Synergy vs. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. Supplied image.
by Lorenza Priamo
The last race of the Round Robin saw Mascalzone Latino Audi Team face Emirates Team New Zealand, the “Latin Rascals” weren’t able to overcome the kiwis, finishing fourth at the leaderboard of the qualification series. In the following races of the quarterfinals Mascalzone Latino Audi Team sailed against Russia’s Synergy, fifth overall in the RR that fought for, and obtained, their spot in the semifinals at the expense of Mascalzone.
The last race of the Round Robin as decided on the starting line that Gavin Brady crosses slightly ahead of time, thus having to go back and recross. It would be impossible to recover that initial deficit and Mascalzone Latino would lose the opportunity to finish second overall in the Round Robin. They would therefore have to fight for their berth in the semifinals in a best-of-three series against Synergy.
In the first match Mascalzone Latino Audi Team doesn’t commit any mistakes, goes off on starboard tack, neck and neck with Karol Jablonski, who nevertheless manages to stretch and build an advantage impossible to reduce by Mascalzone, despite sailing concentrated and attentive to the Russian adversary. Synergy takes the win and holds the match ball for the following race.
The second race starts at 5:40pm, after a long wait for the breeze to settle. The breeze blows at 15 knots. During the prestart and after a spectacular passage by Mascalzone Latino Audi Team through the spectator fleet, the two yachts cross the finish line side by side.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team defends the right side of the course under the tacking duels that Synergy, in vain, throws at them in an effort to break their hold. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team rounds the weather mark with a 21-second advantage, the same lead they hold at the leeward gate. Mascalzone will maintain their lead and cross the finish line 33 seconds ahead of their adversary. One all.
The decisive race started at 7pm, after the committee changed the race course due to the dying breeze. Gavin Brady’s start wasn’t one of his best and conditioned the outcome of the race. A significant wind shift to the left strips Vincenzo Onorato’s from any possibility to recover, despite the continuous attacks.
Unfortunately, the schedule of the Louis Vuitton Trophy was heavily conditioned by the weather (winds either too strong or too light) and the collision between the two American yachts: these two factors obliged the Race Committee to force certain parts of the schedule, such as today’s, when races were held in conditions far from perfect.
“Today we can’t say we had our best day – stated the skipper Gavin Brady – but the most important thing is the team remained united, nobody got angry with anyone else, we have all learned and we have all grown now , and even if our result wasn’t as good as in Auckland, I’m sure next time we’ll do better”.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team
Louis Vuitton Trophy
