2005 generation boat to the fore

Balearia takes the first and only race on a windless opening day of the Breitling MedCup in Alicante

As if proof is needed that a new 2007 TP52 is not a necessity to win on this year's Breitling MedCup TP52 circuit, the three year old Botin & Carkeek design Balearia today stole the thunder from the posse of brand new boats among the 23 strong fleet by winning the first - and only - race of the Trofeo Alicante.

In this race good starting and astute first leg tactics proved much more important than sheer boat speed in the gentle southerly 6 knot breeze which swung slightly to the right over the course of the race. Balearia were smartly off the start line and quick to break to the favoured right side of the course.

With French Olympic 470 gold medallist Thierry Peponnet, fresh from Valencia calling tactics for skipper-helm Gonzalo Araujo, Balearia broke free of the traffic at the windward mark, passing the windward mark 11 seconds ahead of Vicente Tirado's new Caixa Galicia with Ricardo Simoneschi steering Anonimo only four seconds behind in third.

Anonimo went furthest right on the downwind leg to round the leeward gate in second, but they could make little impression on Balearia who went on take first gun with 45 seconds in hand over Anonimo and Caixa Galicia another 12 seconds behind.

After a long wait a second race was started but the breeze expired and just after 1730 hours an end was called to a long day afloat in the heat when it as abundantly clear that the sea breeze was spent.

For the Balearia crew it was a just reward for a winter of hard effort. Gonzalo Araujo has overseen the fitting of a new, lighter keel. The bulb weight is slightly reduced in favour of more fin area to try and gain upwind height, and he has had the rudder moved forward.

Complementing these changes, as well as recruiting Peponnet, Balearia has several new crew including former members of Spain's Desafio Espanol - bowman Jaime Arbones, Jorge Ondo, Inigo Losada and Victor Marino – and Victory Challenge's B-boat navigator Alicia Ajeno.



It was a pleasing baptism into the TP52 fleet for Peponnet: "In all it is a very happy start for the team. They are very enthusiastic and so this was a good start for us. We only sailed together for the first time at the Trofeo Godo for one week in Barcelona and three days here, so we have not done that much sailing. But we have done a lot to adapt the boat for this year. We are confident when it is 8.5, 9, 10, 12 knots but maybe not so good when it is very light." Peponnet explained.

"The changes to the boat are in a good direction I am sure. We maybe lose a little speed downwind, but not that we could see today, but it is hard for us for we have the biggest wetted surface."

Anonimo, the 2006 Judel-Vroljk design, has had a new mast - through necessity after her old one was broken in an accident - and has changed to Quantum Sails. Owner-helm Simoneschi is running an almost entirely Italian team and has Star 2000 Olympic gold medallist Mark Reynolds coaching. They have four former Luna Rossa sailors in Michele Canonni, Massimo Gherarducci, Manuel Modena. From +39 they have Michel Gnutti and Guiseppe Leonardi, and off Mascalzone Latino Marco Constant.

"The main thing that today proves is how important a good start is and how if you up in the first three or four you are really sprung, and just how hard it is - no matter how quick you are - if you don't get off the start line well bad things just continue to happen," suggested Reynolds.

"It is good to see that you don't need a new boat to do well in this fleet." emphasised Simoneschi, "And that is important for this future of class, seeing that with a little work, older boats are competitive and can be used for more than one or two seasons."

"And it is good to see three Star class sailors up in the top three today," he said referring to himself, Spain's 2000 Olympian Roberto 'Chuny' Bermudez who steers Caixa Galicia, and Balearia's Araujo.

Starting off the pin end gave Ian Walker and the crew of the new Reichel Pugh designed Patches a clear lane of breeze. They rounded fifth and finished fifth, while by way of contrast 2006 champions Mean Machine Villa Romana struggled off the line and had to bail out to the left which cost them dearly. 16th is not the start that De Ridder and his team wanted - however the crew are missing many of their regulars, particularly Ray Davies, who are still tied up with the Cup as part of Emirates Team New Zealand.

2005 MedCup champion Vasco Vascotto and the team on the new Mutua Madrilena made all the right moves off the start line but hit problems when they were shut out at the windward mark.

From looking set to round fourth they were bounced back down the fleet to round 18th. A recovery was quickly mounted on the downwind, going left, and by the finish Mutua Madrilena had rallied to a useful and hard won eighth. Mutua Madrilena had registered a protest against Cam for the incident at the windward mark forced them back into the heavy traffic flow.

More photos on page 2...