GC32 European Tour Austria Cup at Gmunden, Austria - Day 3
by GC32Racing 30 May 2014 22:04 BST
28 May - 1 June 2014
Traunsee trials and tribulations
The forecast was never looking too flash for day 3 of the GC32 Austria Cup, and the thick fog and drizzle settling in over Lake Traunsee didn't bode well for racing on Friday. Fortunately Race Officer Stefan Boxkandel somehow was able to get four races in despite wind speeds that barely exceeded 5 knots all day.
Large tacking and gybing angles, poor visibility, and lulls with no wind at all challenged crews, race committee, and spectators, and highlighted the dedication by each of the crew to work their boat to the finish line. Some were caught some off guard, some played new tactical angles, and extreme sides of the course paid at different times. Welcome to light air racing on Austria's deepest lake!
Today's clean sweep went to America's Cup team Luna Rossa Challenge, with skipper Chris Draper taking his own advice from yesterday, finishing the day with 3 race wins out of 3 races. Francesco "Checcho" Bruni showed why he is Italy's most famous sailor, his eagle eyes managing to spot and judge the zephyrs well in advance. Bruni's tactical calls helped Draper position himself in exactly the right position in his first showdowns all week against America's Cup winner Tom Slingsby aboard Team AEZ; Luna Rossa won both matches against the Australian superstar and his part-Austrian crew. "We were definitely a little bit lucky with the breeze but I think we proved that these boats are extremely close in performance," said Bruni. "It was also a luxury in the light air to be able to make some decisions for the team rather than just pulling rope all the time like in the heavy air!"
Denmark's Jes Gram-Hansen's Team Sail Racing also had a solid day, grabbing their first win of the regatta in the day's first race in extremely light and patchy conditions. They were first to unfurl their gennaker at the start, giving them a jump over C3R, AEZ and RSM DTM Hungary. After a few close battles and with the left hand side of the beat paying dividends Hansen pulled a bigger lead on the pack for their first victory.
Having been handed a penalty in race one for dropping their gennaker, Slingsby's AEZ Sailing were on the back foot, and gave away their early advantage to Team Sail Racing and C3R. The ultra-light conditions and long postponements seemed to work against the Australian prodigy and his crew; wherever they went, it seemed the wind went the opposite. Punchy starts, combined with their skill and ability to drive the boat low and fast downwind certainly helped, but it wasn't quite enough to top the podium in any of their 3 races today.
Not quite finding their fast gear was Paul Campbell-James C3R. After a convincing day yesterday, today wasn't destined to be theirs. "We weren't lucky today but we certainly didn't do ourselves any favors either, with weak starts and not the best positioning down the course," said James. On a positive note, C3R bowman Nick Hutton was the first to drop the jib on a downwind leg, showing the way to the rest of the fleet who soon followed. "There's no doubt it's fast to open up the slot in under 5 knots," said Campbell-James, who says it's very exciting to learn a new boat with new features. "Sailing boats like this makes us all better sailors, and it's a good time as well."
Fresh from their two victories on day 2, Swiss Star Olympian Flavio Marazzi's Armin Strom Racing had everything to fight for today, and they didn't disappoint. While they didn't top the podium, they continues to march up the learning curve today, beating Slingsby once and passing boats during both races - a huge confidence boost for him and his crew. Aussie tactician and main trimmer Keith Swinton said the team is in good spirits despite a long and hard day on the water. "Light or heavy, win or lose, the fact is that this is just awesome racing and we're having a great time."
Both Seb Col Racing and RSM DTM Hungary picked up a third and a fourth in their respective races before the first postponement of the day and they were perhaps fortunate enough not to face the super light conditions towards the end of the day. The fleets are tough and whilst friends on shore, there are no friends on the water, with each crew is looking to get the edge on their competition, and some getting there quicker than others.
It was another tough day for Spax Solutions, with GC32 creator and Class founder Laurent Lenne close to glory at moments – but not quite closing the deal. "A few inches and a last place would have been a huge pass and second place!" said Lenne. While deep in the fleet on points, Lenne is surely revelling in the knowledge that his vision has become one of the most exciting sailing boats on the planet. "I just hope the rest of the guys and girls are having as much fun as I am, because this boat is something special," said Lenne.
Tomorrow will feature the final qualifying and seeding rounds of the GC32 Austria Cup, with live video broadcast beginning at 1100 CET/1000 GMT/0500 EDT/0200 PDT, while Sunday's Finals will see the first-ever Lake Traunsee champion crowned. Tune in to www.thegreatcup.com, and click on the Livestream button on the top of the page to follow all the action.