Image copyright Francesco Ferri_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup.
by Guiliano Luzzatto
Audi Azzurra Sailing Team sailed an excellent race and finished the coastal course in the Audi MedCup Marseille Trophy in second place.
The classic long race, which is worth 1.5 times each boat's finish place, saw Azzurra lead from the first windward mark. Following a downwind run towards Marseille and a reach to the mark off Cassis, the course took the fleet round the islands of the Frioul and Riou archipelagos. Azzurra dominated downwind and started the windward return leg with a lead of almost one minute over Synergy in 20 knots of Mistral wind. The long upwind leg was perhaps the most exciting of the coastal race with each team choosing its own tack and positions changing throughout the fleet.
All4One fought back from the back end of the fleet to finish third as did Quantum who finished fourth. Bribon and Container meanwhile vied with Azzurra for the lead and it was the Germans of Container who managed to overtake the Italians and finish first.
"It was a great race," said skipper Guillermo Parada, "challenging, with varying wind strength and direction. Francesco and Vasco did a great job getting the boat in a good position in relation to the other competitors. We couldn't control the whole fleet upwind as it was very spread out, we stayed calm but Container got past. We got a good second place in any case."
Strategist Vasco Vascotto agreed: "We'll celebrate this result, we could have darker days in the future but we will keep fighting and that's the best quality of this great team."
"Today was like a new start," said tactician Francesco Bruni, "We needed today's result for our morale, we raced well but we suffered in choppy upwind conditions, where the boat is not perfect yet. We are happy to have raced better and moved up the classification to third place."
The forecast for tomorrow, the final day of the Marseille Trophy, gives strong Mistral winds. Container is now at the top of the overall classification followed by Quantum and Azzurra. Today Pablo Roemmers, a member of owner Alberto Roemmers' family, was aboard during racing while tomorrow Italian rugby player Andrea Lo Cicero will sail with the crew of Audi Azzurra Sailing Team.
AUDI AZZURRA SAILING TEAM
Guillermo Parada - Skipper and Helmsman
Francesco Bruni - Tactician
Vasco Vascotto - Strategist
Bruno Zirilli - Navigator
Paul Westlake - Mainsail
Mariano Caputo - Bowman
Pedro Rossi - Mid Bow
Juan Pablo Cadario - Pitman
Maciel Cichetti - Trimmer
Mariano Parada - Trimmer
Simon Fry - Trimmer
Gabriel Marino - Grinder
Alejandro Colla - Grinder
Boat Captain: Pedro Rossi
Owner: Alberto Roemmers
Audi Azzurra Sailing Team
Audi MedCup
