Image copyright Audi MedCup.
by Guiliano Luzzatto
Audi Azzurra Sailing Team fell victim to continuing wind shifts while leading the fleet in the second race of the day.
Three races took place today in the Audi MedCup Marseille Trophy accompanied by a south-easterly wind of 10 to 18 knots. The forecast for Sunday currently predicts strong Mistral winds which could mean the final day's racing is cancelled.
Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was aboard supporting the team in this challenging leg of the Audi MedCup today and in the second race Audi Azzurra Sailing Team led from the off after an excellent start and a perfect tack. On the last downwind leg Azzurra was still in control when she unexpectedly hit a windless hole allowing those following to avoid the trap and overtake her.
Azzurra finished in fifth place as she had done in the first race in which she played catch up for the duration. In the third race a poor start on the left forced the team to choose the right side of the course which proved costly for Azzurra who went on to finish in sixth place.
"We have to admit our mistakes in the afterguard," acknowledged tactician Francesco Bruni frankly, "we raced badly; we are not satisfied at all. Fortune was not on our side, of course, in the second race. If we had won that one we would have been in a different frame of mind and perhaps we would have started better in the third race too."
Thanks to the results achieved in the leg in Cascais and a victory in the first race in Marseille, Azzurra maintains third place in the overall classification for the circuit. The aim now is to get back on track and start moving up the classification.
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
