SSL Gold Cup European Qualifiers Round 2 Day 1 Smoothly Does It

It was a scorching start to the day in Grandson as the teams made their final preparations and Regatta Director Paul Hutton-Ashkenny outlined the plan, including details on the new Cyclops load cells on the backstays to protect the boats.

 A light breeze from the southwest filled in around midday, allowing the Race Committee to raise the orange flag at 12:20 and get proceedings underway. Everyone was keen to get the schedule rolling ahead of the expected storms later, as the temperature then rises to the mid 30s.

Group F Race 1

 With the wind from 265 degrees, a 0.6 mile windward-leeward course was set up for the three teams of Group F.

 The fleet lined up early on starboard tack, and Finland squeezed out Ukraine at the committee boat end, forcing them into a tack and gybe, while Greece won the pin end, forcing Finland to tack away early. The Greeks followed suit, keen to keep an eye on their opponents.

 Even though the breeze was light, the powerful SSL 47 yachts allowed the crews to get fully hiking, with Greece’s Odysseus team and Finland’s Northern Magic trading tacks on the right, while Ukraine’s United team capitalised on the clear air on the left to cross ahead of the Greeks and take the lead.

 The grinders were working to the absolute max on the hoists, with impeccable teamwork leading to the spinnakers filling instantly. No-one was giving a centimetre in these light and intense conditions. The simultaneous gybes of the leaders were similarly executed to perfection.

 All the teams chose the right-hand leeward gate mark, with Ukraine leading by 34 seconds, followed by Finland who were just ahead of Greece in the battle for second.

 The Ukrainian jerseys were gleaming in the reflection of the yacht’s gold hull as they calmly and smoothly sailed their way up the second upwind leg, keeping a loose cover on their opponents. Finland and Greece engaged in a tacking duel, working hard as they went toe-to-toe in the calm azure waters.

 Ukrainian Captain Rodion Luka calmly guided his team around the final windward mark and on to the win, while Finland held off Greece’s charge to take second.

 A stunning race to kick off the qualifier.

Group F Race 2

 With the course length extended to 1.2 miles, Greece put a hard tack on Finland in the lead up to the start, but were early and had to tack back on to port, just managing to clear the line at the committee boat end without crossing early, while Ukraine calmly crossed on starboard with speed on the middle of the line.

 It was nip-and-tuck all the way upwind, with Greece locking Ukraine on the left-hand layline while Finland enjoyed clear air on the right to take the lead at the first windward mark.

 Positions stayed steady downwind, with Finland taking the right-hand buoy, while both Greece and Ukraine took the left. 30 seconds separated each of the yachts, but anything could happen in the light conditions. Finland tacked across, but the slightest right shift could propel Greece into the lead.

 As it was, the Northern Magic team had chosen wisely, hooking into a left shift and rounding the final windward mark 22 seconds ahead of the Odysseus team, who quickly cleared a twist in their kite, while the United team were a further 21 second behind.

 Finland’s helm Lucas Karlemo worked with the team to extract every ounce of speed downwind to take the win, while Greece held off Ukraine to take second.

 Overnight the Finland team leads on 5 points, with Ukraine on 4 and Greece on 3. This Group is already developing into a great battle and everything is to play for.

Group G Race 1

 The teams switched over to allow Group G to start their quest to book their ticket to Rio. The challenge for the Bulgarian Lions, Portuguese Navigators and the Young Turks was going to be hard with the wind moving round to 235 degrees, and becoming increasingly shifty as the clouds built.

 With some aggressive manoeuvring in the pre-start, Türkiye won the pin end, as Portugal were squeezed out, tacking early on to port, and Bulgaria also tacked on to port soon after the start. Türkiye matched their move out on the left, wisely unwilling to risk separating from their competitors.

 Portugal overhauled Bulgaria as they tacked just beneath the starboard layline, keeping their options open, while Türkiye crossed ahead, tacking on the layline, minimising their manoeuvres to round the windward mark 14 seconds ahead.

 The pressure built, allowing the teams to take slightly deeper angles, and Portuguese captain Afonso Domingos piled the pressure on the Young Turks, splitting marks at the leeward gate as the Navigators went left. With the two teams separating upwind, much was going to depend on the shifts and gusts as the race committee extended the length of the course by 200 metres.

 Portugal tacked over just beneath the layline, and Türkiye crossed ahead with the wind staying remarkably steady, putting a tack on their rivals as they came in to the windward mark. They rounded cleanly, but a halyard clutch error led to the spinnaker dropping slightly after the hoist, allowing the Portuguese Navigators to close the gap again on the Young Turks, taking a high line downwind to pile on the pressure.

Inch by inch, Portugal’s Afonso Domingos steered them closer to the Young Turks, halving the gap before the gybe, once again going on the attack as they approached the finish.

 The final gybe into the line saw Portugal gain an overlap on Türkiye, who just held on to take a two second win in a photo finish. An amazing way to start Group G.

Group G Race 2

 In 6 to 7 knots of wind, the Portuguese Navigators nailed the start, crossing the line ahead of the Young Turks as the Bulgarian Lions were forced to tack away early on to port.

 Bulgaria’s early tack and lack of manoeuvres upwind propelled them into the lead at the windward mark with Portugal in second.

 Approaching the leeward gate, Portugal were right on the tail of Bulgaria, ready to pounce on the slightest error by the Lions, with the teams choosing different buoys as the Bulgarians went for the right while the Portuguese went left, rounding simultaneously.

With the huge separation, the tack back to port was going to be decisive, and the Bulgarians nearly lost a crew overboard, pulling off a spectacular recovery. When the teams re-engaged, they were neck-and-neck, with the Navigators finding a high mode to squeeze the Lions into a tack.

 At the next cross, Portugal had opened up a 50 metre lead, rounding the final windward mark 22 seconds ahead with Türkiye well behind.

 The Navigators made no mistakes on the downwind leg to the finish, securing the race win from the Lions, to lead overnight on 5 points with Türkiye on 4 and Bulgaria on 3.

Portugal’s Grinder and Floater Tomás Pires de Lima talked about the disappointment of just missing out on the win and refocusing ahead of the second race:

 “It’s a bit of a tricky feeling, but it was only the first race. I think we did a very good recovery, maybe we could have been a little bit more aggressive, but it’s better to have a second place than nothing. We missed out by maybe a metre, so we just refocused for the next race and managed to win that one. In my role I have full trust in the sailors at the back of the boat, we have such good sailors on board. Each of us is just trying to do our role as best we can and trust in each other.”

 Regatta Director Paul Hutton-Ashkenny was pleased to finish the day with the regatta on schedule, “If you’d promised me this morning that you could get four races in today then I would have been delighted, so I’m very happy.”

The first day surpassed all expectations with the wind playing ball and the storms holding off long enough to hold all four races. The scene is set beautifully on Lake Neuchatel as the six nations continue to battle on the Road to Rio.