Les concurrents de l’Audi Championnat du Monde de TP52 ont longtemps attendu le vent aujourd’hui, mais ils ont finalement pu courir avec une manche banane en milieu d’après-midi.
C’est une première victoire sous les couleurs de leur nouveau sponsor. L’équipe espagnole menée par Ignacio Triay, qui annonçait il y a deux jours son partenariat avec Paramount Park Murcia, remporte la seule manche disputée ce mercredi et prend par la même occasion la tête du classement général provisoire, avec un point d’avance sur les Britanniques de Gladiator.
Le thermique a tardé à s’établir aujourd’hui sur Porto Cervo mais l’équipe organisatrice du Yacht Club Costa Smeralda a eu le nez fin en envoyant la flotte sur le plan d’eau où elle a donné le départ de la Manche 3 à 15h30.
Les conditions ont toutefois donné du fil à retordre aux tacticiens. Pour réussir dans cette course, il fallait bien suivre les risées et éviter l’extérieur du parcours. Leaders à l’issue de la première journée hier, les Anglais de Gladiator ont sauvé les meubles en doublant Quantum Racing dans le dernier bord de portant pour terminer quatrième.
L’équipe franco-allemande d’Audi Sailing Team powered by All4One n’est décidément pas très à l’aise dans le petit temps. Sa sixième place aujourd’hui ne lui permet pas de décoller du fond du classement. Mais les prévisions météo pour le reste de la semaine seront sans doute plus favorables aux hommes de Jochen Schümann.
Le Mistral devrait s’inviter à la fête demain pour la manche côtière de coefficient 1,5.
« Nous sommes en tête pour l’instant », explique Ignacio Triay, régleur et project manager de Paramount Park Murcia, « mais nous savons que cela ne va peut-être pas durer car notre bateau n’est pas le plus rapide dans la brise. Mais ce changement de conditions va être intéressant pour la flotte. La dernière fois que nous avons eu des vents assez forts, c’était à Cagliari en juillet, donc il va falloir reprendre ses marques ».
« Il y a beaucoup de points en jeu demain donc ça va être une journée capitale dans ces championnats du monde. Mais chaque jour compte. On ne peut pas se permettre de baisser la garde », explique Ed Baird, skipper-barreur de Quantum Racing, champion du monde en titre, et vainqueur de l’Audi MedCup 2011.
Audi Championnat du Monde de TP52
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Sardaigne
1. Paramount Park Murcia (ESP) 4+2+1= 7 points
2. Gladiator (GBR) 3+1+4= 8 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA) 1+3+5= 9 points
4. Container (GER) 2+7+3= 12 points
5. RÁN (SWE) 6+5+2= 13 points
6. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (IT) 5+4+7= 16 points
7. Audi ALL4ONE (GER) 7+6+6= 19 points
The 2011 Argo Group Gold Cup burst into life today after several Tour Card Holders tasted defeat against wildcards and qualifiers in the second Qualifying Session in Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda.
In the opening exchanges, the headlines were all about Taylor Canfield (ISV) Team ISV and Lance Fraser (BER) Freelance-Digicel. A shock win for 18-year old Fraser against Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat was then superseded by a great run of wins for Canfield against three Tour Card Holders.
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team, Mirsky and Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing all fell foul to Canfield, the young skipper looking every bit as impressive as last year in the Gold Cup when he finished in 6th place. Reflecting on his performances, Canfield said: “Beating the top seeds in the group is the ideal start. This is our first Tour event for the year and we’re aiming to match, if not better, last year.”
There’s little room for error in the Argo Group Gold Cup Qualifying Sessions where just two losses can put a team into the repechage. A crop of teams in Group 2 face that very prospect after Gilmour and Mirsky all finished the second Qualifying Session on 2-2: “We should be winning our first races in the group stages – the guys who beat us deserved to win,” said Mirsky. “We may be able to pick things back up but it depends on how the rest go. Usually two loses puts you into the repechage group. We’ve got tough matches coming up and every one of them counts now so the pressure is really on.”
In stark contrast to the opening day, a consistent breeze of 12 to 14 knots swept through a sunny Hamilton Harbour to allow plenty of racing. In Group 3, the Tour Card Holders started to assert their authority with Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group and French Match Racing Team mates Mathieu Richard and Damien Iehl all posting 4-0 scorelines. The pressure in that group will rise tomorrow though when those three face one another with only two automatic qualification places on offer, something Williams is only too aware of: “With these IOD boats you have all 3 crew trimming and I’ve got 3 really strong guys so that’s working well for us – when we started behind we were able to overtake, even with a penalty in one match. That said, it all comes down to tomorrow with Iehl, Richard and myself gunning for two spots.”
It was always going to be a tall order for Peter Miller (BER) to reach the knock out stages however the young skipper was able to raise a smile after a winless day in Group 2: “It was a tough but fun day. I’ve never had so much fun getting my ass kicked! We got better as the day went on and we got more comfortable with the way things go. Hopefully we do better tomorrow and manage to get a win. Things can only get easier from here hopefully!”
Group 1 resumed their racing after completing only one flight on the opening day. After a series of shock wins for the wildcards and qualifiers earlier in the day, the Tour Card Holders continued to turn the screw. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing, who sits in second place in the Championship race and needs a high score here to really put the pressure on Williams going into Malaysia, was in fine form. Wins against Jakub Pawluk (POL) Henri Lloyd Racing, Jordan Reece (AUS) True Blue Racing, local skipper Blythe Walker (BER) Team RenRe and Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing takes him to a 4-0 overnight score alongside Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners and Staffan Lindberg (FIN) Alandia Sailing Team. Fellow Championship contender Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekononmen Sailing Team finishes the day on 3-1.
Again though, with only two automatic qualification places, one of these teams, if they’re still in the hunt after their seven races, will have to give way and fight it out in the repechage.
The third qualifying session gets underway at 0900 local time (-4hrs GMT) on Thursday 6 October. Catch the preview on The WMRT Morning Show with Hannah White and a review of each day on The WMRT