It’s 45 degrees – and ugly out there - MedCup in Sardinia
by Warren Douglas on 25 Jul 2009
Emirates Team New Zealand NZL380 and Quanum racing, race eight, day four, Sardinia Trophy, Audi MedCup 24/7/2009 Emirates Team New Zealand / Photo Chris Cameron ETNZ
Grant Dalton describes the fourth race day of the Cagliari regatta as ugly - a light breeze, very shifty and very, very hot and the sailing wasn’t good for anyone.
The temperature climbed to 45degC during the day and was still a stifling 43 degC at 9pm.
But that didn’t stop Emirates Team New Zealand from extending its overall lead by one point from its second and fifth placings on the race course. Main rivals Artemis scored a first and seventh and Matador a second and a fifth.
After eight races, Emirates Team New Zealand is first on 22 points, Artemis second on 26.5 and Matador third on 27.5. Defending champion Quantum Racing is seventh on 50 points.
Grant Dalton reviewing races seven and eight said: 'The story of today? Everything was ugly. For a Kiwi it was like a rugby test match that is just ugly, winning ugly, just trying to win….
'The sailing wasn’t good, the wind was light, the shifts were everywhere. The strength of this team is that it just keeps its composure. We win some, we lose some.
'Today we end up further ahead than when we went out, but it doesn’t mean anything if tomorrow is like today.
'Tomorrow’s forecast is a little bit like today. It will be up and down and so we just have to wait for what comes. I am longing for those days when you get 20 knots of reasonably steady breeze and we can get out and have a decent sail, but at the moment it’s trying to win ugly.'
The official forecast is for another difficult breeze and organisers have scheduled an earlier start in an effort to get two races completed before the breeze dies.
Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy
Overall - Day 4, eight races completed
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+1+1+5+4+3+5+2= 22 points
2. Artemis (SWE), 2+2+7+3+3+1,5+1+7= 26,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 3+3+4+1+2+7,5+2+5= 27,5 points
4. Bribón (ESP), 5+6+3+7+8+4,5+3+3= 39,5 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 6+5+9+6+1+9+4+1= 41 points
6. Synergy (RUS), 4+8+2+2+5+15+7+6 = 49 points
7. Quantum (USA), 7+4+8+$+6+6+6+6+9 = 50 points
8. Cristabella (GBR), 9+10+5+8+1012+10+4 = 68 points
9. Valars lll (RUS), 10+7+10+9+710.5+8+10 = 71.5 points
10. Audi Q8 (ITA), 8+9+6+10+9+13.5+9+8 = 72.5 points
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