Staying out of traffic key to success for ORC Euros leaders at 43rd Copa del Rey

In the mixed fleet ORC handicap racing for 117 boats racing in four classes on two race areas there was a certain advantage to being out in front and so avoiding some of the worst of the inevitable traffic on a race track which is often quite one sided, favouring the left side of the upwinds – what those most familiar with the subject call a ‘left hand banana’.

Among the standout performers so far is the German flagged Cape 31 Early Bird. After four races Hendrik Brandis’ crew in Uber ORC C have finished no worse than their pair of second places today to lead by six clear points. On their slippery, quick 31 footer their problem was running into the back of Class B ahead of them according to helm Brandis.

“Everything went well quite today it was good, we had two good starts and were on the right side each time and we built our lead but the most challenging thing was the traffic because even though we were starting 15 minutes behind Class A we were sailing into the fleet. That was not easy.”

The Estonian X-41 of Matti Sepp Technonicol leads Ubico ORC B by eight points today after a 1,3 on the pair of windward-leeward races. A well-drilled crew know their boat well and as quickest boat on their race course, they were able to capitalise. “We have a fast boat and fast boat always gives you chances, so for us it was easy today.” Sepp acknowledged, “We got ahead and the wind came from our side, we were clear each time and that really helps us stay clear of traffic. I guess that helps. With this boat we won the 2018 European Championships and we were X41 world champions in 2010 with the same boat and so we know the boat well. I won Copa del Rey in 2007 on an X-35. We are all from Estonia and the core of the team raced the World Match Race Tour for some years, the bowman, trimmers and myself the helm.”

Three of the four ORC Championships class leaders are from outside of Spain at the regatta’s equator, the midway point. But in Sail Racing ORC A the Spanish fans can delight in the performance so far of the Valencia based Pez de Abril which holds the ClubSwan 42 world title. Owner José María Meseguer reported today, "In the first race today, we thought the wind would do just what it did do. It didn't turn out to be the typical day in the Bay of Palma that we were all hoping for, but the fact is that we got it right. The second race was more complicated: the wind started to pick up during the break, and we thought we would be sailing with 15-17 knots, which was more or less the forecast, but that didn't happen at all. The direction stayed at around 200, which was a bit strange, we chose the wrong sail, the wind dropped to nine knots and we suffered a little. In the end, we saved the day with a fifth place finish.”

"The top six finishers are ClubSwan 42s, so it's like sailing in a one-design class but with other boats stealing your wind. There are a lot of factors that are not pure sailing. It's the same for everyone, but you can't sail your own race; there's a luck factor that you can't control.

‘It's the end of the Mediterranean racing season, which has been long and intense but that means we're very well prepared, which is why we're in the lead now. But this can change in 24 hours. We know who our rivals are, we hope to finish in the top five and go into Saturday with options. For tomorrow, the conditions are quite similar to today's, perhaps the typical more established bay conditions, the typical left-hand banana.”

In the hotly contested ABANCA ORC 0 it is the Italian TP52 Blue which regained the overall class lead after their rivals on Vudu were DSQ’d from Race 4 after a protest against them. Bonfiglio Mariotti’s team won the second race and tied with David Team’s USA boat Vesper on the first race. Indeed after the DSQ for Vudu Vesper and Blue share the same points tally after four contests.
“It was hard out there, so busy with the traffic. On the left side favoured track it got quite hard for boats coming into the windward mark on port!” remarked Vesper’s tactician Morgan Larson.

In the Balearia Women’s Cup Esther Gomez crew from CN Regatas leads after winning six of their ten round robin races sailed so far.