Lexus wins Thursday's second race under very shifty and light conditions

[Source: Breitling MedCup] It proved worth the wait for the 16 boat Breitling MedCup TP52 fleet racing for the Athens Trophy which enjoyed the best and closest race yet when an early evening cross offshore breeze puffed up to 14 knots to produce a fitting conclusion to a long, and at times frustrating day on the Saronic Gulf.

Mutua Madrilena strengthened their overall lead with a display of sheer boatspeed, good starting and safe sailing that contributed to their victory in the first race of the day, which was contested in a light, and at times fickle sea breeze.

Peter de Ridder’s crew sailed true to their strategy, taking no risks but starting near the middle of the line. They were able to use their speed upwind to deal with any immediate threats.

Rounding the top mark second behind Eamon Conneely’s Siemens they were quick to spot the breeze stalling ahead of them on the run and gybed away with Caixa Galicia to steal the lead from Siemens.

Start of Thursday's second race at the Athens Trophy. Athens, 24 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

Mutua Madrilena extended to win from Siemens with Roberto Bermudez bringing Caixa Galicia across for third gun. An attempted second race was halted after the first round when the breeze folded, frustrating an Italian one-two of Orlanda and Anonimo. But the race officers held the fleet while the new, easterly offshore quickly became established, racing directly towards the mouth of the 2004 Olympic regatta marina.

With Athens bathed in the evening sunshine the stronger breeze proved a good test of crew work and tactics. With some significant puffs and lulls across the track there were plenty of opportunities for gains and losses. Lexus, with Russell Coutts driving and Gavin Brady calling tactics, won the pin-end of the start line, proving their determination to take the inshore track, sailing low and fast. They rounded the windward mark in fifth, with Bigamist leading and Anonimo hard on their track.

Part of the TP52 fleet sailing downwind during Thursday's second race at the Athens Trophy. Athens, 24 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

Lexus sailed a good downwind leg to round the leeward gate second and made a bold move offshore on the final run. Gaining a better downwind angle Lexus took their first winning gun since the Breitling Regatta.

“This is proving to be a very tricky place to sail. I am starting to appreciate what it was like to sail at the Olympics. It is a very, very tricky place to sail.” Explained Coutts, “I came and watched the Olympics and that was the only time. You get so many influences and different patterns, sometimes quite random. We got a few good breaks, downwind Gavin did a good job.”

Siemens had a good day, with a second and fourth place, following the awful performance in the offshore race. Athens, 24 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

After their offshore travails, when they finished 15th and 14th, Siemens had the most consistent day in the fleet with Ian Walker driving to a hard earned second and fourth to lie sixth overall.

“It was a better day than the offshore.” Grinned Siemens’ relieved Ian Walker, “It was good. We did a good job to pick ourselves up from the offshore, and Chris Main and Sofia worked well. The second race was nice to steer in fast, flat water hard for the tactician. We had the wind from the north, did a race with the wind from the south, set up for a race with the wind from the west and then finally did a race with the wind from the east, so every point of the compass in one day, so it was hard for the race officer and hard for the tacticians, but for us helmsmen relatively easy.”

Caixa Galicia, here crossing with Bigamist, has had a very consistant performance so far in the Athens Trophy. Athens, 24 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

With a 3 and a 5 for the day Caixa Galicia, with John Kostecki calling tactics, lie third overall, while John Cook’s Cristabella are a serious threat to Mutua Madrileña just two points behind after posting a 7 and 3 for the day.

“It was tricky first race. You had the two sea breezes trying to go left around the other side of the island and the transition between the left hand breeze and the right breeze was fluky and patchy and we managed to wriggle our way through that transition zone quite nicely. As the breeze went left we projected left and extended. We have tried to be conservative but paid the price in the last race. If the boats either side of you start really well then you can’t hold a lane and get forced the wrong way. We were second from last at the windward mark and then managed to get back to ninth. It is quite a tricky venue.” Explained Mutua Madrilena’s Ray Davies.

Cristabella is now second in the Athens Trophy, a mere two points behind Mutua Madrileña. Athens, 24 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup