J Class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo - Day 2
by J Class Association 4 Sep 2013 05:52 PDT
1-7 September 2013
Velsheda leads in tricky and sticky conditions
The AP flag was flying (barely!) early this morning indicating another postponement to the second day at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. The J's and 5 Supermaxis were the second of the four starts, with the gun sounding shortly after 1315. The Race Committee had selected Course 13 with the addition of a windward mark, a fairly long coastal course of 25nm and with wind speeds ranging from a low of around 4 knots to a high of 8 knots, the J's were in for a long, hot and sticky day.
Ranger were first over the line, "it was probably as good a start as you can get, we went for the middle of the line and went left" described Owen Rutter. Facing similar issues as yesterday – starting with lighter, faster yachts – Ranger were forced to hang on to that early decision, "in an ideal world we probably would have tacked over when Velsheda and Rainbow did but with Firefly and Inoui in the mix this made things difficult" and by the time Ranger was clear the other two J's were off and had taken advantage of a lift. "We started 100m in front, and ended up 200m behind at the first mark".
It was Velsheda who rounded the all important top mark first, "it was a great day for us, we were convinced that the right side of the course would work for us on the critical first beat" stated Ed Smyth aboard Velsheda, "we didn't have the best start, but as the right hander came good, the smiles got wider."
Rainbow also went right, it looked close but Velsheda were able to lay a better line to the mark and rounded a couple of boat lengths ahead. "After taking the first windward mark, it pretty much was a procession after that" continued Ed, "there were no mistakes on the boat, the team work was brilliant" particularly thanking Jono Russell and Justin Clougher.
Rainbow and Velsheda sailed a close race around the islands of the Maddalena Archipelago. It may not have been a day for high drama but instead an opportunity to take in the stunning scenery in the company of a few dolphins.
Rainbow again proved that she is a real contender in these light conditions; she made some great gains closing in on Velsheda on the run through the Straits of Bisce. On the long beat back towards the Isle of Monaci, Rainbow tried to use her boat speed advantage by sailing hotter and higher closing the gate on Velsheda. "We were hoping that the wind would drop and we would be able to get the advantage" stated Mark Neelemen – who helms the upwind legs aboard Rainbow. "This didn't quite happen, but we are happy with our performance – we are a comparatively new team and learning all the time".
Mark reckons that it takes about 3 years for a crew to feel "comfortable" – Rainbow's improving performance was echoed by Ed Smyth "they are sailing really well, their crew work is slick and as time goes on they will only be getting faster." With the J Class now becoming one of the most followed classes, this bodes well for more exciting competitive performances in the future.
Ranger however prefers stiffer breezes and has suffered in these first two days of competition. As with all coastal courses there are no passing lanes, "in order to win you need to get your nose in front and make it stick", according to Owen, "it's tough out there in these light conditions, you are really up against it... coming in last at the first hurdle is a bit like loosing your mast on the first leg of the Whitbread!" (Owen should know, it happened to him back in 1981).
Day 3, Wednesday, is a Lay Day – with a better forecast for the end of the week the call was made to switch it from Thursday.
Follow the racing live and replay races via TracTrac or see the full results