Sail-World.com : Audi MedCup - Team Artemis digs in for impressive win
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Audi MedCup - Team Artemis digs in for impressive win |
Team Artemis skipper Paul Cayard reflects on the final day of racing at the Audi MedCup. Sander van der Borch provides the great images:
Another very solid day today for Artemis! We won!
The breeze was late to fill so we knew it would be just one race. We knew it was a 'who beats who' with Emirates Team New Zealand, as they were just one point behind us. It was for all the marbles.
In the pre-start there was a little extra jockeying for position between us and Emirates Team New Zealand to ensure neither of us got a strong position on the other. Emirates Team New Zealand started to the right and we were to the left, with Quantum just to windward.
Half way up the first windward leg, the wind went 15 degrees right and we were well behind Emirates Team New Zealand. At the first mark we were eighth and Emirates Team New Zealand were third, more than 150 meters ahead of us.
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
There wasn't a person out on the water who did not think Eimrates Team New Zealand had the trophy in their hands as the breeze was now up to 15 knots and they are very fast in those conditions.
But the Artemis team was not done. We went ripping down the first run, planing faster than the others and rounded at the bottom gate fifth.
We held our own up the second windward leg despite Emirates Team New Zealand, now just three lengths ahead, tacking on us 3 or 4 times.
We rounded the top mark for the second time and immediately closed in on Prada, they were in our way. We gybed away into clear water and started ripping like no one else. The breeze was now 19 knots and the boat was doing 17 knots. We gybed back to starboard and closed in on Emirates Team New Zealand. They gybed just in front of us. Prada then tried to gybe on our wind behind. We shot through their lee and up and over Emirates Team New Zealand.
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
And that was that. We finished the race second and won the event! I have been in a lot of sailboat races and that was one of the top four comebacks I have seen. It was fun to be part of it.
More important than the win was the fact that we got Artemis back on track. Nitro, Battler and Fongo had the trim of the sails sorted. Cameron and Michele had us going the right way. And the guys did what they do, operate like pros. Thanks also to the Artemis shore team for an outstandingly well prepared boat.
So the event ends and Artemis is a happy team.
We are now on a three hour bus ride to Valencia for the RC44 event which starts Tuesday. I will be sailing on Katusha with some of the Artemis team. Terry Hutchinson, whose Quantum finished third here, will be sailing with more Artemis crew on the RC44 Artemis. Tomorrow we weigh in at 0930 so no celebrating for us.
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
The next Audi MedCup regatta is in four weeks in Cartegena. We are looking forward to putting Artemis on the start line again.
For complete results go to www.medcup.org
Paul
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
 | Day 5, Barcelona, Camper Regatta - Conde de Godo Trophy - Audi Medcup - Sander van der Borch_- Artemis © |
Artemis is a professional sailing team competing in the Louis Vuitton Trophy events, on the RC44 Championship Tour, the Audi MedCup Circuit and in the TP52 Worlds. Artemis represents the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS).
To follow Artemis
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artemis-Racing/167319026086?ref=ts
Twitter http://twitter.com/artemisracing
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/artemisteam
Cayard’s Updates http://artemisracing.com/pages/cayardsupdates
by Paul Cayard and Sander van der Borch Share
8:40 PM Sun 25 Jul 2010 GMT
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