Bmw MedCup Flotilla colors Marseille’s Vieux Port

On June 02, 2008

“Marseille’s Vieux Port”    Monday afternoon promenades about Marseille’s historic Vieux Port were halted these day by the spectacle of the Bmw MedCup flotilla & the bustling set up for the imminent City of Marseille Trophy race, the 2nd event of ‘08 Bmw MedCup Circuit.

At No Time has the Bmw MedCup Circuit approach to such middle location in the heart of larger European conurbation. The 14 TP52’s are docked only matter of 50 metres from the town hall of France’s 3rd city, the world’s leading seamans making their cutting edge large prix sailboats ready only matter of metres from the week-end’s strolling locals & visitors as they make their way along the Quai d’Honneur.

Racing for series’ points starts on Wednesday, but Tuesday is dress rehearsal with goal. Not only is it an significant opportunity to measure performance improvements seeing that April’s City of Alicante Trophy race, the 1st event of the ‘08 Bmw MedCup Circuit & to give crew work final run through previously racing begins, but the practice regattas serve as the chance for media guests, local, international & national, to sail on the sailing boats & experience the thrill of racing on these interesting sailing boats.

Making racing debut at this race will be United States-17, the brand new TP52 of Audi Oracle Racing, Challenger of Record for the 33rd Australia’s Cup. Their core boating crew have had just three days of boating on the sailing boat, & their three times Australia’s Cup engaging captain Russell Coutts - who missed the training days off Valencia due to Ieg laceration - will have his 1st competitory sail with the new sailboat here, boating as tactician for helm John Spithill. Although they maybe less well-known with their own TP52 than any other crews here, theirs is high quality boating crew who have been boating hard together on variety of different craft over late weeks.

Coutts (NZL) guided the ‘07 MedCup champ Artemis to success last year as tactician & captain for Swedish businessman Torbjorn Tornqvist. United States-17 have been training in Valencia with sister-sailboat Artemis, skippered by John Kostecki (United States) & steered to sixth place in Alicante by Tornqvist.

” The feeling is positive & we’re hoping to have fine week in Marseille at the Bmw MedCup.” explains United States-17’s navigator Michele Ivaldi (ITA), ” But the level of this circuit is attractive high & the level of the sailboats is high. We anticipate to be improving during the week & expectantly we’ll get to learn the sailing boat more & more. But to be trustworthy it would be presumptuous to come pregnant to have very competitory sailboat, cause there are lot of very great seamans out there & they’ve been boating those yachts for weeks & weeks. I anticipate them to have made big steps forward.”

‘Our purpose is just to keep up racing outside of the Australia’s Cup & the more we do in these different environments the better it’s for us, just irritating to keep our competitiveness up.”

Harold de Ridder’s Intend Machine won the 1st event run in Alicante last month & now lead the ‘08 Bmw MedCup Circuit by single point. Engaging five regattas there, they’re aiming to maintain their form & stay step at the of the opposition. Their only change is the return of master crewmember Nick Allen (NZL) for the 1st time this season:

‘To be truthful I was on the sailing boat for the 1st time these day & whilst the mood & feeling is just typically Intend Machine it’s humbling. The normal has gone up so much seeing that last season. I truly am being challenged out there. The wind wasn’t so fine these day & so we’ve lot to do previously the racing starts for real. Then we’ll just tick off the days as they approach.” said double Australia’s Cup champ Allen.

Mutua Madrilena, who won the MedCup Circuit in ‘05, finished slightly disappointing seventh in Alicante with their brand new yacht. Helmsman Flavio Favini (ITA) has racing commitment elsewhere, so captain Vasco Vascotto (ITA) will steer & will rely on top French match participant Sebastien Col for tactical & local knowledge input.

‘This is my fist time on TP52 so I’m looking forward to it,” says previous Col who sails from the local YCPR sailing boat society, “As far as the breezes go anything & all can occur here. The most significant thing to watch for is the local, inshore effects, produced by the topography.”

Racing for the City of Marseille Trophy – the 2nd Ieg of the ‘08 Bmw MedCup Circuit starts Tuesday at 13:10 with the practice regatta. Forecast for Tuesday predicts South Western breezes of 10 kts with rain showers. Each of the 14 sailboats must take journalist on board for the day to share the experience of racing in the World’s Leading Race Circuit.

For further news & information around the Bmw MedCup Circuit visit: medcup.org
by Bmw MedCup media