New TP52 United States 17 set for City of Marseille Trophy
On May 28, 2008
“The flotilla under the gennaker © Th Martinez/BMW MEDCUP Alicante, Spain”
With just one week to go to the City of Marseille Trophy, the 2nd Ieg of the Bmw MedCup Circuit, preparations on the North side of Marseille’s Vieux Port are in full swing for what promises to be an exceptional race.
Each event on the Bmw MedCup Circuit has its own particular culture, atmosphere, geographical constraints & spirit. Though the concept of the Bmw MedCup Village is the identical at each of the six venues its physical location has to be adapted to the lay of the land. In Marseille, the flotilla of 14 TP52s registered to compete on this Ieg will be docked in front of the Mairie or Town Hall on the North Side of the renowned Vieux Port, & the Village will be wrapped about the identical town hall. The Vieux Port is the definition of the city centre of Marseille, France’s 3rd city. it is full of yachts but it’s besides the heart of the middle business district & features an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, shops & offices, more than enough for seamans, families, sponsors & their guests to delight in when they’re not on the water.
The racing will take place on the Rade Sud, just three marine km from the Vieux Port. it is harbour surrounded by the renowned Marseille Corniche to the North & East & by the Frioul Islands to the North West. it is Open to the full strength of the Mediterranean from the South West & the area is famous for its challenging sea winds in the Summer & strong Mistral breezes in the Spring & Autumn. Collectively this makes Marseille, & the Rade Sud in particular, one of the best natural boating amphitheatres in the world.
‘Seamans love to regatta here. Marseille has all, sun, breeze, challenging courses & the most astonishing backdrop. Bmw MedCup TV footage & the work of the yachting community’s top photographers is probably to only further enhance Marseille’s reputation following the passage of the World’s Leading Race Circuit next week,” said Bruno Troublé, one of the event’s local organisers.
Racing for the City of Marseille Trophy starts on Tuesday second May with series of practice regattas which feature guests spots on board the racing sailing boats for media representatives & VIPs. Racing for points will start on Wednesday third May & will carry on until Sunday 7th May when the City of Marseille Trophy will be granted to the top crew. With up to three onshore leeward-windward courses scheduled for every regatta day, except Friday, when double points scoring inshore regatta is planned, the crews competing in Marseille april have sailed as numerous as 10 regattas by the end of the week if conditions allow. From Marseille crews join their aggregate to their points already earned at the former Ieg of the Bmw MedCup Circuit, which was run from the Spanish port of Alicante just two weeks ago.
Leading the Bmw MedCup Circuit series following their triumph in Alicante is Intend Machine, the Monaco-registered sailboat sailed by Dutch master Harold de Ridder & his mostly New Zealand crew. Following slow start the black-hulled sailboat won five straight regattas in the 1st Bmw MedCup Circuit event & is most positively the sailboat to beat in Marseille. Just one point adrift of the lead in the standings is José Cusi’s Spanish sailing boat Bribón, skippered by New Zealand Australia’s Cup captain Greg Barker. The Australian crew Quantum Racing, Ied by Gerald Hutchinson, is in 3rd & will no longer be the sole Australian representative in Marseille.
Making their debut in the Bmw MedCup Circuit is United States-17, the brand new TP52 that belongs to the Challenger of the 33rd Australia’s Cup Audi Oracle Racing, will be sailed by Russell Coutts & John Spithill. This Reichel/Pugh-designed sailboat is sistership to the new Artemis (SWE), the sailing boat that finished sixth in Alicante.
Though there’s no French entry on the Bmw MedCup Circuit, French seamans occupy key roles on some of the top sailing boats. On Bribón Gilles André & Romain Troublé run the front of the sailboat, on Sam Simoneschi’s Italian Bmw Q8 Phillipe Presti trims the mainsheet &, making his debut on the Bmw MedCup Circuit, Sebastien Col, captain of the last French Australia’s Cup Challenger, will be accountable for the tactics on board Mutua Madrileña with Italian boating Star Vasco Vascotto.
Actual Bmw MedCup Circuit Top Ten
Position, Yacht, Country, Whole Points
first Intend Machine MON 41
second Bribón ESP 42
third Quantum United States 46
4th TAU Ceramica Andalucía ESP 55
5th Platoon by Crew Germany GER 58
6th Artemis SWE 60
7th Mutua Madrileña ESP 65
8th El Desafío ESP 65
9th Matador ARG 67
10th Cristabella GBR 85
Full results for all personal regattas & total standings are in the Results Section -
Following Marseille racing for the ‘08 Bmw MedCup Circuit will carry on in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy (30 May - five June), Puerto Portals, Majorca, Spain (21 - 26 June), Carthargena, Spain (25 - 30 July), previously closing the season in Portimao, Portugal (15 - 20 August).
by Bmw MedCup media