On the final day of the fourth stage 44Cup Cascais surpassed themselves, providing excellent racing conditions — sunshine, Northwest wind at 20 to 25 knots and short waves in combination with ocean coast. Tells Elena Tekina:
© Elena Tekina
Apparently, in order to make the truly memorable final, the Race Committee took the distance for a few miles further into the ocean, where the winds reached 30 knots. The boat rapidly, as the torpedoes raced on passing courses, some teams recorded a speed of 23 knots!
Water broke over the riders head, and occasionally boat turned into a submarine, the cockpit was nearly knee-deep water. It was a real ocean sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race! Jumping on our powerful the press boat on the waves, from head to toe clad in a waterproof suit, thermal underwear, fleece and hat, I can’t believe that somewhere on the shore continues in the hot summer day and vacationers sunbathing on the beach.
All the three scheduled races were held rapidly, and the result is the current world champion and winner of the “Golden wheel” – the distinguishing sign of the fleet leader – British Team Aqua of Chris Bake won the penultimate race of the season with a margin of one race. Fourth and third places in the first two starts of the day is reliably ensured British victory, so that in the final race the crew went to just to get pleasure from high-speed surfing on the waves, and 8th finish has not played any role.
The heroine of the finale, showed the best result of the day was the Russian Team Nika’s Vladimir Prosikhin with a stellar tactician, the winner of the America’s Cup and a series SailGP, the Olympic champion, Australian Tom Slingsby. After long-awaited victory in the last race Saturday Nika on Sunday managed to win even two races. Despite the 5th finish in the second race of the day, these victories allowed the team to bypass the Charisma of Monaco by three points and win the silver stage.
Bronenosec Sailing Team with Kirill Frolov on the steering wheel and tactician Cameron This after the 3rd, 6th and 7th places in the three races of the day has retained its 5th final position. “Tavatuy” Pavel Kuznetsov Eugene Neugodnikov as a tactic after a series 6-2-5 also retained their 6th place in overall.
The first race saw Team Nika was on the second sign, ovibashi after the Slovenian Ceeref, the second diffraction it Slovenian boat overtook and ran down first. Suddenly, flying behind her Ceeref exploded in two cloth gennaker – and the boat Vladimir Prosikhin no one was threatened. In the second race Nika was 4th at the first rounding, on a full course ahead of two boats and came to gate 2, but in the second tacking boat sank hydraulics, it was in the “sandwich” between two other boats and could not pull up. The result is Nika skipped ahead two boats, and then another on the second full course and finished 5th. But in the third race, the team was able to obtain this advantage at the start and the first tacking that ulybalas at the first sign of a couple of hundred meters ahead of the fleet and the finish brought his lead to almost a mile!
Steering Vladimir Prosikhin were broadly happy with the regatta: “Very good regatta, absolutely amazing weather, it shows all the features of our boats, because we had up to 30 knots of wind and the boat remained mostly under control. At an average wind speed greater than 20 knots the boat just flies – an amazing feeling! Unfortunately, this is already a rule that we need another day of racing. We’re too late to Wake up and perform well in the last days. It is a pity that lost the second race today, we had a chance, and it would be much better to get 4 win in a row. But I’m happy that we have improved our position, it’s a very good result, much better than how we started. And still a possible victory of the season as another regatta ahead.”
Team tactician Tom Slingsby commented on the results of the regatta: “We improved every day. Today we raced very well, we had a small failure in the second race we were second but fell to 5th. But the more muzzle, the better we were, the great Vladimir was driving. We are one point behind Aqua, Ceeref whereas for us in 4 glasses, all very tight, and we have a chance to win the season.”
Tavatuy got a false start in the first race, but managed to improve to 6th place. In the second race of the Ekaterinburg team was in third position, but on the last full course ahead of the British Aqua and became the second. As the British tried, they were unable to regain their position, although at the finish of the boat came almost simultaneously. Third race Tavatuy spent in the fight and was able to finish middle of the fleet.
According to Pavel Kuznetsov, Sunday was the best day, despite the fact that much wind was not so good. “It was a good day, not all maneuvers work, but we fought like lions in every race! Speed was much work, we are very happy. I think it was the best regatta of the ones that this season was, in all classrooms. From the point of view of wind for sure!”
“The regatta was nervous, I even turned gray. Okay when I fail., but when they mess up a lot, I’m worried twice!” – laugh tactics Eugene Neugodnikov after the race. “But in principle, the regatta went well. The first regatta for us, as is much of the barrel. Of course, many did not, especially in the beginning, especially from the start, well and melee could not always win. Today was better, and the two start turned. Fought. Most importantly, in the middle of the fleet. Well, that is not repeated regatta in Rovinj, where we went last. At the world Cup we were 7, here 6-e, in principle it is normal in comparison with those teams that are fighting here is not the first year. For the first season I think well this goes, given the difficult waters and a strong rivals. Not everything worked technically, we still have a lot to work with, and tie understands that it is necessary in the boat “to vrublivtsy” that is a completely different boat. The cost of failure is certainly large enough if the team did something wrong time, it’s just a big loss, so tough, just punish you. The plan for the rest of the season to work on the bugs and on the palm to try to stay closer to the top three, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Team Whoppin in the first race at the first sign came in a dense crowd and ulybalas 7th, but then was overtaken by two boats, the first full course, and in the last meters before the finish took around two boats and became 3rd. In the second race boat was the 5th, then was 4th on the full course went to bracing and finished 6th. Finally, in the third race Whoppie was third, but went too far in the corner, then on the right side faced Artemis was holed and filled body of water, finishing the 7th.
Steering Kirill Frolov commented on the race: “the Pleasure received, the result is not very good, mainly due to some obvious unnecessary oshibochek. Today we lost probably 5 places in two races. In the first race was lucky, but in the 2nd and 3rd had to give. Psychologically difficult day. Most stressful was that the wind abruptly changed from 15 to 25 knots. Was such a strange spot wind. But overall today is our weather. If all 4 days were such, it would be possible for the podium fight”
After four regattas this year in the overall Team Nika behind the leader of Team Aqua by just one point, and the main struggle for victory throughout the season will unfold for the final regatta, which will take place in mid-November in Mallorca.
Full results –
https://44cup.org/results
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