Winning in a high performance class of identical one-designs, raced by some of the world’s best crews, is a major task and this is proving true at the 44Cup Marstrand. After two days of near perfect conditions off Sweden’s west coast, a clear leader refuses to emerge with two teams sharing the top spot at the halfway stage of this regatta, supported by Artemis Technologies and Marstrands Segelsällskap, and seven within 10 points of the top.

Racing today got underway on schedule at 1200 in 14 knots, but from the south (rather than northwest); the wind blowing along the shore. Upwind, competitors had to punch into 0.5-0.8 knots of current, compensated by sizzling runs with the tide.

It proved another high scoring day. Having languished in last after yesterday’s first two races, Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika rallied in today’s first race, showing the form which won her this event last year. Initially she was in the gaggle heading left, where, in theory at least, there was beneficial shift from the land, plus tidal relief and flatter water. Once this group tacked, she slowly nosed ahead. “We had a good start from the top of the line, going well and just managed to hold across, get the tack in and we were off,” commented tactician Nic Asher. “But it’s just so close: everyone has got the same speed so if you can get a little edge, then tack and cross, you're gone …”

And yet in the next race, Team Nika and Nico Poons’ Team Charisma, which had finished second in the previous race, found themselves ninth and eighth respectively heading up the second beat. However they managed to recover slightly to finish sixth and fifth.

The first lap of the second race was led by Igor Lah, standing in for Chris Bake on Team Aqua, only to lose out on the second beat to Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team which had invested more heavily in the left. The Swiss went on to score, impressively, her third bullet.

“We got a bit lucky on the first beat,” admitted Black Star Sailing Team tactician Cameron Dunn. “We were compromised off the start. We got out to the left and tacked and dipped a couple of boats but then ended up laying the top mark as everyone else was held out over layline. This was one of those nice lucky breaks. Then we had a good little battle with Aqua up the next beat and snuck around them.”

Just like Team Nika and Charisma in race two, so in today’s first race, Black Star had started “terribly” rounding the top mark in eighth, but had then fought back to finish fifth. However they went on to shoot themselves in the foot in the final race, penalised in two port-starboard incidents, finishing eighth. “It's bloody tight racing. This is why you do this one design racing. It's so much fun. It's nip and tuck the whole way. For a really enjoyable day’s yachting this class is definitely the best one design racing I've ever done,” concluded Dunn.

The final race had the traditional ‘Foxtrot finish’, with boats sailing two windward-leeward laps before reaching into Marstrand Harbour. In this Pietro Loro Piana’s Aleph Racing had started towards the boat end of the line, just above GeMera Racing (which was called OCS) and below the Murat Edin-steered Wow! Sailing Team. Upon tacking, the Turks had briefly led only to be outgunned in both pace and height by Aleph Racing as the front runners drag-raced out to the right. Aleph was first to round the top mark ahead of event host Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing and Wow! Sailing Team and clung on to the lead from there.

“Michele [Ivaldi] did a great job,” commented Aleph Racing helm Pietro Loro Piana of his tactician. “There was some bias at the boat - GeMera saw the same, but got called OCS. From that moment we were quite in good shape. We did well downwind so the boat speed is there and the team is doing an amazing job. We're trying to push as much as we can (as we always do), I think the scorecard up to now has been a bit unfair for us.” Her results to date include two last placed finishes. “But we still have two days to push and try to get as much out of it as possible…”

Loro Piana had the pleasure of steering Aleph Racing back into the Marstrand Harbour “but obviously leading the race was a greater feeling! I thank Torbjörn [Törnqvist] for hosting us here. I truly love this place especially when there’s 36˚C everywhere else in Europe…”

At its half-way stage Black Star Sailing Team is leading the 44Cup Marstrand but, despite her three bullets from six races, is tied on points with Nico Poons’ Charisma. With a 2-5-6 today Poons was surprised his team – which sees the return this week of Hamish Pepper on tactics – is joint leader. “It’s good…actually amazing,” said Poons. “It is so *** close…”

Chris Bake’s Team Aqua today may have not won a race but was easily top scoring boat with an unremarkable-sounding 3-2-5, substantially first compared to the next best – Team Charisma and Aleph Racing on 13.

“The team is great - I was there just trying to help,” commented Igor Lah, who is standing in on the helm for Bake this week. Not all of Team CEEREF are new to him – Javier de la Plaza is trimming on board Team Aqua, as he did on Team CEEREF. “The job is just the same as it is on my boat, but it is a little bit of a different experience, which is really cool. Thanks to Chris for asking me to come,” Lah concluded.

Tonight the 44Cup community will be letting off steam at their regular spectacular party at Marstrand’s Society House.