Breitling MedCup Castellón - Race 5 : Orlanda first, but Siemens third place secures them first overall

In the day's second race Orlanda was quick to reap the benefit of going to the favoured right side, as Francesco Bruni recalls:

“We were looking at the wind before the start and we decided we liked the right side. We saw some cruising boats and they looked like they were in good pressure and we decided to go right. We had a very good start and on the first wind shift we were lifted ten degrees, a beautiful shift. At the first cross of the fleet we were well ahead and from there it was pretty easy. At the finish of the first run we made the biggest gains when we went to the left hand buoy (looking down the course) and tacked off right and got a lot more pressure again. That was the biggest gain for us. Ono is kind of interesting to see how big a step they have made since Punta Ala, but I think we have made the biggest step when it is light. We had a shocker in Punta Ala in the light breeze.”

“We had serious problems with the mast in Punta Ala which we did not realise and we seem to have that sorted, so we were pretty far off. So, speaking with the designers of the boat, we made a big change and we have a couple of new downwind sails which are making a big difference. It is pretty easy to gain a lot of speed downwind with a good downwind sail.”

Orlanda won by over two minutes from Caixa Galica. With John Kostecki on tactics for Roberto Bermudez Caixa gained six places on the first downwind, holding right after their opposition had gybed.

The second heat was more of an opportunist’s race with the breeze shifting right most of the time but with an interlude when it was in the left just to keep the tacticians on their toes.

With tomorrow’s 25-30 mile inshore coastal race and a final windward-leeward race on Saturday, the regatta is already reaching its concluding stages.

Start of the fifth race of the Breitling MedCup Castellón regatta. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Start of the fifth race of the Breitling MedCup Castellón regatta. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Start of the fifth race of the Breitling MedCup Castellón regatta. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

C-Quadrat at the start of the fifth race on her maiden racing day. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Orlanda arriving at the leeward gate ahead of the fleet. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The rest of the fleet rounded arriving at the leeward gate. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

A concentration of boats at the leeward gate puts helmsmen and tacticians at great stress. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Orlanda rounding the windward gate ahead of the fleet. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

ONO and Caixa Galicia rounding the windward gate second and third respectively. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The rest of the fleet rounding the windward gate. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The bottom of the fleet rounding the windward gate. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The bottom of the fleet at the final downwind leg. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Orlanda crossing the finish line (5 legs instead of 4) comfortably ahead of the rest. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Caixa Galicia crossing the finish line (5 legs instead of 4) in second place. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Siemens steals the second place from ONO right at the finish. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Similar photo finishes take place in every race. Castellón, 6 July 2006. Photo by Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing