Photos by Thierry Martinez/Audi MedCup - Ian Roman/Audi MedCup
[Source MedCup] With the wind topping 28 knots at times during the second windward-leeward contest of the day, the American boat Quantum, skippered and steered by Terry Hutchinson (USA) proved the best in the breeze, posting a first and a second while Russell Coutts (NZL) guided USA-17 to a lead of eight points in the regatta, going in to the final day of racing on a classic race arena.
Marseille has proven universally popular with competitors on this Audi MedCup Circuit. Coutts, who won the 2007 title as tactician with Artemis, proved his excellence in the very shifty and gusty conditions as USA-17 finished fourth in the first race, they lost their lead on the final downwind, and won the second race which was the windiest the MedCup Circuit has seen for a long time. “We were just pleased to have survived.” Coutts may have quipped on the dockside, but while USA-17’s crew work was strong, their hand strengthened by astute tactics in the big wind shifts, their prudence on the ‘corners’, especially approaching the leeward mark at speeds in excess of 22 knots at times, paid an equally valuable dividend.
Early, safe gennaker drops ensured that they were well settled for the 2.2 miles beat back upwind. - Audi MedCup Circuit visit: medcup.org
