SSL Gold Cup Qualifying Series 1 Day 3
by SSL Gold Cup 21 May 2022 14:41 PDT
19-22 May 2022
Estonia signs another solid performance
SSL Team Estonia made one more step towards SSL Gold Cup 2022 Final Series by winning their second race in Race 3 of Group 2, in Lake Neuchatel, Grandson. SSL Team Bermuda got their first win in a Group 1 where anything can still happened in tomorrow's Golden Day.
Estonia and Ireland on the Freeway to Finals?
In today's races, Lake Neuchatel was so flat, The Icebreakers from Estonia might have thought it was ice. That could explain how confortable Tonu Toniste's crew won that race. From Mark 1 to finish, the team in blue was never really worried about what happened in their back and rolled to victory. Which was not really the case for Ireland. Just in front of the finish line, the Green Armada got trapped in a dying wind under the attack of The Belgian Sea Devils. It took them a double gybe to get through and finish 2nd, just. The Belgian will surely be disappointed by their result but their false start did not help them. Serbia closed the race again today but again they sailed clean and don't have to be ashamed about their performance on water.
Estonia (11 points) and Ireland (10 points) may have half a foot in the Final Series (October-November) as they took control of Group 2. SSL Team Belgium and SSL Team Serbia are lacking behind but tomorrow's Golden Day, where races count for double point, could change the deal.
All down to the Golden Day
The deal will definetly be changing tomorrow for Group 1 as just four points separate the first and last after today's race. The Privateers from Bermuda finally got their first win in the SSL Gold Cup QS. It was not without suspense as they also had a hard time fighting against dying wind just 100m away from the finish line.
Antigua & Barbuda battled hard to have a hold on the 2nd place of the race. SSL Team Tahiti "Black Pearls" 's sneaky 3rd place in the last meter before finish line, allowed them to win a precious point in the race to the Finals. And Puerto Rico's gliding episode offering them the back of the fleet also resshuffled the cards. Stakes will be high tomorrow for all four Islands' teams.