Marazzi Sailing penalised 3 points for weight violation

by MedCup Media on 14 May 2009
After a minor crew weight violation, measured to be slightly over the class crew weight limit of 1273 kilos, Switzerland’s Marazzi Sailing have been penalised three points and effectively lost out on their maiden race win in the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit.

The team which is skippered by the Swiss Olympic Star sailor Flavio Marazzi were officially measured to be above the limit by a very small margin.

The International Jury ruled that they be penalised three points which drops them to fourth place on the overall standings for the City of Alicante Regatta, sharing equal points with Emirates Team New Zealand.

Argentina’s Matador now lead the regatta thanks to their excellent second place on the water in today’s only race.

On the water the Swiss team appeared to have bagged their first win, making the best of a small ten degree wind shift about half way up the first windward leg. They lead around the windward mark and took first gun.

It proved to be a long and slightly frustrating opening day to the season. A first attempt to get the opening race away had to be halted when the fitful breeze faded to just three or four knots at the leeward mark when practise race winners Bribon had a clear lead.

But the patience on the part of the competitors and the race officers paid off and the season’s first contest was sailed in 8-10 knots of easterly breeze which offered enough in the way of changes in direction and pressure to develop a typically interesting and challenging early season contest.

The overcast, slightly grey and humid conditions did nothing at all to help the breeze build and only one race could be completed for the twelve competing TP52’s.

The British boat Cristabella, the former Matador, is still awaiting final administrative clearances in Valencia and is expected to join the fleet at the weekend.

Recovery of the day was that of the Portuguese team on Bigamist 7 which was clearly over the start line early at the extreme left end of the start line. Tactician Hugo Rocha (POR) ushered helm Afonso Domingos (POR) towards the right flank of the course and they were well placed to also reap the dividend as the small wind shift arrived, going on to finish third behind Matador who have proven consistent across yesterday’s practice race and in the aborted first contest.

Alberto Roemmers’ team have sailed more than two weeks with their new boat including a regatta win in Palma as part of their build up to the season with the Judel Vrolijk design which was built in Spain by King Marine.

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) had a spirited joust at times with the current Audi MedCup Champions, Quantum Racing (USA), and skipper Dean Barker (NZL) and tactician Ray Davies (NZL) kept the upper hand across the finish line to take fourth, 27 seconds ahead of the American boat.

The GP42 class had their practice race, running on the same course, with Islas Las Canarias Puerto Calero, the only new boat in the six boat fleet, taking first gun.

City of Alicante Trophy, TP52 class overall standings after 1 race.


1 ARG MATADOR 2
2 POR BIGAMIST 7 3
3 NZL EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND 4 4
4 SUI MARAZZI SAILING 4 4
5 USA QUANTUM RACING 5 5
6 ITA AUDI TP52 POWERED BY Q8 6 6
7 SWE ARTEMIS 7 7
8 ESP EL DESAFIO 8 8
9 CHI PISCO SOUR 9 9
10 ESP BRIBON 10 10
11 RUS SYNERGY 11 11
12 RUS VALARS III 12 12
13 GBR CRISTABELLA 14 DNC 14


Francesco Bruni (ITA), tactician Matador (ARG): ' What happened today, that a boat seems to be able to finish second in a leg, and then ends up tenth in another, is very normal in races like these where the boats are so evenly matched. In just one moment and one decision you can go from being first to being last, and that's why it's so important for us to do well today. It makes me so happy that we have been conistent and finished in the top five in all the 'races' we have done here till now.

Afonso Domingos (POR), skipper Bigamist (POR): ' We are very happy. It was a shame that they abandoned the first race since we did a good start but the wind dropped. In the second we started ahead, we then lost a bit but since we were close to the buoy we rounded very quickly and we were third, the right paid again and we kept that third. Our tactitian did a very good job, and the strategy after the start was very good. We are noticing the change from last year but we still have to improve things like the trim, we are weak in that aspect and since we are not at the top of the fleet, not having a good trim can cost us a lot. We always try to make good starts, I don't like starting at the back.'