaker without a pedestal grinder.

The Spanish crew were always slicker than their opposition, but in raw boat speed terms the Soto 40 fleet looks to start on the same page, offering a huge amount of excitement and intensive sailing for a more modest budget.

Cascais Trophy
52 Series
Day 2
1.Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 5+1+2+2= 10 points
2. Container (GER), 2+2+4+3 = 11 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 3+3+5+1= 12 points
4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 1+6+3+4= 14 points
5. Bribón (ESP), 4+7+1+6= 18 points
6. Ràn (SWE), 6+4+6+5= 21 points
7. Audi Sailing Team Powered by All4One (EUR), 7+5+7+7= 26 points
8. Gladiator (GBR), DNC+DNC+DNC+DNC=36 points

40 Series
Day 1
1.Iberdrola Team (ESP), 1+1=2
2.XXII Portuguese Sailing Team (POR), 3+2=5
3.Bigamist (POR), 2+4=6
4.Patagonia (ARG), 4+3=7
5.Ngoni (GBR), 5+5=10

Quotes:
José María ‘Pichu’ Torcida (ESP), skipper, Iberdrola Team (ESP): “We really can´t ask for more, we had two great starts and we sailed in the right sides. The key was going downwind, we knew that we couldn´t make any mistakes there. The first race had 18-20 knots and the second one 20-22, so it was key for us not to make mistakes at that speed, that´s why we got such a distance from the rest of the boats. It was easier for us to hold our advantage the second time sailing upwind. It´s a very close competition, we are a bit ahead of the rest handling the boat because we´ve had more practice, but we know that there´s good teams that will improve their performances in the next races. Today was a perfect way to start, a good wind, sunshine and waves. The key for us was in the manoeuvres and there was not much difference between the boats and the racing is close and quite tough. It was a good day for the team.
“ I think the manoeuvres and downwind speed, we were very comfortable with the boat.
For these type of boats which are very flat, very wide with big kites with twenty knots it was very exciting. We probably only had a couple of days training in these kind of conditions in Valencia, not quite as much wind.
It is difficult in the gybes because you don’t have a grinder, so we need a lot of coordination between the trimmers and the kite and with the helmsman because it is not difficult to lose the rudder.”

Vasco Vascotto (ITA), strategist, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA): “The difference between yesterday and today lies in the fact that we sailed a lot better, with a cooler head and a warm heart, a key combination to finish well. We have to keep going like we are so far, trying not to make mistakes like the ones we made in the first races. We have tofind a way to sail clean. We are not always going to be so lucky as we were today, and that means that we have to keep the same attitude that we´ve shown. We had currents, wind, waves… everything that you need to sail and have fun in the boat”.

Ed Baird (USA), skipper-helm, Quantum Racing (USA): “It was a lot of fun, the breeze was up. In the second race we had a little jump at the starting line, enough to sneak out in front of the group near the weather mark. The boys did a tremendous job at the first run. Somehow, we got a puff or two extra from the other guys and that was the end of the race. Perfect conditions for this kind of boats, they go great upwind and downwind. It was tons of fun”.

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA): “It was a good result for us, a good result for Ed (Baird) and one to give the team some confidence. Really although we were quite early to launch the boat we have ended up behind where we wanted to be because of various different issues. It could have been worse for us when we lost the stanchions, we just managed to save things which was important, but we had a little in hand.”

Ignacio Triay (ESP), trimmer, Bribón (ESP): “We had a perfect start in the first race, it´s that simple. We got ahead of the fleet, and once you´re in that position, if you have enough speed, you stretch and stretch and you just keep going, it´s just a matter of not making mistakes handling your boat. In the second one we got trapped and they’ve pushed us out by the committee boat. That made us start in the last place and in the bad side. Even in that situation the boat had speed, so we managed to get close to the fleet and made a glorious first stretch downwind. We passed ALL4ONE and reached RÀN, but he missed a few more meters to pass them. We are happy with the boat´s speed, today we´ve shown that it´s a good start what counts. A bad one means a disaster”.

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Audi MedCup – Container fill the top spot on their Audi MedCup Circuit debut

Bras de Bois — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:17:29 +0000

A pair of well earned second places, behind the Synergy Russian Sailing Team in the first heat and Italy’s Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, was enough to give Markus Wieser (GER) and crew a lead of two clear points after their first ever races as a crew in the fleet.

The Container team, with Hamish Pepper (NZL) calling tactics, built their pair of second places from solid, if not spectacular first beats and twice in consecutive races they got the better of the world champions, Quantum Racing on the final run to the finish.

The German backed crew made no big errors, and – crucially – were always taking places rather than going backwards in the tough fleet. Indeed it was Quantum Racing which managed to maintain the same consistency. Ed Baird (USA) and crew collected two third places to lie third on count back.

Racing in 13-18kts of mainly northerly breeze, with the windward-mark set just off Cabo Raso, to the west of Cascais, the wind carried the typical hallmarks which the Portuguese capital’s sailing centre has long been known for – big differences in wind pressure and shifts in direction- plenty for the tacticians and strategists to work with. And there was more than enough wind strength to punish any crewing errors.

The Russian team looked odds on to finish the day on top of the fleet after winning the first race comfortably with their brand new, from the wrapper, Botin Partners design, but their messy leeward gate rounding in the second race cost them dearly and their first race win was paired to a sixth.

And after a series of errors in the first race which resulted in an opening race fifth, an inspired gybe-set at the windward mark of the second race for Audi Azzurra Sailing Team turned a fifth place with a 40 seconds deficit to a race lead by 40 seconds at the leeward gate.

From there alchemists of the day, Francesco Bruni (ITA) and Vasco Vascotto (ITA), at the back of the boat did not put a foot wrong and they won comfortably with Container second.
But, as Vascotto acknowledged later, such opportunities to redeem themselves are not handed out often at this level.

“To be honest when we saw the wind was so far right then the decision was made for us, but when it was most right at the top mark there was nothing else to do. But, yes, we were a little surprised, not to say pleased, to gain so much. These things don’t happen every day and we really should not have been relying on things like that. We need to focus more and make fewer mistakes. Said Vascotto.

Markus Wieser paid tribute to the shore team which has worked relentlessly to ensure they made the start line on time, acknowledging that he has a lot to learn having only steered a TP52 for the first time last Monday:

“It was extraordinary for us. We were quite fast downwind and we sailed quite well. Our team is working very well together For me I only started driving the boat last Monday, so I have a lot to learn, it all comes down to the team and if it all comes good then you look good as a helmsman. And I have to pay tribute to the owner who gave me a free hand to sail with the guys I want to sail with. Consistency is about keeping out of trouble, sailing your own race and get the breaks when you can take the them. But it is a long week and this is only the first day. For us, a new TP52 project it is great for us.”
“I am too old to be nervous, I enjoy it, there are more important things than sailing and so there was no pressure today.”

In the Soto 40 fleet it was Iberdrola Sailing Team (ESP) which proved their supremacy, gained through a solid training programme off their Valencia base, when they won the first practice race of the season. But it is only tomorrow, Thursday, that points racing begins for this exciting new class for the first time ever in Europe.

Cascais Trophy
52 Series

Day 1
1. Container (GER), 2+2 = 4 points
2. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 5+1= 6 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 3+3= 6 points
4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 1+6= 7 points
5. Ràn (SUE), 6+4= 10 points
6. Bribon (ESP), 4+7= 11 points
7. Audi Sailing Team Powered by All4One (EUR), 7+5= 12 points
8. Gladiator (GBR), DNC+DNC=18 points

40 Series
Practice Race
1. Iberdrola Sailing Team (ESP)
2. Bigamist (POR)
3. Ngoni (GBR)
4. XXII (POR)
5. Patagonia (ARG)

Quotes
Markus Wieser (GER) skipper-helm Container (GER): “It was extraordinary for us. We were quite fast downwind and we sailed quite well. Our team is working very well together. It is the same core team that we sailed the STP65, the last Container, except for Hamish Pepper who I know very well and sailed with in the 1990’s on the match race.
But it all comes down to the shore team making the boat go very well to start with. Tome Swift is the boat captain who runs the shore team and is Mid-bow on the boat, and the sailmakers and our sail designer Sandro (Benigni), and Hartwell Jordan who is running all the sail coordination and the shore team and that leaves me free to just go sailing.
The starts are always important, we did not have the best starts but we played the shifts well, it was alright but most of the gains we made downwind on wind pressure. For me I only started driving the boat last Monday, so I have a lot to learn, it all comes down to the team and if it all comes good then you look good as a helmsman. And I have to pay tribute to the owner who gave me a free hand to sail with the guys I want to sail with.
Consistency is about keeping out of trouble, sailing your own race and get the breaks when you can take the them. But it is a long week and this is only the first day.
For us, a new TP52 project it is great for us.
“I am too old to be nervous, I enjoy it, there are more important things than sailing and so there was no pressure today.”

Ed Reynolds (USA) project manager and coach Quantum Racing (USA): “We are relatively satisfied. We were learning some things, a couple of downwind things which we are getting figured out, different modes, the angles of the kite downwind and so we are satisfied with the day. We were very close to having an outstanding day and ended up having a good day. Upwind we were really powerful. I don’t think the downwind calls were the difference. A little bit of the set up downwind, and that is some of the stuff which we did not have time to practice, so we have seen it now, we have seen our strengths and our weaknesses with each sail, that part. Overall though it was a good day after I was really nervous about today, I don’t mind saying.”

Rod Dawson (NZL), tactician, Synergy (RUS): “It was good, our first competition since we put our boat in the water just last week. We are pretty happy with the boat, the boys did a pretty good job today. We had a good start in the first race which was key for us to win it. In the second race it was all going well in the first top and bottom marks, then we had trouble with the spinnaker, got a big chunk of it stuck around the rudder and we lost a lot of places as a result We have a lot of improving to do”.

Vasco Vascotto (ITA), strategist of Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA): “Today we have payed very dearly for our mistakes, but we know that we can sail better, and we have demonstrated it in the second race. We had the opportunity to make a gybe set and this has been the key of the race. Starting from tomorrow, we will pay more attention, because you don’t always have this opportunity, and in the Audi MedCup, in a moment you can pass from first to last.”
Nikklas Zennstrom (SWE) owner-helm Ran (SWE):“It was very frantic. You can do a lot of practice with a few boats but when you go racing and it is much tighter and much tougher and we made a few mistakes. And so we are glad that at least the first day is behind us. I was not so much nervous this morning, but we did have a bit of an issue just before the first start when there was an issue with pit winch was not working and so we had to service it, and then we were late into our sequence for the start, and problems kind of accumulated.
This is much, much more intensive for me than what I have done, much more boat for boat sailing. It is tough, but is good fun and that is why we are here. For us there it is good to know we can mix it in, we made a couple of mistakes and were able to get back at the last top mark until we had a problem with the spinnaker. When we hoisted the spinnaker we got a rip, and then when we peeled to the new one the old one did not come down properly and the tack line got hooked, and we damaged it and so we could not gybe. But the good thing is we seem to be fast enough and we were in there.”

Afonso Domingos (POR), mainsail trimmer, S 40 Bigamist (POR): “It´s been a good day, although we didn´t start quite well because we had a problem with the mainsail. We were a bit slow trimming, something that we corrected in the second start, when we got ahead of the other boats, rounding the last mark in second place, which is just how we finished the race. When we sailed the boat well we gained speed. We had a small problem with the genoa traveler, but it was not too bad because it happened before the start. We have to repair it, that´s all. We like to sail at home, but for us it will be key to trim better. Iberdrola looked the best to me, but we´ll have to see tomorrow”.

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