What a day! The forecast front did appear over Valencia and brought fresh northeasterly breeze that blew throughout the day from 15 to 20 knots and steep chop that resulted in spectacular but tough races. Racing was so close that two of the day’s three races were decided in the last few hundred meters, resulting in major upsets. The TP52′s might not be the fastest boats in the world but they surely provide very exciting races.
The day’s protagonist was, undoubtedly, AUDI Azzurra. The Italian-Argentinean crew sailed nearly flawlessly and scored two commanding victories under conditions that put the boats and crews to test. The last place in the third race doesn’t entirely reflect their domination as a freak gust and 30-degree shift got them squeezed between the committee boat and Quantum Racing. The Italian spinnaker touched the committee boat flagpole and the resulting penalty relegated them to last.
Luckily for Azzurra, Quantum Racing’s crew sailed in a nearly suicidal way today. It seemed as if they would try everything possible to give away the slim cushion, just 6 points, they had in the season’s rankings earlier in the morning. Tactics were far from brilliant, the boat was struggling in the choppy sea state and crew work at times was very poor. Azzurra erased completely Quantum Racing’s overall lead with the second race but the last spot in the final race gave Quantum some breathing space, just three points, for the remaining five scheduled races.
Action will resume on Thursday at 1pm local time with two more races. Conditions could be again on the edge as the front finally settled over Valencia and is expected to cause heavy downpours during the night. One thing is for sure, no matter how tricky conditions can be during the next three days, there is plenty of “local” brainpower onboard the fleet, with tens of sailors that have spent at least four-five years crisscrossing these waters almost every single day.
Standings Audi Valencia Cup after 3 races
1 Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA) 7 pts (1,1,5)
2 Audi Sailing Team powered by All4One (FRA/GER) 8pts (2,2,4)
3 Rán (SWE) 10pts (4,5,1)
4 Quantum Racing (USA) 10pts (5,3,2)
5 Gladiator 10pts (3,4,3)
Race 1
Going into the first day of racing at the 2012 AUDI Valencia Cup it was obvious that we would be watching a match race between Azzurra and Quantum Racing. The two boats would be holding their race within the race for the season championship and Azzurra didn’t take any chances. Francesco Bruni is wearing two hats here in Valencia. In addition to calling tactics, he’s helming the boat in the prestart, trying to fight another match racing specialist, Ed Baird, that won the 32nd America’s Cup on these waters five years ago.
Still, the risk of such a strategy, focusing entirely on the Italian-American match race, bears its risks and Quantum Racing paid the price in the first race, a hefty one indeed. There is another three boats in the regatta that might not have chances whatsoever towards the championship but are always in contention for the Valencia event. They will throw away any race and will certainly battle it out to the finish line. This is exactly what took place in the event’s first race. After a slow start, the two boats were in the front and heading towards the finish line in the last run on the right side of the course. However, first All4One and then Gladiator squeezed in between coming from the left. Adding insult to injury, RAN rushed and stole fourth place right on the finish line. This was also the worst outcome Racing could have expected, shedding four of its six-point advantage in the championship standings.
Start of the day’s first race. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
RAN leads the fleet at the first weather mark. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Quantum rounds the first weather mark ahead of Azzurra. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra closes in on Quantum Racing in the first run. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra and Quantum Racing lead the fleet in the last stretch of the race. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
All4One gets between Azzurra and Quantum Racing in the last stretch of the race. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Quantum Racing drops from second to fifth while Azzurra wins the race. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Race 2
Unlike the first one, the second race lacked any excitement. Azzurra scored a commanding victory, leading from start and extending their distance to close to two minutes at the finish line. Quantum fared a bit better and finished third, behind All4One, and ahead of Gladiator right on the finish line. Azzurra’s two-point advantage put the season championship to a tie!
Start of the day’s second race. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra leads at the first top mark. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Gladiator rounds the first weather mark ahead of All4One. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Spectacular action at the first weather mark. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Quantum Racing rounds the first weather mark in last place. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
RAN during the second beat. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra extends her lead in the last run. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Yet another photo finish! Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Race 3
As the storm was approaching Valencia from the east this was to be the hardest fought race of the day. After scoring two bullets in the first two races, AUDI Azzurra and Quantum Racing were tied on the overall championship leaderboard and as a result we were expecting a close fight. However, for the three quarters of the race it seemed as if Azzurra would get their third bullet in the opening day of the event, cementing their claim of the Valencia title and, more importantly, overtake Quantum Racing in the season’s rankings. Francesco Bruni helmed the Italian boat to a perfect start and then handed over to Guillermo Parada that went round the buoys, firmly in command, until the last run.
Whoever was able to figure out the clouds better would get an advantage and that’s what RAN did. They got the fresher breeze and stormed to the finish line. A dozen boatlengths before the finish line a puff and 30-degree shift wreaks havoc. RAN blow their spinnaker but have the sufficient cushion to win the race while Quantum is pushed past Azzurra that have no room to maneuver, squeezed between the Aemricans and the race committee boat. Their spinnaker touches the committee boat’s flagpole right on the finish line and Azzurra is immediately given a penalty. By the time they react and go back to recross and offload their penalty Gladiator and All4One had finished. Quantum Racing gets some breathing space but it’s only three points deep!
Start of the day’s last race. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Quantum Racing in the first beat. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra round the first mark ahead of Quantum Racing and in the lead. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra round the first mark ahead of Quantum Racing and in the lead. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
All4One round the first mark. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra are ahead of Quantum in the first run. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra leads at the bottom gate while RAN grabbed second place. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
RAN blow their spinnaker a few boatlengths before the finish line but they hold on to their lead. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
A gust and 30-degree shift power Quantum Racing in front of Azzurra. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Azzurra’s spinnaker touches the committee boat’s flagpole. Valencia, 19 September 2012. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info