Artikel-Schlagworte: „Azzurra“

Audi Azzurra Sailing Team have made an important statement of intent for the 2012 Audi MedCup Circuit confirming that they are building a new boat for what promises to be an exciting 2012 season. The build of the new boat has just started at King Marine in Valencia lead by Pablo Santarsiero. It’s a design by Marcelino Botin and Adolfo Carrau of Botin Partners, the office which has designed all the Audi MedCup Circuit winning boats since 2008, Quantum Racing in 2008 and 2011 and Emirates Team New Zealand in 2009 and 2010.

The structural engineering side of the design has been undertaken by New Zealand’s Pure Design Engineering under the vastly experienced Giovanni Belgrano, with CFD studies by Italian-Argentine Alberto Porto. Juan Garay of North Sails will be the sail designer, while the deck was designed by the crew in collaboration with Botin Partners. Project manager of the new Azzurra is Miguel Costa.

After a challenging 2011 season there is great enthusiasm among the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team for the news that the team will be armed with a new boat for the coming season, as confirmed by the strategist Vasco Vascotto:
“I want to thank personally the Roemmers family, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Audi, for supporting us with this challenge, behind us always with such passion and enthusiasm, showing such support for our team.“
“I am happy to know that we can take this project forward, building from the  good results we got this year. Having a new boat represents a wonderful opportunity for us to continue the journey, to continue to improve, and to point to more and more important goals. “

With this new boat backed by Alberto Roemmers, a passionate member of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team underlines its commitment to the 52 Series of the Audi MedCup Circuit after taking third place overall.

Audi Azzurra Sailing Team lead at the windward mark on the first round, with already more than 25kts of wind blowing and more threatening. The team which sails under the colours of the host club, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, were first to break to the right on the upwind and were able to lead Container with Audi ALL4ONE and Quantum Racing overlapped for third and fourth.

A small problem on the kite drop on Azzurra at the end of the testing downwind allowed Container through to lead up the second beat. Paramount Park Murcia gybed early on the rollercoaster ride of a run and picked up a huge gust which they rode down the left side of the run and were challenging for second before they lost control. After suffering mainsail problems pre-start RAN started late and retired after the first run.

Azzurra‘s tactician Vasco Vascotto managed to fight back to get control of the right in the very muscular conditions, with good speed and power in the strong conditions, and were just able to cross Container at the top of the second beat. With the wind gusting over 35kts the race team shortened the course at the top mark.

With Container second Audi ALL4ONE took third and Quantum Racing fourth, all four top boats finished within 20 seconds. Key for the Audi backed boats was their choice of smaller code 4 jibs.

In the overall standings going into the final day of racing Quantum Racing lead by one point ahead of Paramount Park Murcia on 15pts after they finished fifth today, with Gladiator now dropped to third on 16pts.

After starting at 09:00 local time the fleet reached the dock by 10:10 with no further racing for the day with the Mistral hitting nearly 40kts at times.

Audi TP52 World Championship
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Results after 5 races:
1. Quantum Racing (USA) 1+3+5+1+4= 14 points
2. Paramount Park Murcia (ESP) 4+2+1+3+5= 15 points
3. Gladiator (GBR) 3+1+4+2+6= 16 points
4. Container (GER) 2+7+3+4+2= 18 points
5. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (IT) 5+4+7+6+1= 23 points
6. RÁN (SWE) 6+5+2+5+ 8 (DNF)= 26 points
7. Audi ALL4ONE (GER/FR) 7+6+6+7+3= 29 points

http://www.tp52worldchampionship.org

Article source: http://www.sailing.org/37208.php

Tercero y primero, primero y tercero. Este ha sido el resultado del inglés Gladiator y el americano Quantum Racing respectivamente en las dos pruebas celebradas hoy durante la primera jornada puntuable del Audi TP52 World Championship. Un día complicado con viento flojo y rolón que ha propiciado cambios de posiciones, y en el que ha destacado así mismo la buena de una campaña que se estrena en Porto Cervo, aunque existe como equipo desde hace años: el Paramount Park Murcia, armado por Ignacio Triay, y patrocinado por el parque temático de mismo nombre y de próxima construcción en Alhama de Murcia, que cuenta con la tripulación del antiguo Bribón a bordo.

Gladiator y Quantum Racing quedan así empatados con cuatro puntos, pero los ingleses son primeros en la clasificación al haber ganado la última prueba. “Creo que hemos hecho tres cosas muy bien: buena  salida, buena táctica por parte de Chris (Larson, táctico), y buena velocidad“, comentaba Nacho Postigo, navegante del barco propiedad de Tony Langley.

“Nuestro entrenador, Francesco de Angelis, ha descrito bien hoy el campo de regatas: como una carretera llena de baches“, explicaba el táctico del equipo americano Quantum Racing, Adrien Stead. “La primera regata nos ha ido bien, no así la segunda, donde hemos tenido que luchar bastante tras una salida regular. Pero hemos conseguido cruzar en la primera ceñida y eso nos ha salvado“, explicaba el británico.

Otro empate, en este caso en la cuarta y quinta posición, que ocupan, con nueve puntos, Container y Azzurra respectivamente, da prueba de lo igualado de la competición. “Ha ido bastante bien, había viento muy flojo y nos hemos defendido lo mejor posible, pero en estas condiciones nuestro barco sufre“, explicaba Guillermo Parada, skipper de Azzurra, que ha firmado un quinto y un cuarto puesto. “Con este viento tenemos que aguantar y hacerlo lo mejor posible. En dos días parece que entra más fuerte; entonces atacaremos“, añadía.

Container por su parte ha conseguido un segundo en la primera prueba, y ha tenido que repetir salida en la segunda tras un fuera de línea. A pesar de ello, el barco patroneado por Markus Wieser ha conseguido remontar puestos y acabar cuarto, lo que demuestra que el alemán será uno de los barcos a tener en cuenta en la competición.

Paramount Park Murcia ha ido de menos a más con un cuarto y un segundo puesto en la primera y segunda prueba respectivamente. Con un barco que navega bien con viento suave, así como tres velas procedentes de su campaña Audi MedCup que se encontraban todavía sin sellar, el Paramount Park ha conseguido remontar puestos en ambas pruebas. “Hoy ha sido un día complicado, en el que resultaba difícil leer el viento en el agua“, explicaba el táctico del equipo español, Ross McDoland. El canadiense ha alabado el trabajo de los ingleses de Gladiator: “Hay que felicitarlos, pues siempre han estado en el lugar adecuado. En cuanto a nosotros, estamos contentos con cómo ha ido, aunque podíamos haberlo hecho mejor. Tácticamente hemos cometido algunos errores, veremos cómo va mañana“.

Article source: http://www.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=5426

Tercero y primero, primero y tercero. Este ha sido el resultado del inglés Gladiator y el americano Quantum Racing respectivamente en las dos pruebas celebradas hoy durante la primera jornada puntuable del Audi TP52 World Championship. Un día complicado con viento flojo y rolón que ha propiciado cambios de posiciones, y en el que ha destacado así mismo la buena de una campaña que se estrena en Porto Cervo, aunque existe como equipo desde hace años: el Paramount Park Murcia, armado por Ignacio Triay, y patrocinado por el parque temático de mismo nombre y de próxima construcción en Alhama de Murcia, que cuenta con la tripulación del antiguo Bribón a bordo.

Gladiator y Quantum Racing quedan así empatados con cuatro puntos, pero los ingleses son primeros en la clasificación al haber ganado la última prueba. “Creo que hemos hecho tres cosas muy bien: buena  salida, buena táctica por parte de Chris (Larson, táctico), y buena velocidad“, comentaba Nacho Postigo, navegante del barco propiedad de Tony Langley.

“Nuestro entrenador, Francesco de Angelis, ha descrito bien hoy el campo de regatas: como una carretera llena de baches“, explicaba el táctico del equipo americano Quantum Racing, Adrien Stead. “La primera regata nos ha ido bien, no así la segunda, donde hemos tenido que luchar bastante tras una salida regular. Pero hemos conseguido cruzar en la primera ceñida y eso nos ha salvado“, explicaba el británico.

Otro empate, en este caso en la cuarta y quinta posición, que ocupan, con nueve puntos, Container y Azzurra respectivamente, da prueba de lo igualado de la competición. “Ha ido bastante bien, había viento muy flojo y nos hemos defendido lo mejor posible, pero en estas condiciones nuestro barco sufre“, explicaba Guillermo Parada, skipper de Azzurra, que ha firmado un quinto y un cuarto puesto. “Con este viento tenemos que aguantar y hacerlo lo mejor posible. En dos días parece que entra más fuerte; entonces atacaremos“, añadía.

Container por su parte ha conseguido un segundo en la primera prueba, y ha tenido que repetir salida en la segunda tras un fuera de línea. A pesar de ello, el barco patroneado por Markus Wieser ha conseguido remontar puestos y acabar cuarto, lo que demuestra que el alemán será uno de los barcos a tener en cuenta en la competición.

Paramount Park Murcia ha ido de menos a más con un cuarto y un segundo puesto en la primera y segunda prueba respectivamente. Con un barco que navega bien con viento suave, así como tres velas procedentes de su campaña Audi MedCup que se encontraban todavía sin sellar, el Paramount Park ha conseguido remontar puestos en ambas pruebas. “Hoy ha sido un día complicado, en el que resultaba difícil leer el viento en el agua“, explicaba el táctico del equipo español, Ross McDoland. El canadiense ha alabado el trabajo de los ingleses de Gladiator: “Hay que felicitarlos, pues siempre han estado en el lugar adecuado. En cuanto a nosotros, estamos contentos con cómo ha ido, aunque podíamos haberlo hecho mejor. Tácticamente hemos cometido algunos errores, veremos cómo va mañana“.

Article source: http://www.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=5426

Their record which speaks for itself – on the podium at four of the season’s five regattas – the ‘local’ team recently finished third overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit but the iconic Azzurra team was still the only TP52 team to have contested the full season and not won a 2011 Trophy regatta.

“Do I look stressed?” shrugged Vascotto after today’s light winds Audi TP52 World Championship practice race, “Look, that is the answer. Tomorrow we will again have light winds but later in the week we have better conditions for us. All that we can try to do we have tried and so we stay calm and focused and will just have to see how it goes.”

Vascotto is undoubtedly on his game, taking second place at the recent Melges 32 World Championships in Palma, but in the benign north westerly breeze which scarcely made seven knots for today’s practice race, the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team struggled today with their powerful boat in what are known to be their weakest conditions.

According to current forecasts this fourth edition of the TP52 World Championship looks likely to be a regatta of very different winds – very light for the early races and very strong by Friday and Saturday.

“The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week,” says Ado Stead (GBR), who guided Quantum Racing to the world title in Valencia last year, “Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.”

Defending champions Quantum Racing won last year under Terry Hutchinson. Today, with helm Ed Baird (USA) at the controls the recently crowned Audi MedCup Circuit champions won the Practice Race with new Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli as a replacement for Kevin Hall (USA).

In the light winds it was Container (GER) and Gladiator (GBR)which were successive leaders on the water. Container jumped the start gun and were latterly disqualified, but the German team had decided it was more valuable to line up against the fleet rather than re-start.

After a lacklustre finish to their MedCup season, in their quest to improve speed they have brought the vastly experienced, twice Audi MedCup winning Kiwi mainsail trimmer Don Cowie on board.

Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) has two key changes and only lost out on the final run today Chris Larson (USA), recent Melges 32 winning tactician, stepped into the team as tactician and Nacho Postigo (ESP) is a late substitute for injured navigator Graham Sunderland (GBR).

Costa Smeralda has been a happy hunting ground for Niklas Zennstrom’s RÁN, winning back to back Mini Maxi world titles with their 72 footer, but this will be an acid test for the team which stood clear of the title scrapping to win last month in Barcelona.

Five days of racing are planned including Thursday’s 1.5 points premium coastal race into the beautiful islands to the north.

http://www.tp52worldchampionship.org

Article source: http://www.sailing.org/37189.php

In the overall standings for the season Bribon lie just half a point behind Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, who today really need to get their title back on track with a pair of strong results. The Italian team feel they have been under a certain amount of extra attention from some of their main opponents and others, but perhaps today will be their chance to fight back.

Or perhaps some teams will seek to try and halt the upward trajectory of Bribon which are challenging for second overall and are getting to within reach of the overall title in this their final regatta as Jose Cusi’s Bribon team.

But with two windward-leeward races planned for today this could be the pivotal day of the season, leading into tomorrow’s high points value Coastal Race.

Circuit leaders Quantum Racing do continue to move closer and closer to the title, even with their seventh in the second race yesterday. Quantum Racing’s navigator Kevin Hall (USA) explains the likely scenarios from his perspective:

“Yesterday we had a tough call to make in the second race, we liked the left a lot, like Bribón and RÁN and though we could follow them and hang with them, maybe even get to RÁN, but we decided to stay ahead of Azzurra and ended up paying less attention to the other two. Today, second and third are basically tied, and that makes things really interesting for us. There are a few scenarios. One, they can each say we could still get Quantum and maybe if we work together and get to them if we don´t tack in each other. Two, they could say we want to fight for that second spot and race looking at each other constantly. An the third could be to ignore the other boats and just try to win the races and see how that goes in terms of points at the end. It´s very hard to look at one boat and sail your own race, we saw that yesterday. We think that conditions will be a bit softer today, yesterday we didn´t think they were going to die the way they did. Bribón is quick in this stuff so they are definitely candidates to perform well again”.

Meanwhile for the Iberdrola Team they seem destined to collect the inuagural overall Circuit title for the Soto 40′s if they keep up their same high level today, after winning twice yesterday:

Agustín Zulueta (ESP), Project Director, Iberdrola Team (ESP):
“We´ve had to adjust to the Soto 40 this year and that makes things harder, of course, but everything has been going great. I really enjoyed yesterday´s races as the team´s director because I saw a solid team sailing in conditions that don´t particulraly suits us well. They started well, picked to the right sides and did great maneuvers. We are excited about the next races because we are really close to winning the championship, and that has been our goal from the beginning. I hope that we perform as well as we did yesterday”.

All races will be broadcastec live, from around 13:00 hours, through www.medcup.org/audimedcuptv.

Article source: http://www.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=5307

In the overall standings for the season Bribon lie just half a point behind Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, who today really need to get their title back on track with a pair of strong results. The Italian team feel they have been under a certain amount of extra attention from some of their main opponents and others, but perhaps today will be their chance to fight back.

Or perhaps some teams will seek to try and halt the upward trajectory of Bribon which are challenging for second overall and are getting to within reach of the overall title in this their final regatta as Jose Cusi’s Bribon team.

But with two windward-leeward races planned for today this could be the pivotal day of the season, leading into tomorrow’s high points value Coastal Race.

Circuit leaders Quantum Racing do continue to move closer and closer to the title, even with their seventh in the second race yesterday. Quantum Racing’s navigator Kevin Hall (USA) explains the likely scenarios from his perspective:

“Yesterday we had a tough call to make in the second race, we liked the left a lot, like Bribón and RÁN and though we could follow them and hang with them, maybe even get to RÁN, but we decided to stay ahead of Azzurra and ended up paying less attention to the other two. Today, second and third are basically tied, and that makes things really interesting for us. There are a few scenarios. One, they can each say we could still get Quantum and maybe if we work together and get to them if we don´t tack in each other. Two, they could say we want to fight for that second spot and race looking at each other constantly. An the third could be to ignore the other boats and just try to win the races and see how that goes in terms of points at the end. It´s very hard to look at one boat and sail your own race, we saw that yesterday. We think that conditions will be a bit softer today, yesterday we didn´t think they were going to die the way they did. Bribón is quick in this stuff so they are definitely candidates to perform well again”.

Meanwhile for the Iberdrola Team they seem destined to collect the inuagural overall Circuit title for the Soto 40′s if they keep up their same high level today, after winning twice yesterday:

Agustín Zulueta (ESP), Project Director, Iberdrola Team (ESP):
“We´ve had to adjust to the Soto 40 this year and that makes things harder, of course, but everything has been going great. I really enjoyed yesterday´s races as the team´s director because I saw a solid team sailing in conditions that don´t particulraly suits us well. They started well, picked to the right sides and did great maneuvers. We are excited about the next races because we are really close to winning the championship, and that has been our goal from the beginning. I hope that we perform as well as we did yesterday”.

All races will be broadcastec live, from around 13:00 hours, through www.medcup.org/audimedcuptv.

Long time Circuit leaders Quantum Racing (USA) slid to a second successive seventh place in the eight boat fleet which is competing for the Conde de Godo City of Barcelona Trophy.

After finishing third in Cagliari, winning in Cartagena and now seizing the regatta today lead in Barcelona with their come-from-behind second place, their incredible momentum might almost even suggest a date with destiny come Saturday’s gala prizegiving as the perfect full stop to the 40 year history of the famous team.

But in fact the title race is still a four cornered fight.

Germany’s Container scored their first race win since July to keep the Markus Wieser skippered crew in the title challenge. Less than 13 points separate Quantum Racing from fourth placed Audi Azzurra (ITA) with up to four races of the season left. The American flagged team, which won the overall title in 2008, lead Spain’s Bribon by just seven points.

While Container started best today and were able to use the added wind pressure to the left side of the course, it was Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) which lead around the windward mark. Container took the lead on the first run as they read the fluky wind pressure better and Gladiator chose to gybe set to the left of the run

Bribon had come off the start line second best after the challenge for the pin end of the line and found themselves with a struggle on their hands. But their excellent boat speed in the light, 6-8kts breeze, was the key to their climb through the fleet from sixth at the first turn, going on to chase Container across the finish.

Of concern to the Quantum Racing crew will, again, be the way in which they slipped from an early third after a strong opening beat, to cross seventh.

The rise of the 52 Series fleet’s oldest design, Bribon, over the second half of this season has been pronounced. They stood sixth on the Circuit standings after each of the first two events, fifth after Cagliari, fourth after their win in Cartagena and now they lie second on the season standings after having made up 31.5 points on Quantum Racing over the last 18 races.

Bribon‘s trimmer and project manager Ignacio Triay (ESP) came ashore saying that with two days to go the season title race starts again here, “It feels like the season starts here, it starts today. Everything could happen in the next two days, everything!” said Triay

“I tell you I would never have expected this. We were pretty convinced that the podium of the Audi MedCup would be a fight between Quantum, Audi Azzurra and Container and we were pretty convinced that the fight for fourth place would be between us, RAN and Synergy.

“In Cartagena we had the feeling that, hey, maybe we should go for more. Suddenly we found ourselves closing to the podium, so we said maybe we should try. Here has happened three things: today or tomorrow the conditions could change but so far the conditions for Bribon have been not bad.

“We did a more constant three days and our most direct opponents are doing worse than any other event before, so all together I was looking at the numbers and probably after two days in Cascais it was closer than it is now. It is not going to be for anyone with a weak heart. Anything can happen? Quantum is still far ahead, we have Azzurra and Container very close to us.”

The 52 Series are scheduled to sail four more windward leeward races, effectively losing their coastal race since only one race could be completed today.

Standings, Conde de Godó – City of Barcelona Trophy
TP-52 after five races
1. Bribón (ESP), 1+3+3+1+2=10 points
2. RAN (SUE), 2+1+1+2+5=11 points
3. Container (GER), 4+7+5+4+1=21 points
4. Quantum Racing (USA), 3+2+2+7+7=21 points
5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 8+4+8+3+4=27 points
6. Audi Sailing Team powered by All4One (GER/FR), 6+8+6+5+3=28 points
7. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 5+5+4+8+8=30 points
8. Gladiator (GBR), 7+6+7+6+6=32 points

Article source: http://www.sailing.org/36639.php

Long time Circuit leaders Quantum Racing (USA) slid to a second successive seventh place in the eight boat fleet which is competing for the Conde de Godo City of Barcelona Trophy.

After finishing third in Cagliari, winning in Cartagena and now seizing the regatta today lead in Barcelona with their come-from-behind second place, their incredible momentum  might almost even suggest a date with destiny come Saturday’s gala prizegiving as the perfect full stop to the 40 year history of the famous team.  

But in fact the title race is still a four cornered fight.
Germany’s Container scored their first race win since July to keep the Markus Wieser skippered crew in the title challenge.
Less than 13 points separate Quantum Racing from fourth placed Audi Azzurra (ITA) with up to four races of the season left. The American flagged team, which won the overall title in 2008, lead Spain’s Bribon by just seven points.

While Container started best today and were able to use the added wind pressure to the left side of the course, it was Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR)which lead around the windward mark. Container took the lead on the first run as they read the fluky wind pressure better and Gladiator chose to gybe set to the left of the run
Bribon had come off the start line second best after the challenge for the pin end of the line and found themselves with a struggle on their hands.
But their excellent boat speed in the light, 6-8kts breeze, was the key to their climb through the fleet from sixth at the first turn, going on to chase Container across the finish.

Of concern to the Quantum Racing crew will, again, be the way in which they slipped from an early third after a strong opening beat, to cross seventh.

The rise of the 52 Series fleet’s oldest design, Bribon, over the second half of this season has been pronounced.
They stood sixth on the Circuit standings after each of the first two events, fifth after Cagliari, fourth after their win in Cartagena and now they lie second on the season standings after having made up 31.5 points on Quantum Racing over the last 18 races.

Bribon’s trimmer and project manager Ignacio Triay (ESP) came ashore saying that with two days to go the season title race starts again here:

“ It feels like the season starts here, it starts today. Everything could happen in the next two days, everything!” said Triay,
“ I tell you I would never have expected this. We were pretty convinced that the podium of the Audi MedCup would be a fight between Quantum, Audi Azzurra and Container and we were pretty convinced that the fight for fourth place would be between us, RAN and Synergy.”

“ In Cartagena we had the feeling that, hey,  maybe we should go for more. Suddenly we found ourselves closing to the podium, so we said maybe we should try. Here has happened three things: today or tomorrow the conditions could change but so far the conditions for Bribon have been not bad. We did a more constant three days and our most direct opponents are doing worse than any other event before, so all together I was looking at the numbers and probably after two days in Cascais it was closer than it is now. It is not going to be for anyone with a weak heart. Anything can happen?
Quantum is still far ahead, we have Azzurra and Container very close to us.”

The 52 Series are scheduled to sail four more windward leeward races, effectively losing their coastal race since only one race could be completed today.

In the 40 Series race it was Iberostar which scored their first win as a team in this fleet, holding off Tony Buckingham’s Cartagena winners Ngoni. The British crew held their nerve and concentration in the final stages of the last run to secure second only just ahead of Iberdrola Team.

Article source: http://www.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=5326

Both 52 Series and the 40 Series fleets are scheduled to have two races.
There is a certain divergence between the weather forecast models for today, one suggesting that the sea breeze might struggle to establish itself, the other predicts that it will come in, building to 12kts. But the overall picture looks like a more challenging day than the 52 Series enjoyed for their opening pair of races Tuesday.

For Quantum Racing, the Circuit leaders, a solid 3,2 brace establishes a momentum they will look to protect today. They opened a little more daylight on their principal rivals Audi Azzurra Sailing Team and Container yesterday. In the background yesterday’s excellent 1,3 opening day for Bribon sees the Spanish boat elevate themselves to third overall on the Circuit, whilst the duel between Synergy and RAN is also poised with the regatta leaders in Barcelona now just half a point behind the Russian team.

The Italian flagged team on Audi Azzurra need to bounce back after two fifth places yesterday with a couple of strong finishes today if they are to come back on Quantum Racing and extend on Bribon.

The 40 Series fleet sees the debut of two new teams. Olympic gold medallists Luis Doreste (ESP) and Domingo Manrique (ESP) who won Flying Dutchman gold here in 1992 are at the core of the Iberostar team with Javier Banderas (ESP). They sail the Noticias IV, while the second new team is www.visitmalta.com on Patagonia. Bigamist, the Portuguese team which raced in Cascais, have a fundamental change here with Afonso Domingos on the helm.

Juan Luis Páez (ESP), Navigator, Iberdrola Team (ESP): “I think that the weather conditions for today are pretty open, not the typical Garbí form Barcelona, which is what we had yesterday. It seems that we are going to have a seabreeze with an influence from the Levante, and that will make the races a lot more open. It´s going to be interesting, with many options, these regattas are always really competitive and you need to be 100%. We have a new trimmer, highly experienced, and that´s good because it has not affected us. Both the trimmers that we´ve had are among the best you can have on board”.

Vasco Vascotto (ITA), Strategist, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“The forecast for today says things are going to be tough out there again, with light conditions. RÁN´s sailing great, they´ve struggled at some points of the season but they are really in shape now, and its proves that anyone can win here in Barcelona. For us, the two fifths yesterday are obviously a bad result, but we are still there 8 and a half points away. With a good day we can solve this. We have to stay calm. Yesterday we saw the Barça-Milán football match, where a team dominated the whole time and the match ended up with a tie. That made us think, because if things like that happen in football it´s even more likely that they´ll happen on the race course. We´ll see how it goes out there today”.

Article source: http://www.medcup.org/news/index.php?id=5275