August 20, 2007
by Mean Machine Sailing Team
20 Aug |
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Peter de Ridder and crew are preparing for Portugal’s first ever TP52 race, the fourth and penultimate event in the Breitling MedCup 2007 Circuit.
The MedCup 2006 winners are ready to battle it out against 18 other entries in this brand new TP52 event, the Portugal Trophy, located in the southern Portuguese port of Portimao on the well-known Algarve coast.
Tactician Ray Davies, navigator Jules Salter, Strategist Tom Dodson, skipper Peter de Ridder and the rest of the Mean Machine boys will be hoping that their broad ranging experience in all types of sailing conditions will help them climb further up the general rankings in this year’s Circuit. The team are currently in 8th place overall, with Spanish boat Caixa Galicia topping the classification, just 61 points ahead of them. They’ll be fighting off stiff competition from Vasco Vascotto’s Mutua Madrileña, Irish entry Patches, HM King Juan Carlos of Spain’s Bribón and winners of the last event, the Copa del Rey, Guillermo Parada’s Siemens.
Portimao on the Algarve Coast will welcome 19 of the TP52 MedCup fleet, with Glory, Fram, Bambakou, Astro and more significantly for the Mean Machine team, Platoon missing out on this first event in Atlantic waters. Mean Machine are currently tied on points with the German boat, so it may be the chance to really narrow the score margins for the team.
This clash of titans will provide some exciting new conditions and surroundings for the fleet, and perhaps the possibility of some even higher sailing speeds than we’ve seen so far in the Circuit. The Atlantic could serve up a dose of strong breezes and some bigger waves, making for one of the most thrilling Med fleet clashes yet.
Mean Machine Tactician Ray Davies certainly thinks so: “There’s definitely more chance of getting some good breeze sailing in Portugal. The venues in the Med tend to be mild, and now we could be seeing some big waves and big wind. I certainly hope that’s what we get – seeing the TP52’s fly downwind would be absolutely spectacular!”
Sailing in more challenging conditions is not without its risks, as Davies points out: “Boat maintenance is going to be crucial in Portugal, as these conditions could cause things like gear failures. It will be a great challenge though – I love going to new events and getting to grips with new geographical effects.”
This Atlantic baptism for some of the new boats is due to follow the same format as other MedCup events, with 3 days of windward – leeward racing and two coastal races, scored in two parts. With a brand new MedCup battlefield to contend with, the boats won’t be lining up on the start line on Tuesday expecting the racing to follow suite, and they’ll be thinking carefully about how to make the most of the Portimao conditions.
Mean Machine Skipper and founder Peter de Ridder: “It’s going to be pretty shifty out there, and you have to be prepared for that. I think the boats are going to perform well in these conditions, so we all have to up our game. That’s especially true for us, as we’re up against the new crop of 2007 boats. We’ll make some small adjustments, but we’ll be mainly focussing on getting the tactics just right.”
One thing’s for sure – it’s going to be TP52 action at its best
