Jesus Renedo / Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre

Audi TP52 match race

As the Ran Mini Maxi scores another two bullets at Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre

Tuesday July 17th 2012, Author: James Boyd, Location: Spain

The Bay of Palma delivered yet another day of fine racing conditions at Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre with the local Garbi wind building to reach an unforecast 18-20 knots, enough to cause several spinnakers to blow.

In IRC 0, where the biggest boats are racing, they sailed two races with Niklas Zennström's Rán scoring two bullets, causing her to open a seven point gap overall ahead of Hap Fauth's new generation Judel Vrolijk 72, Bella Mente, which was second and third today. George Sakellaris' Shockwave finished the opposite way around with a third and second, while Sir Irvine Laidlaw's Wally 82 Highland Fling XI, the largest vessel in the fleet, could only manage fifth and fourth places today.

In IRC 1 the competition ended up as a TP52 match race between Alberto Roemmers' Audi Azzurra Sailing Team and Jochen Schuemann's Franco-German Audi All4One. A very good start by the former allowed her to round the first top mark in first, closely followed by All4One. But risky tactics, called by Jordi Calafat on All4One in the last run made her lose her position to Tony Langley's British team on Gladiator. The second race of the day was even worse for Schuemann's crew, finishing sixth and causing them to drop off the podium. At the end of today, after four races sailed, first overall is Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, followed by Gladiator and Peter Cunningham's Powerplay.

The Soto 40s made their debut at the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre today running in their own class. Andy Soriano's Allegre dominated the day's two races from beginning to end, while the Soto 40 European Championship's current leader, Tony Buckingham's Ngoni, started on the wrong foot, as did Spanish favourites, Iberdrola. The José María Torcida-skippered 40 footer tried to win the pin, but was left with no space. The Spanish boat managed to recover to finish third.

The new arrival in the class, Bigamist, from Portugal, suffered issues with her spinnaker, caused her to lose positions along the race to finish eighth. But skipper Afonso Domingos then took revenge by winning race two, leaving the Portugese team third overall, tied on points with Iñaki Castañer's Noticia. Alegre was second to take the overall lead, where Iberdrola is lying second.

The fleet's smallest one designs, the J/80s, enjoyed lighter winds in their race area but still sailed two races today. Ignacio Camino's Nextel and Jose María van der Ploeg's Nilfisk won race one and two respectively, thus closing in on Carlos Martinez's Mapfre, which remains leader in spite of her third and fourth placed finishes today.

Racing in the X-35 division class was as tight today as yesterday, with each race bringing a new set of positions. Audi Ultra now shares the lead with Margherite – Jsteam of Italian Roberto Mazzucato, which scored a 1-2 today. Slow but steady, defending champion Hotelplan-Spirit of Nerina holds third overall.

Tomorrow Wednesday the IRC and RI divisions will sail a coastal race of approximately 30 miles, with the rest of the fleets will sail two windward-leeward races.

From Guido Trombetta/Studio Borlenghi

 

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