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Local favourites Bribon lead the TP52 World Championships after they won race five off Mallorca.

As Sweden's 2007 champions Artemis made a lacklustre start and could only salvage an eighth in the light, sticky conditions, Spaniards Bribon moved four points clear of current champions Quantum Racing (USA), who scored a useful fourth.

After a strong start, tactician Ross MacDonald and navigator Marcel van Triestread the shifting breeze at the top end of the first beat precisely, calling a good layline which allowed them to ease away around the windward mark ahead of Matador, who over-stood slightly.

In six-seven knots of breeze Bribon were able to extend on the downwind leg to build a comfortable margin, winning one minute and 24 seconds clear of a dramatic finish behind them as Synergygained more than half a minute on the last run.

Synergy's hitch out to the left brought them extra wind pressure which allowed them to steal across the bows of Quantumand Matador to wrest second place.

Second at the final windward mark, the Argentine boat just made third, getting the better of Quantum in a tight finish - one second was the difference between the two.

Overnight leaders Artemis dropped to third overall.

"Some of the guys have specific knowledge here, but we really are not putting too much into that, it just becomes a little too risky doing that," Canadian MacDonald said.

"Being in the best pressure was the most important thing today. Under 10 knots of breeze the pressure makes such a big difference in these boats, especially in the tacking angles.

"We never had high expectations here, we just wanted to operate at a better level here than we have this season and that has been our main goal."

Saturday's rescheduled coastal race carries a 1.5 point multiplier.

 

Overall Standings after day three (five races):

1. Bribon (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7+2+2+3+1 = 15 points

2. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5+1+3+6+4 = 19 points

3. Artemis (SWE, Torbjorn Tornqvist), 8+3+1+2+8 = 22 points

4. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichugin), 2+4+7+7+2 = 22 points

5. Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 (ITA, Riccardo Simoneschi), 4+6+5+4+5 = 24 points

Eurosport