Warpath wins second stage of offshore race at Athens Trophy

[Source: Breitling MedCup] The points from the 84 mile long coastal race may have been shared equally between Peter de Ridder’s Mutua Madrilena and Steve and Fred Howe’s Warpath, but the relief was almost universal among the 16 strong TP52 Breitling MedCup that the ‘offshore’ finished just before the breeze collapsed.

The course proved a feast for those boats strong on all varieties of reaching, and a famine for those seeking upwind and downwind passing opportunities, but with the finish line for the full course broken by Warpath at a little before 2100hrs the speed and efficiency of the TP52’s in the mainly light breezes was never really in doubt.

Mutua Madrilena proved their strength under upwind Code Zero and an astute reading of the transitional zone between different breezes. They sailed low around the leading pack on the third leg of the course to take a lead they only relinquished after they had collected the best points for the first section of the race, turning 13 seconds ahead of Warpath.

Caixa Galicia made the best start, quickest and best positioned to break out their upwind Code Zero. They were third behind Warpath at the points gate but a final throw of the dice in the difficult dying stages of the race – looking to a move that might have won them the race - saw them drop to fourth behind Cristabella. 

After they passed through the points gate off Fleves island, the southernmost turn of the course, Warpath held high on the reach back across the Gulf to Ayhina island and were able to overhaul Mutua as they approached the buoy.

Warpath at the Athens Trophy offshore race. Athens, 22 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

With an acknowledged speed edge reaching they were able to gradually extend to take first gun ahead of Mutua Madrilena.

“Yesterday we waited to seed what happened and got penalised for not reacting, and today we waited to see what happened and our patience paid off.” Explained Terry Hutchinson, Warpath’s tactician.

“We had a nine mile beat under upwind Code Zeros and Mean Machine were just flying, they sailed right around both of us. Both of our boats did well sailing away from Caixa. When the wind was at about 100 true wind angle we just let the old girl do her stuff and we had height and legs on them. We kept the boat pointed at the mark and let her do her thing. It was a nice race. But we were pretty disappointed with yesterday and felt we were done by, some of those situations happened and we felt they were things you didn’t want to panic on real quick. Today we did nice work when it got dicey.”

Warpath at the Athens Trophy offshore race. Athens, 22 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

Winning the first leg and second at the finish leaves Mean Machine with an overall lead of two points over Cristabella. John Cook’s crew’s fifth and third for their long day in the heat, zig-zagging back and forth across the Saronic Gulf, earned them nine points of a lead over Warpath.

“We had good speed, good communication crew work and as team we were excelling. It was exciting and we managed to get in before the sea-breeze died and it became a drift off.” Said Mutua Madrilena’s navigator Wouter Verbraak.

Mutua Madrileña at the Athens Trophy offshore race. Athens, 22 August 2006. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Breitling MedCup

“We are pretty happy with our day. A third and a fourth we are happy with that. It could have been worse. We had a good start and after that it was down to boat speed and sail handling. The newer boats are a little bit stronger reaching but we sailed a good race.” Said John Kostecki, tactician of Caixa Galicia which lies fourth overall, sharing equal points with Warpath.

“It’s always good when you are in the front end of the fleet. It is never straightforward when it is puffy like that, but once the order was established it was pretty hard to come back. Even after the first mark. But it was good sailing, the boats are good and there was always a place to be gained or lost.” Reported Andrew Cape, Cristabella’s navigator.