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Mean Machine dominates coastal race; leads overall

Posted 1 month, 20 days ago

Mean Machine dominates coastal race; leads overall
The winning streak continued for Peter de Ridder and his Mean Machine boat. Fresh from yesterday's two victories, Mean Machine won Wednesday's coastal race, after having crossed the scoring gate ahead of the fleet. Still, with Quantum Racing and TAU Andalucia just a couple of points behind them, the Alicante Torphy is open for grabs. After a short-lived postponment ashore, the race committee had to go further to the south in order to find some stronger breeze. The starting gun was fired with just a half an hour delay and the 16 TP52 boats went off heading southeast towards the first mark. The right side of the course was the favorite one and Mean Machine, TAU Andalucia, Quantum and Artemis opted for it. In what was probably the worst tactical decision that cost them their leadership, Bribón decided to go furthest to the right, getting trapped in less pressure. Dean Barker tacked just twice in the first leg, resulting in a 14th place at the first windward mark. It was game over from that point for the then leader.Mean Machine rounded the top mark first, closely followed by Quantum. Peter de Ridder's boat was able to hold on to its lead while behind them, Artemis and TAU Andalucia were fighting with Quantum.After rounding the leeward gate the TP52 fleet started a long upwind race to the island of Tabarca. Again the right paid off and the four leading boats sailed well, aided by the breeze that had picked up, reaching 12 knots. There were hardly any changes in the order they crossed the first scoring gate. When the fleet went behind the scenic island, Mean Machine had a third consecutive win in the pocket.When the fleet reappeared and started a long downwind stretch to the "Butano" buoy nobody could expect what was about to happen. Half way through, the breeze started dropping and shifting noticeably and the problems sprang up for the tacticians. At the buoy, the race committee was signaling a 60 degree shift that would cause upheaval in the fleet.The dying breeze was nowhere to be found except as close as possible to the coastline, unless of course you were Caixa Galicia. While Mean Machine, TAU Andalucia, Artemis and Quantum racing almost entered Alicante's port in their search for the slightest puff, Caixa Galicia found more pressure as far as possible from it and managed to climb from 8th to finish 3rd. The rest of the fleet that chose to go in between stalled, especially Matador and AUDI Q8. Alicante Trophy - AUDI MedCup / Provisional standings after 6 races

	Team	Races							Points
		1	2	3	4	5	6A	6B
1	Mean Machine	7	16	5	1	1	1	1	32
2	Quantum Racing	4	5	9	3	2	4	6	33
3	TAU Andalucia	1	1	6	9	9	3	5	34
4	Bribón	3	3	1	4	4	12	9	36
5	Mutua Madrileña	2	4	8	8	3	6	12	43
6	Artemis	12	11	4	10	7	2	2	48
7	Platoon	5	9	2	5	14	8	8	51
8	Matador	10	14	3	2	10	5	10	54
9	Desafío	9	6	7	11	5	11	7	56
10	Cristabella	11	2	15	7	12	10	4	61
11	Caixa Galicia	15	7	11	13	8	7	3	64
12	ONO	8	12	10	12	11	9	11	73
13	AUDI Q8	13	10	12	6	6	15	15	77
14	CAM	6	8	16	14	15	14	13	86
15	RUSAL Synergy	14	13	13	16	16	14	13	99
16	Valars	16	15	14	15	13	16	16	105
17	AIFOS	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	140
18	Bigamist	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	140
19	USA 17	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	140

Start of the coastal race. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingStart of the coastal race. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingProbably the worst tactical decision of the day. Bribón tacks for the first time in the first beat after going too far to the right. It was impossible for Dean Barker and the Spanish boat to recover their mistake. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingMean Machine was already leading the race at the first windward mark, closely followed by Quantum. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingPart of the fleet at the first windward mark. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingDesafío at the first downwind leg. Once again the Spanish team had a mediocre performance. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingTAU Andalucia had an excellent downwind leg and rounded the leeward gate second. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingBribón and Cristabella round the leeward gate. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingTerry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing on her way to the Tabarca island. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingTAU Andalucia and Artemis in 3rd and 4th place on the way to the Tabarca island. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingDuring the upwind leg to the island of Tabarca, Artemis climbed to 2nd place. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingMutua Madrileña and Caixa Galicia round the Tabarca island 6th and 7th respectively. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingMean Machine, comfortably ahead of the the other yachts, sailing to victory. Alicante, 15 May 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing Full Story »

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