Booth and Dercksen maintain lead

Tornado Europeans file another two races, Mark Bulkeley reports on experiencing gear failure

It was in somber mood that the fleet left the harbour here in Gran Canaria, Friday morning, after a minute silence was held in memory of the victims of the Madrid terrorist attacks. After a one hour postponement while the race officer set his course, race seven got underway. Proving to be a left hand track once again it was Yann Guichard who lead the race from start to finish. We rounded the top mark in the early teens after a grafting first leg.

However our race ended there as our tack line blew and went out through the cleat and all the way out of the pole. We retired to effect repairs ready for race eight.

The second race started in a little more wind but more gusty and there were huge holes in the wind. We had to bail out of a pin end start and started on port finding a nice gap to punch through.

When we tacked back into the shore we were in amongst the leaders from the left. However we then sailed into a big hole and watched in frustration as most of the fleet sailed away. We eventually rounded the top mark near last and had to fight for every place eventually finishing 21st. Yann Guichard continued his good form scoring a 2nd. Olivier backes maintained his 2nd position with a bullet. Mitch Booth scored another top five result to slowly move clear of the field.

Two more races are planned for tomorrow. Surprisingly after sucha bad day for us we still lie 9th in the open and 7th in the Europeans.

You can view Leigh McMillan and Mark Bulkeley's website here.

Open results (Booth and Dercksen lead Europeans):

	Sail Nr	Crew	R 1	R 2	R 3	R 4	R 5	R 6	R 7	R 8	Points
1	AUS 1	DARREN BUNDOCH/JOHN FORBES	14	1	2	4	2	4	1	4	18
2	NED 1	MITCH BOOTH/HERBIE DERCKSEN	10	3	4	OCS	4	2	3	5	31
3	FRA 295	OLIVIER BACKES/LAURENT VOIRON	1	2	10	8	13	6	8	1	36
4	FRA 28	YANN GUICHARD/CHRISTOPHE ESPAGNON	13	4	23	7	9	8	2	2	45
5	AUT 380	ROMAN HAGARA/HANS PETER STEINACKER	32	9	1	2	6	10	7	16	51
6	ESP 1	FERNANDO ECHAVARRI/ANTON PAZ	2	5	6	23	17	9	10	6	54
7	GER 1090	ROLAND GAEBLER/GUNNAR STRUCKMANN	6	8	13	16	8	7	9	11	62
8	ARG 1	SANTIAGO LANGE/CARLOS ESPINOLA	7	7	17	24	7	12	11	15	76
9	GBR 420	LEIGH McMILLAN/MARK BULKELEY	4	6	9	15	10	19	DNC	22	84
10	GER 1087	JOHANNES POLGAR/CARSTEN HAPPEL	23	11	11	30	5	3	4	29	85
11	FRA 279	XAVIER REVIL/LAURENT GUILLEMETTE	5	27	27	11	12	11	19	3	87
12	ITA 257	FRANCESCO MARCOLINI/EDOARDO BIANCHI	35	20	3	3	23	14	5	30	96
13	DEN 1	PEDER RONHOLT/SOREN JORGENSEN	OCS	21	12	5	25	13	16	7	98
14	ESP 2004	ENRIQUE GARCIA DE SOTO/FERNANDO SALES	24	19	7	14	16	22	29	8	108
15	PUR 1	ENRIQUE FIGUEROA/JORGE HERNANDEZ	28	15	16	1	DNC	DPG	22	14	116
16	FRA 281	BILLY BESSON/ARNAUD JARLEGAN	18	29	20	20	1	27	23	9	117
17	SWE 201	HANS WALLEN/CHRISTOPHER RAPPE	9	26	21	6	37	30	17	12	120
18	POR 2	HUGO ROCHA/LUIS BRITO	8	14	18	17	RDG	RDG	35	DNF	120
19	GRE 7	PASCHALIDES IORDANIS/GAREFIS CHRISTOS	26	25	14	9	3	39	26	RDG	123
20	POR 1	DIOGO CAYOLLA/NUNO BARRETO	19	12	22	13	33	17	12	DSQ	127
21	GRE 1	DIMITRIO THEODORAMI/ADONIS BOYGIOURIS	31	37	5	12	19	28	13	24	129
22	ESP 121	JOSÉ Mª PONCE/RAMÓN ILLÁN	OCS	23	15	29	27	5	27	18	142
23	ITA 260	SANDRO MONTEFUSCO/STEFANO RIZZI	11	24	33	28	DNC	1	24	26	144
24	FRA 282	MATTHIEU SOUBEN/GURVAN BONTEMPS	12	39	28	19	31	24	14	19	144
25	NED 162	SVEN KARSENBARG/MISCHA HEEMSKERK	3	31	30	18	35	20	34	10	145
26	ITA 255	ALBERTO SONINO/GABRIELE BRUNI	30	22	RDG	RDG	24	38	15	17	155
27	NZL 83	AARON MCINTOSH/MARK KENNEDY	16	35	8	21	DNC	DNC	6	27	163
28	SWE 199	MARTIN STRANDBERG/KRISTIAN MATTSSON	DSQ	10	29	OCS	18	16	40	13	175
29	ESP 23	TONI RIVAS/FABIÁN ESCUDÉ	21	13	24	26	29	DNC	44	23	176
30	FRA 286	FRANÇOIS MORVAN/MATHIEU VANDAME	25	32	37	36	14	18	21	39	182
31	GER 1088	HELGE SACH/CHRISTIAN SACH	15	18	OCS	35	22	25	38	34	184
32	SUI 227	MARTIN RUSTERHOLZ/MICHIEL FEHR	22	30	38	32	36	29	28	25	199
33	GER 1084	ANDREW LANDENBERGER/SEBASTIAN MOSER	27	28	41	31	32	36	33	20	205
34	FRA 293	FRANÇOIS GABART/DAVID ROMAIN	37	34	26	34	26	34	30	28	207
35	CAN 369	OSKAR JOHANSSON/JOHN CURTIS	17	38	39	39	30	OCS	18	33	210
36	ESP 7	FRANCISCO SÁNCHEZ/JUAN MANUEL BARRIONUEVO	RDG	RDG	40	27	43	26	25	37	215
37	ESP 11	MANUEL CALAVIA/CARLOS VAREA	34	41	OCS	22	11	OCS	32	32	221
38	ITA 261	ANDREA MURA/LUCA REMAGRINO	38	43	32	10	34	31	45	44	225
39	SLO 1	DUSAN PUH/ALAN BIDERMAN	36	17	36	37	42	33	36	35	226
40	FRA 276	BAPTISTE BALZEAU/GAËL LEDOUX	39	36	42	43	21	23	37	36	228
41	RUS 007	DZHIENBAEV SERGEY/RYAZANTSEV OLEG	OCS	42	31	33	44	32	20	31	228
42	ITA 5	SORRENTINO VINCENZO/COLOMBO GIORGIO	20	40	34	38	20	37	DNC	DNC	237
43	CAN 1	ERIC HOLDEN/MARK COAKLEY	40	44	19	42	38	35	31	DNC	245
44	RUS 77	EMELIANOV KONSTANTIN/YANIN ALEXANDZ	29	16	35	44	DNC	OCS	RDG	RDG	251
45	RUS 27	CHEKRYGIN ALEKSEY/BOGATKIN SERGEY	42	45	46	41	39	40	43	42	285
46	GBR 415	LEO FARROW/ROB WILSON	44	46	43	40	40	DNC	42	41	289
47	GBR 404	JONNIE HUTCHCROFT/MARCUS LYNCH	OCS	47	45	46	41	41	41	38	293
48	GER 1052	CHRISTINA LOWEY/FLORIAN LOWEG	41	48	DNF	DNC	28	42	DNC	DNC	311
49	ESP 40	JAVIER PADRON/ONAN BARREIROS	43	49	44	45	47	DNC	DNC	43	317
50	ESP 5	BERNARDO BENÍTEZ/CARLOS LOUREIRO	46	DNC	47	47	45	43	46	DNC	321
51	GBR 398	JOHN READY/SIMON WILLIS	45	50	DNF	DNC	46	44	47	45	322