After yesterday’s stomach churning washing machine of a day, the Costa Smeralda turned the glamour conditions back on again for day three of the 44Cup Porto Cervo, organised by the RC44 class and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The sun was out and the southeasterly erred little from 8-10 knots enabling three races to be held.
The first race saw Team Charisma make the best start at the boat end but coming into the top mark it was RC44 newbie helmsman Markus Törnqvist and his GeMera that had edged ahead to lead on to the run ahead of Nico Poons’ team – a fine performance from the 44Cup’s latest team. GeMera gybed early which might have let Charisma in but, gybing back, they successfully crossed Charisma to lead into the port leeward gate mark. But it was not to last - on the second beat Charisma once again did well on the right, edged into the lead to take the bullet.
In race two there was a general recall and then, on the second attempt, John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing was a little too eager at the pin and had to restart. Shortly after the start out to port Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref Vaider and GeMera also found themselves doing turns. Meanwhile having started fourth out from the pin and tacking early, Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team found a clear lane out to the right, pulled ahead, from there led for the remainder of the race.
“Our first two races were good,” said Christian Zuerrer of his team’s day. “We try to stay in the pack and to avoid extreme wins or losses. Being in the middle is really a step forward for us. Even in these difficult and different wind conditions, on every day we’ve found the groove, the trim, and the steering through the waves, and we’ve always had enough pressure in the sails to bring the boat forward.”
The third race saw Peninsula Racing over early once again with GeMera and Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika claiming the favoured right. Coming in from the left Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing encountered Team Nika on starboard and was bounced back to the left, but this in fact paid handsomely and when the Swedish RC44 tacked back, after a little wiggling she just managed to round the top mark ahead of Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing.
Behind there was carnage. Team Ceeref Vaider came up to lay the mark forcing GeMera to come up as well, both coming to a near standstill, but particularly affecting Team Charisma and Chris Bake’s Team Aqua directly astern of them. Team Ceeref Vaider and GeMera maintained just enough way to edge around the mark, but Team Aqua and Charisma were less fortunate and came to complete standstill, Team Aqua drifting down on to the mark and having to carry out a penalty turn.
Meanwhile those astern, such as Black Star Sailing Team, had to take extreme avoiding action. Christian Zuerrer explained: “We were hoping that it would be all cleared up before we got there, but Charisma and Aqua were stuck, so we had to gybe around and go behind them to stay free to do our top mark rounding. You definitely wanted to stay away from trouble like that.”
Ahead Artemis Racing and Aleph Racing split at the bottom gate with the Swedes ahead but then tacking to cover, but they had done enough to lead round the final lap and take the win. Team Nika came home fifth which was enough to see them lead into the final day but by only a point from a charging Artemis Racing, with Black Star Sailing Team 10 points behind in third with GeMera a further five back.
“Today was tough,” commented Team Nika tactician Nic Asher. “It was hard to execute and get off the start line where you wanted to given the line bias and then getting to the right where there was more pressure and a bit of a right bend. But we still had the second best day.”
While Artemis Racing had the best day on the water, Black Star did well too. “They seem to be going well upwind,” observed Asher of the Swiss. “We had a few opportunities today to put some pain on them which we did. Sometimes if you get the opportunity to do it, you've got to do it because it's so close. So there were a couple of times we pushed them back a bit.”
Also finally getting their act together today was Daniel Calero’s Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team, who after a 10th in the first race posted much more respectable fifth and third places.
“It's a really good feeling,” commented Calero. “When you work hard and the good results don't come, you have one feeling, but today was completely different. The second race was a pity because we were third and then we dropped the spinnaker into the water. But we recovered the situation and managed to get a fifth. Then in the third race today, we got a third. So the crew is very happy because they have been working super hard to be competitive. At least we are now in the good position.”
Three more races are scheduled for tomorrow when, due to the wind conditions, the first warning signal will be an hour earlier at 1100.