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Glorious sunshine for Day 2 of the iShares Cup at Kiel - but cool heads required on the water
www.isharescup.com @ Sat Aug 30 11:04:00 +0100 2008
In brief
. Glorious sunshine in Kiel made Day 2 of the iShares Cup a fantastic racing spectacle, with tens of thousands of spectators enjoying the racing
. Five different winners of today’s six races in tricky conditions
. Cool heads required as the sailors start to feel the pressure at the penultimate regatta of the European Extreme 40 Sailing Series
. Alinghi hold their event lead overall, but TEAMORIGIN chasing hard in second
Racing close to the shore in front of huge crowds at Kiel for Round 4 of the iShares Cup
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
In detail
A continual stream of people along the promenade and pontoons along the Inner Førde at Kiel saw the iShares Cup attract its biggest ever audience for Day 2 of the fourth round of the circuit, with tens of thousands of visitors enjoying six races in glorious sunshine.
Racing kicked off in around 10 knots of breeze, with the gybe mark set just off the seawall so the Extreme 40s hurtled towards the crowds. Team Aqua have been on great form this regatta and got off to a great start by taking an early lead, while behind them four boats – BT, iShares, Alinghi and Tommy Hilfiger – rounded the first mark abreast. First day winners Alinghi went on to win, but it was their only one of the day – of the six races, there were five different winners, with virtually all teams experiencing some moments they’d rather forget.
Team Aqua took the second race win – which together with a second, third and fourth today saw Alister Richardson and crew climb into second place for most of Day 2. TEAMORIGIN pushed too hard when they attempted to tuck into second place at the top mark, and ended up touching the buoy, resulting in a penalty turn.
“We were coming in and it was either dip a load of boats or try to tack in below Aqua, and so we did that because it was the difference between coming second round the mark or potentially coming about sixth, so we snuck in below them but didn’t quite lay it and just scraped the mark with our transom. And unfortunately there was an umpire right there to see it!” reported TEAMORIGIN skipper Rob Greenhalgh after racing.
BT won two races on Day 2 of the iShares Cup at Kiel
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
By the beginning of race three the racecourse was crowded with spectator boats, as Kiel sailors went afloat in everything from classic motoryachts to family dinghies to get up close to the Extreme 40 racing – with Kiel officials reporting that even more visitors came to watch today’s iShares Cup racing than the America’s Cup exhibition sailing which visited Kiel Sailing City in August 2006. The Extreme 40 fleet dodged the spectator boats as they sailed close enough to the seawall for the sailors to smell the candyfloss and frites at the public regatta village ashore. It was also the turn of BT to come to the fore, who became the only boat to win two races as they crossed the line first in the third and fourth races of the day (Races 9 and 10).
“A good day today,” said BT skipper Nick Moloney, “We had two solid victories before getting buried pre-start in Race 5 ending in a last place. In the sixth and final race we had a third which kept our averages up for the day to make it a great day in whole.
“The foreshore seemed to be heaving with spectators and rock bands. Every time we went near the shore everyone was yelling and cheering from the shore which made for a fantastic atmosphere.”
The course changed to a triangle format with a reaching start for the next two races of the day. Oman Sail and BT both reversed their fortunes, as Oman Sail took the fifth win – having been last in the previous race – while double winners BT dropped to the back of the fleet.
Round 4 leaders Alinghi were also struggling with the new format, rounding the first mark of today’s fifth race as the back marker. As the tightly-packed fleet approached the first mark under spinnaker, there were plenty of red protest flags flying and a few tempers fraying as the teams pushed hard to consolidate their positions in this penultimate regatta of the iShares Cup series, but Ed Baird and crew kept a cool head to climb steadily through the fleet to fifth.
“We started out really nicely with a couple of nice strong races and then we got tangled up in a few. Especially these last two, with the reaching starts, I did a really poor job of getting the boat off the line and we had to catch up! But fortunately the guys did a great job and there were a couple of opportunities for us to gain a little bit at the end and we did, but I don’t like putting us in that position,” explained Alinghi skipper Ed Baird.
Meanwhile, overall iShares Cup series leaders TEAMORIGIN were chasing hard and nailed the final start to lead all the way around, whilst Team Aqua’s luck ran out and they finished back in ninth, letting TEAMORIGIN past them into second on the overall leaderboard.
So at the end of Day 2 Alinghi have held on to their overall lead in Round 4 of the iShares Cup, whilst TEAMORIGIN climbed to second and Team Aqua are currently just two points behind in third.
Alinghi lead Round 4 of the iShares Cup after Day 2 at Kiel
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
“We didn’t have a great day yesterday and we don’t feel as if we had a great day today, but we’ve had a better day than most people,” said TEAMORIGIN skipper Rob Greenhalgh. “It’s been tough racing, almost tougher than yesterday. It’s snakes and ladders here.
“We went into the day six points behind Alinghi and now we’re five, but we didn’t have a great start to the day. And then we sorted it out and got better and better,” reported Rob Greenhalgh. “We had a few things not go our way, we hit a mark and a couple of other things that didn’t really help our cause, but you’ve got to just keep plugging away because it isn’t easy sailing out there, it’s very, very tricky, and sometimes it is just a bit of luck that puts people in the right place at the right time. You’ve kind of got to wait until it’s your turn to have the luck, and put yourself in positions where you can gain. But we bided our time, and then you’ve got to be a bit punchy at times.”
TEAMORIGIN are just one point ahead in the overall series lead, and will be fighting hard to overtake their nearest rivals Alinghi here at Kiel in tomorrow’s finale, which ends with a double-point last race. “I think there’s a bit more breeze tomorrow, 15 knots or maybe 20, so it could be an exciting afternoon. We’ve just got to get out there and do the best we can, try and get some races off Alinghi early on and then get it all teed up for the final double-pointer.”
Tomorrow the winner of the fourth round of the iShares Cup will be decided with six races scheduled, starting from 1430.
Closest racing so far makes the iShares Cup at Kiel a real crowd-pleaser
www.isharescup.com @ Fri Aug 29 10:28:00 +0100 2008
In brief
. Crowds of around 8,000 watch the ultra-close iShares Cup racing just off the shoreline of the Kieler Førde. Over 50,000 spectators expected tomorrow.
. Day one of Round 4 makes for some of the closest racing ever in the iShares Cup, with a tie for second and third places – just one point separates four boats!
. Alinghi leading the Kiel event after six races – tricky venue troubles series leaders TEAMORIGIN.
. New faces at the front as Team Aqua and Holmatro take their first wins of the series.
. Double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson back on form with a great start to the fourth event of the iShares Cup.
. Andreas Hagara and his crew on Holmatro are introduced to Germany as they feature in a 15-minute live programme for regional broadcaster NDR.
Day 1, Kiel: BT, Alinghi and JP Morgan Asset Management racing close to the shore
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
In detail
Photo-finishes just metres from the shore and place changes every leg made day one of the iShares Cup at Kiel a real crowd pleaser. Even some rain showers couldn’t keep away up to 8,000 spectators who lined the shore of the Inner Førde to watch the Extreme 40s blasting past the bustling public race village – with sunshine forecast for tomorrow, over 50,000 spectators are anticipated over the weekend.
The 10 teams competing at the fourth round of the iShares Cup didn’t fail to put on a great show, with some of the closest racing ever seen in the 2008 series. The fourth round of the European series was officially started by the City Mayor Angelika Volquartz, who fired the first start gun, and racing was to prove tricky right from the off. Series leaders TEAMORIGIN started their event with an eighth place, and in the next race America’s Cup defenders Alinghi finished ninth – clearly the results were due for a shake up!
JPMorgan Asset Management at Kiel
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
British double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson got off to a great start in race one, and took the best line down the run to storm into first place and take the win. Then in Race 2 it was the turn of Team Aqua to come to the fore, taking their first win of the series. Behind them Alinghi, TEAMORIGIN and Tommy Hilfiger came storming down the finish line in a gust for a high-speed photo-finish in front of the grandstand!
For race three the whole fleet was fighting to get onto port tack and into the favoured breeze as soon as possible after the start – iShares got the first leg right to lead around mark one, to great applause from the iShares guests watching from their waterfont marquee. But series leaders TEAMORIGIN were starting their fight back, and came past them downwind to win. Team Aqua continued their run of good form with a second place.
The final race of the day saw the biggest breezes, making for some high-speed runs. There was added drama for the fifth man guest on board BT in the final race, who tumbled off the trampoline as the team went for a quick gybe before being quickly recovered by the BT spectator RIB who was watching nearby.
“We were in a leading position and then when they wanted to do a gybe – it was a very fast manoeuvre – I just lost my balance and fell into the water! The only thing that went through my mind was ‘But we’re in first place!’ I never felt in any danger and the water was actually quite warm, I was just disappointed it ended that way. But it was absolutely fantastic to be a real part of the action!” said BT guest Kai Lorenz.
Alinghi take victory on day one at Kiel
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
But it was the turn of America’s Cup defenders Alinghi to get back into their winning stride, taking races four and six – and a solid second place in race five behind Holmatro – to finish the day in first overall on 45 points. Behind them it was as close as possible with Oman Sail and JPMorgan Asset Management tied for second on 40 points.
“I’m happy,” said Shirley Robertson, skipper of JPMorgan Asset Management as she got off the water. “It’s hard racing, it’s pretty gusty and the starts are very important in the short course racing. But we had some great starts – although in the last two races they were perhaps a little too good, one was over the line and the in other one we crashed into the committee boat! But we wanted to come out punching, you’re going to have to be a bit bold here to do well, and to be equal second at the end of the day I’m happy with that.”
Then just one point behind there was another tie, between the defending iShares Cup champion TEAMORIGIN and Team Aqua, both on 39 points in joint fourth. “It’s been a tricky season for us but we’re getting there,” said helmsman Alister Richardson. I think we’ve just relaxed into it a little bit, and I think that’s why we’re going a little bit better.
“It’s a great venue – perfect size for the amount of boats we’ve got, good for the spectators and it’s been good racing, nice and close. Sometimes the luck goes your way and then sometimes it doesn’t!”
Andreas Hagara and his crew on Holmatro were featured for 15 minutes on live German television this evening as an 18-strong crew from regional broadcaster NDR ran a live feature on the iShares Cup. Nationally renowned sports presenter, Alexander Ruda, fresh off the plane from China, came to Kiel to experience the dramatic sailing at the iShares Cup and Hagara and his team didn’t fail to deliver with a first place in race five, right in front of the cameras.
Tomorrow another six races are scheduled tomorrow afternoon, starting from 1430.
Crowds watching the racing at Kiel
© Jean-Marie Liot/DPPI/OC Events
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