Eurosport - Wed, 07 Oct 20:59:00 2009
Quantum Racing have won the second of two races to lead at the end of day one of the TP52 World Championships off Palma, Mallorca.
The US team's win, paired with a fifth from the first heat, gave the current world champions a one-point overall lead over Russian team Synergy (a second and fifth) and Alberto Roemmers's current Copa del Rey champions Matador (Argentina), who took a third and a fourth.
Real Club Nautico de Palma member John Cook, on the helm of Cristabella, triumphed in the first race for their first World Cup race win.
The British crew, with Manchester export John Cutler (New Zealand) as tactician, recognised the additional wind pressure and small shift to the right of the course on the first beat, and after a modest start, were able to cross the fleet two thirds of the way up the leg.
They led at the windward turn by 40 metres from Synergy and won by 22 seconds with Matador third.
Quantum Racing's all-US afterguard of Morgan Larson and Mark Mendelblatt read the opening beat of the second race to best effect, calling the favourable left shift on the left of the track ahead of extra pressure on the right.
The current champions were ahead at the windward mark to lead local favourites Bribon across the finish.
With Gonzalo Araujo steering, the Spanish boat was well placed off the pin end of the start line and also profited to the left on the first beat, able to hold off the 2007 champions Artemis who took third.
Overall standings after day one:
1. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5+1= 6 points
2. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichuguin), 2+5= 7 points
3. Matador (ARG, Alberto Roemmers), 3+4= 7 points
4. Bribon (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7+2= 9 points
5. Cristabella (GBR, John Cook), 1+9=10 points
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