Rix tied with Italians Maspro and Gabrio in lead

by Melges Assoc on 22 Sep 2005 'Like the most difficult game of snakes and ladders you could possibly imagine' was how Stuart Simpson of Team Barbarians described today’s racing at the Ocean BMW Melges 24 European Championship in Torquay. 'Big fleet Melges 24 sailing is as tough as it gets, particularly in these light conditions. The boats accelerate rapidly and if you miss a shift or mess up a manoeuvre you’re history.'

Three more races were sailed today, making eight of the twelve scheduled, and just three points now separate the four leading boats. Stuart Rix, helming Gill for Quentin Strauss, and Gabrio Zandona, helming Joe Fly for Giovanni Maspero, are tied in first on 40 points. Andrea Racchelli sailing Altea is on 42 points and Francois Brenac, sailing with Phillipe Ligot’s Partner & Partners Sailing Team, is on 43.

Last night the Race Committee reported the Joe Fly Team to the Jury for infringing the rules controlling support boats in the race area. The Jury found that the Joe Fly support boat had broken the rules and imposed a 20 percent penalty to the result of that race (race 5), which cannot be excluded from their overall score. As a result Joe Fly’s score in race five went from five to 15 points.

Today’s racing brought more very tricky conditions. There was a short delay in starting as the wind filled in from around south-southwest and its strength then varied constantly from four to eight knots. Joe Fly was the most consistent performer with a 1, 4, 2 score. Thanks to a disastrous start Gill opened with a 19, their worst result of the regatta so far, but improved as the day wore on with 12 and third. Altea was consistent with 8, 10, 6 to stay firmly in contention, whilst for Partner & Partners everything in the garden was rosy with a second and first, until the final race when they were caught up in another start line ruckus from which they could only get back up to 18.

In the Corinthian Division, for all amateur crews, Germany’s Alba Batzill is heading the fleet. He had a mixed set of results today with a ninth and 26 followed by a very close win in the final race. He’d led the fleet from start to finish but had a real tussle with Joe Fly on the final run and only just held them off. Batzill is also lying fifth in the overall results but the 22 point gap between him and the leaders puts him out of serious contention for the main trophy. Batzill’s nearest contenders for the Corinthian Trophy are Antoine Albaret and Jermoe Aubert.

With two days and four races to go the Championship remains wide open with four crews battling for pole position. Tomorrow forecast is uncertain with pundits offering either more of the same light airs or a building breeze – we wait with baited breath!

Overall leaders after 8 races:
1 ITA550 Giovanni Maspro Zandona Gabrio 40pts
2 GBR431 Quentin Strauss Stuart Rix 40
3 ITA438 Andrea Racchelli Andrea Racchelli 41
4 FRA571 Philliipe Ligot Francois Brenac 42
5 GER582 Eddy Eich Alba Bazrill Y 64
6 FRA387 Winches Club Vincent Sauleau 68
7 FRA261 Perros Guirec 22 CDVH Antoine Albaret Y 74
8 FRA193 CDVH Vincent Biarnes 77
9 FRA173 Jerome Aubert Jerome Aubert Y 77
10 FRA422 Remy Arnaud Remy Arnaud Y 89

This event is sponsored by Title Sponsor Ocean BMW, Gold Sponsor WKD Original Vodka Blue, and Silver Sponsors Devoti Sailing, North Sails UK Ltd, Westaway Sails and Musto Ltd.

More information at:- http://www.royaltorbayyc.org.uk/resultme/meuos.html