Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia Trophy (Photo by Ian Roman / Audi MedCup)
The penultimate regatta of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit, the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy starts off Cartagena in just one week’s time and has drawn a full complement of 11 TP52 teams and five GP42’s. With the public village opening next Saturday the Audi MedCup logistics team is working at full stretch to make sure everything is ready for another successful visit to Cartagena
The return to Cartagena will be welcomed by crews and organisers alike, not just for the memorable sailing conditions which were served up last year, when the big, steep waves and brisk afternoon winds produced some of the season’s most dramatic action images, but for the warmth of the welcome and the huge enthusiasm which the historic city always reserves for the Audi MedCup. This will be the third consecutive year that the Audi MedCup returns.
The Audi MedCup Circuit Public Village opens with free access to visitors on Saturday 21st August with the official TP52 Practice Race on the Tuesday and points racing beginning on Wednesday. The GP42’s have their practice race Wednesday, and the TP52 Coastal Race is scheduled for Friday 27th.
As always Cartagena delivers a very active and comprehensive supporting social programme. The Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy forms the centerpiece of a week long festival of activities including Roman and Carthagenian parades, a regional championship for young Optimist sailors (23rd-25th), a custom motorbike show on Saturday 28th and an aircraft display on the final day of the regatta, Sunday 29th.
Challenging the Kiwi consistency
Over history the city and surrounding towns have become no strangers to conflict. Of strategic importance near the entrance to the Mediterranean and blessed with valuable mineral resources, Cartagena and the adjacent lands saw many battles at sea and on land. Next week it will be up to Audi MedCup champions Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) – who won here last year – to prove they can hold off the attacks from their principal TP52 Series rivals, to protect or increase the lead they have through to the end of the season.
Indeed even if the 2009 champions left Murcia with their current lead intact at 28.5 points they would be in a strong position to defend their overall championship title, but at the forefront of their minds is the knowledge that their margin represents little more than one bad day. The strengths of the challengers appear to be more consistent this season with Quantum Racing (USA) and Artemis (USA) both winning regattas this year.
Photo By Ian Roman / Audi MedCup)
At this stage in the season with settled teams, there are few significant crew changes announced so far. After a disappointing regatta in Barcelona, the Franco-German team on Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE have French navigator Philippe Mourniac – who was unable to race there – returning. The all Italian line up on Luna Rossa (ITA) remains the same, buoyed by last week’s triumph in the Melges 24 World Championships of helm Lorenzo Bressani (ITA).
GP42 Series: Tied at the top
After Madrid – Caser Seguros’ (ESP) first regatta win in Barcelona, they now lead the GP42 Series but only on a tie-break with Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), the reigning Audi MedCup Champions. Skipper/tactician Jose María Van der Ploeg (ESP), who sidelined in Barcelona by injury, returns to lead the line in Cartagena.
Cartagena holds bittersweet memories for Madrid – Caser Seguros helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA). It was here that on the last leg of the last race his Roma (ITA) team lost the 2009 title to the Canarias team. But Madrid – Caser Seguros is going better than ever, and after winning six of nine races in Barcelona could be considered the team to beat for the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy.
Quotes:
Ed Reynolds (USA), project manager Quantum Racing (USA):
“ ETNZ certainly seem more vulnerable than they did last year, but they are still doing what they need to do. Minimize the big score and stay consistent. There are still 200+ points left at play for the season, so a lot can happen.”
“Barcelona seemed like “the one that got away”.
“We’ve won the most races so far this year, so I know we are going well. But, we’ve put a few big numbers up, which has kept us from closing on the Kiwis.”
Ray Davies (NZL), tactician Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
“ We need to keep pushing and looking to improve in all areas, this has always been ETNZ’s philosophy, if you stop improving you get left behind. It’s hard to find new ways but they are out there, it’s our goal to make small gains in all areas rather then to look for one big edge.”
“ The level of the fleet is the highest yet. The main reason is it’s easy to copy and to catch up but its hard to find the next level of improvement, I think if we were to have built a new boat we would have made another jump but there is only one new boat this year, all other teams made modifications and copied a lot of our features from last year so they all made big gains, we made small gains by the new ideas and modifications we made. I’m proud we have managed to keep setting the standard.”
José María Van der Ploeg (ESP), skipper Madrid – Caser Seguros (ESP):
“Our goal in Cartagena is to do well and win, because although we are the leaders of the Circuit, we are tied overall and we depend on each race. Last season it was decided on the final leg of the last race of the Circuit, and I think this year it is not going to be any different. So the goal is to sail very focused. ”
Photo by Francesco Ferri / Studio Borlenghi/ Audi MedCup)
Barcelona Ready For Camper Regatta – Conde de Godó Trophy Audi MedCup (Photo by Laura Carrau)
If there is a Mediterranean venue which sailors on the Audi MedCup Circuit have wanted to race at for many years it is Barcelona. So there is a great mood of anticipation as the TP52 Series and GP42 Series crews count down to the days to the Camper Regatta – Conde de Godó Trophy – Barcelona.
Competition opens with the practice race for the TP52 Series on Tuesday 20th July with the GP42 Series firing up their regatta on the Wednesday with their official practice race.
Many Audi MedCup sailors, some of a ‘certain age’ will have very fond memories of the city which was host to the 1992 Olympics.
Spanish Jose María Van Der Ploeg (GP42 Madrid – Caser Seguros’ owner and skipper) won gold in the Finn class, one of four classes which the host country struck gold in. Spain won gold in the 470 Men’s and Women’s classes and also in the Flying Dutchman class. Domingo Manrique (ESP), trimmer of the GP42 Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), won gold in the FD with Luis Doreste (ESP).
In the Star class, Emirates Team New Zealand’s (NZL) coach Rod Davis (NZL) and mainsheet trimmer Don Cowie (NZL) also have fond memories of Barcelona after winning a silver medal in the Star class in 1992.
The house of the Garbí
Too often Barcelona is associated with light and variable winds, but locals speak highly of the Garbi sea breeze. It may not kick in with the same force as, say a good Palma afternoon, but it is reliable and even.
The big city generates extra heat which enhances the thermal flow. If there is not a big high pressure system sat over the Iberian peninsula then the sea breeze is reliable. If there is then it can be very light and difficult.
The Garbi arrives from around 200 degrees. Typically, as elsewhere, it will start around 180-190 and follow the sun. Nine to 13 knots is the norm and, exceptionally, 16-18 knots.
The seas are usually flat, but if it is blowing from less than 200 then waves can build up, also if there is a gradient SSW’ly wind.
Normally, the sea breeze blows almost parallel to coast off the race area and that does tend to produce more pressure close to the shore, normally the fleets will try to fight for the right side of the race course on the first beat, perhaps a little bit one sided but usually makes for very even, exciting racing.
It will be a great spectator venue with racing taking place off the busy, public beaches in the height of summer. From July 20th to 25th, the Camper Regatta – Conde de Godó Trophy – Barcelona will prove that the Catalan venue is one of the best sailing locations in Europe.
AIR ESSENTIAL 2009 Audi MedCup(Photo by Nico Martinez/Audi MedCup)
The launch of the Portugal Trophy, Cascais, the first stage of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit, is only a couple weeks away and we spoke to Javier Goizueta (ESP), the new GP42 Class President, to learn about the latest news on the teams participating in this year’s GP42 Series.
“Today, we have five pre-registered five teams commited to complete their entries within the next few weeks: three are Spanish, one is British and one from Italy,” Goizueta says. He faces the presidency of the GP42 Class with an interesting season ahead, where he will combine his new role along with the co-ownership of the GP42 Madrid – Caser Seguros (ESP) together with José María van der Ploeg (ESP). Their 2009 Botin & Carkeek design will face this new season after finishing third overall last year, including their victory of the GP42 Series at the Portugal Trophy.
All the pre-registered teams are in their final stages of preparing for the season, with two committed to compete in the Palma Vela regatta (April 14-18) in order to check sails and the changes made to their boats during the winter. One of these is John Bassadone’s (GBR) Peninsula Petroleum (GBR), new into the GP42 Series this year. The British owner bought the Botin & Carkeek ex-Turismo Madrid after competing for the first time on a GP42 during last October’s Puerto Calero GP42 Global Cup in Lanzarote.
Peninsula Petroleum (Photo by Ignacio Baixuli / Audi MedCup)
The Audi MedCup’s newest GP42 Series team to join the Circuit, John Bassadone’s Botin Carkeek designed Peninsula Petroleum (GBR), has been first of the fleet out to train off the Spanish port of Burriana Nova, 35 km north of Valencia, the home of boatbuilders Longitud Cero. Bassadonne’s team acquired Turismo Madrid, and Chimo Lopez and his team have made some alterations to the keel during the winter.
The other team racing in the Palma Vela regatta will be Roberto Monti’s (ITA) AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), after making some slight changes to their deck layout, and with some new team members and new sails.
Joining these three will be two other boats which have confirmed their participation in the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit. Both are Botín & Carkeek designs, with one racing last year in Alicante and Cartagena as Iberdrola (ESP), and the other none other than the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit GP42 Series Champion, Daniel Calero’s (ESP) Puerto Calero (ESP).
Schedule and guests
“I think that this year’s calendar is superb,” Javier Goizueta remarks. “Including Barcelona as a venue is just fantastic all around: the race course, the notoriety, the infrastructures,… I think that is an absolute good idea in terms of development of the Circuit.”
Together with the two new venues (Cascais and Barcelona), the President of the GP42 Class highlights another novelty which, in his opinion, will help in the promotion of the Audi MedCup Circuit and the two Series participating, GP42 and TP52. This year, one guest will be sailing onboard each GP42 and TP52, both during racing and during the official training days. “This year we have an innovation which I think is fundamental: the onboard guest,” said Goizueta. “Thinking of the non-specialised media, an owner’s business-to-business contacts and potential new owners, this is a very powerful tool that we want to take full advantage of.”
This new rule is not the only one to be a good promotional tool, according to Goizueta: “We want to take advantage of the great facilities developed by Audi MedCup in order to provide a better service for our guests. I think that the elements available are extraordinary, and our goal is to make the most of them. I also think that the Public Village is a great idea to show the visitors the real excitement of this sport.”
Sailing program
The Notice of Race for the Audi MedCup Circuit 2010 says that there will be a maximum of 45 Windward/Leeward races for the GP42 Series. The Portugal Trophy, Cascais is the first event of the season, with the official training day scheduled for Wednesday, 12 May, with racing held Thursday 13 May, through Sunday 16 May. On that day we’ll know the name of the first event winner of the 2010 GP42 Series.
Luna Rossa and Quantum Racing First To Train in Spaing For Audi MedCup (Photo by© Carmen Hidalgo / Audi MedCup)
