Two excellent starts by Dean Barker and equally good ones by Torbjorn Tornqvist and Terry Hutchinson give solid performences in first two races (5 and 6) of this saturday for ETNZ, Artemis and Quantum.

Less breeze today than yesterday,starting in 7-10 knots for the first race and expected to build to 15 knots.

Desafio has a strong finish (3rd) in first race, Quantum 5th, always there, this time just behind Pisco Sour (4th).

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First ever win for a portugese boat in race 6, Bigamist VII, with a big lead of about 15 boat lenghts at the finish.

Also solid, Artemis in 2nd, ETNZ in 3rd, Pisco Sour in 4 and Matador 5th.

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Third race light winds, 6 – 8 knots. Difficult conditions, ETNZ suffers badly in first beat and is in last place half way down the race.

But Artemis again up there, threatening Bribon’s 1st position and manages to pass her to go into lead for the final run.

Pisco Sour in 3rd, very very solid today, well done Vasco. Quantum in 4th, always solid. Matador back to 5th, but not really impressive today, too many small mistakes.

ETNZ in 9th position and not really much more to gain. Audi Q8 in last, having a terrible day. Bigamist VII now in 6th, not being able to fend of Quantum. Desafio in 7, Marazzi in 8.

Artemis is flying towards the finish to put a crown on a most succesful day: 2, 2, 1.

At the finish it is the portugese again showing their metal with a 3rd place, behind Bribon 2nd, but having passed Pisco Sour, Quantum and Matador.
A run to remember.

Pisco Sour finishes 4th, Matador 5th, Quantum 6th, Desafio 7, Marazzi 8, Valars 9, ETNZ 10, Synergy 11 and Audi Q8 12th.

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Tomorrow, sunday, closing day of the AUDI MedCup 2009 first event, Alicante.

Overall after 7 races: Artemis and ETNZ each 30 points, Quantum 31 and Matador 33.

No idea who is going to win this.

Quotes of the day

Russell Coutts (NZL), tactician Artemis (SWE):
“It was a lighter wind than yesterday and we got some nice breaks. We did not do anything badly wrong. We never quite got it spot on but we were generally OK. We got through Bribon when we got a little bit more breeze, pressure was the key there. The wind was very shifty out there, there were big shifts.”

“The boat is going really well upwind but I think we have got a little bit of work to do downwind, especially with the sails. The Code 1 gennaker in particular but generally we are very happy with a really nice boat.”

Greg Gendell (USA), trimmer, Quantum Racing (USA):
“We tried to sail very conservatively but at the same time take our opportunities as they came to us. It is typical MedCup though, you really have to fight for every point. The boat with the fewest points wins…..The last run of the last race we rounded the top mark third and four boats passed us on the run, which was not good.”

Simon Fry (GBR), trimmer, Matador (ARG):
“Being honest, the way we sailed today we are lucky to be just three points off the lead going in to the final day.”

Ray Davies, (NZL), Emirates Team New Zealand:
“All in all the day was really good for us to be going into the last day on equal points with the lead, but we didn’t sail well in the last race. We we had a tough line off the start line and we tried to tack and clear ourselves, and then we got bounced a couple of times. We were last on the stage. We managed to pass a couple of boats but when you are back in the fleet and the wind is very light it’s pretty difficult.”