One Ton Cup Update after 11 races

by Joseph Monnier on 9 Sep 2001 With perfect weather and top struggle, the event kept its promise.

There was half the number of boats which challenged the One Ton Cup one year ago, but what a competition ! We have to be on our guard against the scoring table, which
seems to show that Atalanti X easily mastered the race and Faster K-Yote I was here to play bit parts. None of these statements reflects the truth. All six boats tended
to cross the finishing line within ten seconds, and each of the crews could easily win most of one design inshore sailing races. Gavin Brady (Atalanti X) had to fight hard
(cf. what the New Zealand skipper said yesterday) and Dawn Riley (Faster K-Yote I) never switched off : “Although we come last overall, we actually only came last in four
races and we are pleased about that. This is some of the most challenging sailing in the world.” Her team deserves respect for what they did. Most of them are top
competitors in dinghy sailing but had little or no experience in big boats sailing. And they had to tame the same racing machine as male crews’.

Atalanti X did not race today. “2nd and 3rd is important in this race, declared winning tactician Robbie Haines. Since we would not have sailed as aggressively today as we did for 9 races,
we did not want to interfere with the other competitors ; it would not have been fair on them.” Indeed, the fight was hot for second place, which was defended successfully by Laser
Olympic Champion Ben Ainslie (Babbalaas). Matt Drake, trimmer onboard Hawk, explained : “We had a plan to be second, but we knew it was going to be a tall order. Actually, Ben
Ainslie match-raced us off the course at the beginning of Race 10. But we are pretty happy with 3rd given the quality of the opposition.”

After having finished 2nd in 1999 in Puerto Portals and in 2000 in Marseilles, Atalanti X‘s Greek owner George Andreadis – who competed the Olympics in Flying
Dutchman class in 1968 and in Soling class in 1976 – meets success at last with Star World Vice-Champion Gavin Grady at the helm in one of his most difficult quests.
The One Ton Cup, which belongs with the America’s Cup to the two oldest sailing trophies still being staked, had only been won once by a Greek boat, Okyalos, in 1990
in Marstrand. Next edition in Greek waters ? This would be a first…


Further information : www.onetoncup.com

Press Officer : Joseph MONNIER

media@onetoncup.com

Media Center : +44 (0)1758 701 696



A K-YACHTING INTERNATIONAL EVENT

www.k-yachting.com