Audi MedCup in 2011

Technical Director Nacho Postigo brings us up to speed

A constant fear for the Audi MedCup organisers this year was that with some certainty coming to the 34th America’s Cup, so many of the AC-teams-in-waiting that participate on their circuit would pull out, leaving fleet racing’s premier class depleted for 2011. However partly thanks to the changes for the 34th AC apparently being either too radical or too expensive or too soon for some of these teams, the situation at present is not looking quite so dire for the TP52 fleet with for example Synergy and possibly Luna Rossa looking to stay on for next season.

Nonetheless, while 2011 is lining up to be a year of ‘transition’, the MedCup itself seems to be in good shape as last week in Cagliari Audi announced they were extending their sponsorship by another three years. Into the mix the organisers have also decided to part company with the GP42 class, replacing it with the Argentinean-built Soto 40 one design that will become the new Audi MedCup B boat for next season and on.

The best weather gauge for the Audi MedCup is its Technical Director and well known navigator, Nacho Postigo. “What is happening next year is difficult to say, because it is hard to know what is happening with the world of sailing,” he confesses. “I have the feeling that everything is changing – and that’s not just the America’s Cup. There hasn’t been much boat building in the last two years. Some classes are running down. Our position is that we need to be in pole position to take as many people into the circuit as possible when those changes start to happen next year.”

While the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed TeamOrigin 1851 was the only new TP52 built for this year’s Audi MedCup, Postigo reckons that there could be as many as three for 2011. Last week Quantum Racing were the first to commit with a new Botin & Carkeek design on order, while Argentinian Alberto Roemmers’ Matador team seems to be the next most likely and then there are others who may follow suit or at least trade up, provided they can sell their existing boat.

Emirates Team New Zealand, winners of this year’s MedCup are certain to depart having sold their boat to a new Australian owner. TeamOrigin 1851 is set to head back to the UK where she is expected to be campaigned by Charles Dunstone. Their departure may remove the very elite end from the TP52 class, but Postigo thinks this will end up benefitting the circuit. “I think it is going to be good for the class, not necessarily next year but in two year’s time. There are plenty of owners around looking at this circuit and this class and saying ‘I would do it if I didn’t have to fight against Dean Barker and the budgets of Team New Zealand or TeamOrigin.’ As soon as the level goes down just a fraction and these scary teams are out of the circuit, I am convinced more owners will come.”

With more owner-driver teams potentially returning to the Audi MedCup for this reason they are looking at reinstating an owner-driver trophy (this season the only owner-drivers have been Artemis’ Torbjorn Tornvist and Cristabella’s John Cook). “My personal feeling is that these top teams going out will be a good opportunity to grow. Again the economic situation is not good and I don’t think we will see the 24 boats we had in 2006-7 but maybe in two years’ time we will be back up to 15 boats.” However numbers are difficult to predict, particularly at present, as he reckons there will be some musical chairs between classes as during these difficult economic times some wane while others are on the ascent. As Postigo puts it: “I sail in different programs and if I have to tell an owner what we should do for next year, what can I advise him? There are not many options.”

With the leading AC teams out of the circuit then it is possible costs of what it takes to be competitive may come down a little too. Currently a new boat is in the order of 1.5 million Euros with annual running costs in the order of 1 million for a suitably tricked up campaign.

Postigo says that they are already having conversations with some teams that might join the circuit but not for all of the regattas. These include Pedro Mendonca’s Bigamist team from Portugal and from the UK, Johnny Vincent’s Pace (ex Ran, Patches) and Tony Langley’s Weapon of Choice (ex 2008 Matador), both joining the fleet next week for the TP52 World Championship.

So what about all the old Spanish bank and insurance company sponsors? According to Postigo one or two may be back, but most likely in the Soto 40 fleet.

The move to the one design in place of the GP42 for 2011 Postigo says is due to participant numbers falling in the latter but also due to the GP42 failing to entice owners to graduate up into the TP52, which was one of the reasons they brought them into the Audi MedCup. “Obviously the GP42 was not doing its job – I don’t know why because the boat is great. Maybe it is too expensive or it is too complicated because you have to find a designer and a yard... I think a one design is a much simpler thing and it is cheaper.” Hopefully the Soto 40 won’t be so enticing as to lure owners down to it from the TP52...

Designed by Javier Soto (who also penned Alberto Roemmers’ Wally 100 Alexia and his IRC 52 Lola) and built by Javier Mendez’ company M Boats in Buenos Aires, the Soto 40 is a modern one design which is the boat of the moment at present in South America, where 14 are already racing. “The boat is pretty much the same philosophy as any modern boat with a big asymmetric, square topped mainsail without a backstay, bowsprit, flush deck and the boat is very very fast,” says Postigo. However due to these characteristics the boat is not expected to get a good IRC rating.

Among the owners are Torben Grael, but under class rules he is not allowed to steer (a job ably taken by his son Marco) as uniquely they prohibit not ISAF Group 3 professionals but those who within the last 10 years have been an America’s Cup team member or have sailed on the Volvo Ocean Race or in the Olympics – in fact a rule that looks like it was designed from the outset to nail poor Torben who fails on all three counts.

To date Soto 40 hull numbers up to 18 have been sold and the Audi MedCup have booked slots 19-24. So the MedCup will certainly be setting up five teams to compete while Postigo expects another two or three to come from South America, including one of the top campaigns, Argentinian Juan Ball’s Negra. Postigo/Audi MedCup, through a business entity they have yet to set up, will be selling the boats in Europe as they wish to maintain control, ensuring that boats arrive on time and remain equal in a Geoff Stagg sort of way. “If this thing grows, it could be very good, but it has to be nursed so that there are no issues with the payments and everything develops smoothly.”

The five boats are due to arrive in Europe towards the end of March/beginning of April and Postigo reckons they will cost Euro 350,000 ready to race with sails, electronics and tax paid. He is contemplating holding a Audi MedCup warm-up regatta for his new one design fleet at Palma Vela, just after Easter next year. In the Audi MedCup the format of racing for the Soto 40s will be similar to the GP42s with the boats competing over four days rather than five. Each will have nine crew plus one guest.

“Next year is not going to be flash and shiny with 8-11 boats in the TP52s and eight boats in the Soto 40,” admits Postigo. “But I think it will set up the stall for the next year and the future.”

Back to the TP52s and part two of the rule changes announced at the end of the 2009 season are to be put into effect by teams over this winter, principally requiring boats to replace their keels with a new heavier variety aimed at removing the majority of the internal lead correctors (typically 500-800kg) all the present generation boats carry and sticking this lead on the bulb. Following on from the rig changes made this season, such as moving from a spinnaker pole to a bowsprit, removing the backstay to allow a square topped mainsail to be used, the 2011 boats will now have considerably improved stability, a side affect being that they will be much more IRC-friendly in the process.

Postigo reckons that they are unlikely to be any changes to the racing format between this season and next, although he likes the windward mark gate they have been trialling this season. He says they are also looking at the possibility of shortening each of the races and reducing the number from three to two each day, but this is far from confirmed.

A controversial point, that has been discussed ever since the MedCup was set-up, is over the future of the coastal race, but Postigo says that he is in agreement with his fellow Audi MedCup organiser Ignacio Triay and the TP52 Class’ Rob Wieland that keeping this in encourages the TP52s away from becoming solely windward-leeward machines and this in turn maintains the boats' marketability (ie helps their resale value).

The circuit for 2011 has yet to be finalised but Postigo thinks the venues will be the same – Cascais, Marseilles, Barcelona, Cartagena and Cagliari, but in a different order.

“The shore side is getting better and better and we have some new ideas to improve things such as live television, if we have the budget.”

Later this week we will be publishing the team’s views on the circuit and more on their plans.

Later this week we will be publishing the team’s views on the circuit and more on their plans.