Cartagena Trophy - Day 1 - Race 2: Team Origin wins and grabs overall lead

The second race of the day took place under slightly lighter conditions and with a definite bias on the committee boat end of the start line. According to Paul Cayard, the right hand side of the course was very favored upwind due to the Easterly flowing current offshore. The committee did not bias the line to the left so the fleet was bunched up at the committee boat end of the line at the starts. In fact, the start was the key for Team Origin's great race and the overall lead.

Ben Ainslie helmed the British TP52 yacht to a clean start, with good speed ahead of the fleet. Team Origin was again the first boat to get to the very favored right side and rounded the first weather mark first, ahead of Synergy and Emirates Team New Zealand. A combination of excellent tactics, boat handling and boat speed allowed Team Origin to keep the lead to the finish line. The top three spots would have remained unchanged if it weren't for a badly executed gybe on Synergy in the last run that put the New Zealanders ahead of the Russians.

Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy - Day 1
1. TeamOrigin (GBR), 3+1= 4 points
2. Matador (ARG), 1+4= 5
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 4+2= 6
4. Luna Rossa (ITA), 2+7= 9
5. Synergy (RUS), 8+3= 11
6. Artemis (SWE), 5+6= 11
7. Quantum Racing (USA), 9+5= 14
8. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 6+8= 14
9. Bribón (ESP), 7+11= 18
10. Bigamist 7 (POR), 11+9= 20
11. Cristabella (GBR), 10+10= 20

Start of the second race of the day and it's a very good one for Team Origin. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Bribón find themselves at the wrong side of the committee boat. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin lead the fleet in the first beat of the second race. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin lead the fleet at the first weather mark. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Synergy and Emirates Team NZ follow at the first weather mark. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Quantum had another mediocre beat, rounding the top mark in eighth place. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin extend their lead in the first run. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin round the leeward gate in first place, ahead of Synergy. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Probably the day's funniest incident took place when a furious cargo ship went streaming right in the middle of the course when the fleet was halfway through the second beat. Fortunately, it didn't affect the race. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Start of last run. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

It ain't over till it's over. Emirates Team NZ steal second place from Synergy after a badly executed gybe on the Russian boat. Cartagena, 25 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing