Patches shows early form

But Bribon wins TP 52's practice race at the Copa del Rey Camper Audi

Ian Walker and the crew of the Irish TP52 Patches served notice that they are in good shape to defend the overall Copa del Rey Trophy title which they won here last year as Siemens Patches when they led today's practice race before bowing out on the final beat to try out new sails.

Twenty two TP52's will start the battle in earnest tomorrow on the Bay of Palma, with one of Europe's most prestigious prizes in sailing at stake.

For the first time the Breitling MedCup TP52 fleet have followed their blueprint used at all the 2007 circuit regattas, and have an independent showcase site - away from the Real Club Nautico de Palma, where they held pride of place last year - and are situated in a key position off the Muelle de Las Golondrinas towards the west end of the main seafront boulevard, allowing easier access to the public.

With 22 TP52's, RIBs, vans, containers and the self contained regatta village which forms the hub for the regatta, it has sadly simply outgrown the bustling RCNP site.

But on the water the TP52s are sharing their race course with the new GP42 class of which there were ten boats on the water today.

The Copa del Rey for the TP52 class this week comprises three scheduled windward-leeward races on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a coastal race Friday and two final scheduled windward-leeward races Saturday.

The Patches team remains solid and unchanged, and showed sharp, clean starting through both of the 'warm-up starts' which are a feature of the practice race day.

"Its big this week," said Patches skipper, Ian Walker. "We've got a new boat and we have two had good regattas. They haven't been great regattas, but they have been good. In each we have sailed more than half the races to win the regatta and then we have let ourselves down with a couple of poor races. So, we have to be more consistent which is what we were in the Copa del Rey last year, which is the most important regatta of the year. Eamon Conneely, the owner of the boat, loves this regatta, after last year is used to winning it and he wants to win it again. We all do."

It was sheer practicality and the lack of time, not superstition, which had them leave the race course early: "We had some sails to look at, a new jib to look at and we wanted to look at a new system we've got for the code zero we have for the coastal race. It was always our plan to just do a first lap of the race, then get the RIB, get some other sails and just do some practices otherwise we wouldn't get time before the coastal race. So it was always our intention, and nothing to do with the fact that we were leading. It was nothing to do with superstition, and if it had been the case you would get to the finish line and just miss the finish line. I've sailed with Italians for the last year and a half, and compared to the Italians we are not superstitious at all.

Walker continued: "Tim [Powell] made great starts in all the practices which is very important in the Copa del Rey, to be able to get left in that (today's sea breeze) wind direction. If you don't get a good start you've got no chance in the race."

As mentioned yesterday, Jochen Schuemann is sailing Copa del Rey Camper Audi on Harm Muller-Spreer's German boat Platoon. The two time Alinghi crewman and four time Olympic medallist, enjoyed being out on the water in a fleet race. After winning the America's Cup with Alinghi it was a refreshing pleasure. "I enjoyed it very much," he said. "It's only my second day in a TP52. The big fleet of nearly one design boats is a real challenge for me. Sailing like that it is never over, not like match racing, where you are either winning or losing. There is still work to do. Here you can set a new mark gain one or two positions and enjoy what you are doing. Fleet racing is always good. In the America's Cup it always looks good and for the sailors it is always very enjoyable."

Other than the America's Cup fleet racing the last fleet racing that Schuemann did was in 2004 at Breitling Regatta and Copa del Rey with Zurich in the IMS 600 class. "It was only the practice race but this is good, it is very refreshing," continued Schuemann. "The guys on the boat are good and make it easy for you to do your job, you get all the assistance from the guys around. I haven't sailed with John Cutler since something like 1995 or 1994 when we did the Aerosail project."

And of his future in the TP 52 class: "I will have to see the future of the America's Cup sorted out before I see if I can do more of this type of sailing. The America's Cup is the top event, but this is very enjoyable."

Schuemann has always fought shy of simply jumping from boat to boat, circuit to circuit, in the past, saying he does not simply want to be a 'taxi driver'. That is still his philosophy. "I came here because there was an open slot as a helm and the guys pushed hard for me to come on a German boat, but I have never wanted to simply be a professional paid sailor, paid for jobs, getting called up and told where my next job is, like a taxi driver. It is about the quality of the sailing and the enjoyment."

Schuemann made a difference today to Harm Mueller Spreer's Platoon which is certainly one of the most improved boats this season, now lying seventh overall. They made a strong start towards the pin end of the start line and crossed the finish line second behind Bribon.

Finish times

Pos	Boat	Finish time
1	BRIBON	15:00:29
2	PLATOON	15:01:02
3	STAY CALM	15:01:11
4	ARTEMIS	15:01:36
5	CxG CORPORACIÓN CAIXAGALICIA	15:01:46
6	VALLE ROMANO - MEAN MACHINE	15:01:52
7	BALEARIA	15:02:53
8	CAM, CAJA MEDITERRÁNEO	15:02:55
9	SIEMENS	15:03:00
10	MUTUA MADRILEÑA	15:03:24
11	C-QUADRAT - ASTRO	15:03:30
12	FRAM XVI	15:03:59
13	BIGAMIST 6	15:04:01
14	GLORY	15:04:32
15	AIFOS	15:04:49
16	CRISTABELLA	15:04:59
17	VALARS	15:05:12
18	ONO	15:05:15
19	PATCHES	DNF
20	RUSAL - Synergy	DNF
21	TAU CERAMICA-ANDALUCIA	DNF
22	ANONIMO Q8	DNF
23	WINDQUEST	DNC
24	BAMBAKOU	DNC