AUDI Medcup - Cartagena Trophy - Day 1: Preview

Update 11:15am: The fleet is still docked as we are under postponement ashore.

Good morning from sunny and hot Cartagena. Real racing starts today and if the weather forecasts for the next few days turn out true it promises to be a tricky and difficult week. Wind conditions are expected to be in the same range as yesterday, not more than 10 knots, with the breeze building up in the afternoon. If the standard three races per day are raced here as well we will have to spend long days on the water.

There is also a huge current factor on the course, reaching 2 knots, and according to Paul Cayard it's "similar to racing in San Francisco in a flood tide". Talking of Cayard, I don't think anyone would doubt he's a master in the game of promoting the sport of sailing. Because of the tough wind conditions yesterday, the race committee had to set the course far from from the port, much further south than usual. They had no other option as the breeze was there. As a result, and given it was a Tuesday, there were no more than 3 spectator boats, with one of them carrying around 10 local kids, optimist sailors that went out to watch the races.

After racing ended, the kids approached the Artemis yacht and cheered them for their win. Cayard invited them onboard and let them take the helm. I'm sure they were thrilled by an experience they would never forget and I doubt there's a better way to make them aspire to helming a TP52 boat themselves some day. It's also the message we should convey to all those kids. Sailing is fun and they are welcome even in the world's top fleet racing circuit!

Juerg Kaufmann was onboard Artemis yesterday and has a nice shot. For more of Juerg's excellent photos from the AUDI Medcup Cartagena Trophy, click here.

Paul Cayard invites the local kids to helm the Artemis TP52 yacht. Cartagena, 24 August 2010. Photo copyright Juerg Kaufmann