Puerto Calero (Lanzarote).- The wind finally returned to Lanzarote and despite being light and shifty allowed for the start of the Trofeo Puerto Calero Match Race after Thursday’s quiet day. Of the 17 flights in the programme, two went ahead with the Round Robin set to be completed during the weekend.
In this second day of the Trofeo Puerto Calero Match Race the favourites were out giving a demonstration of their prowess, amongst them Manu Weiller from Mallorca and the French sailors Phillipe Presti and Pierre Antoine Morvan all deserving their rankings by winning both their races.
Originally a race between Paolo Cian and local champion Rayco Tabares had been set to take place but a problem with the boats meant that the first pair up was Pierre Antoine Morvan and Portuguese Alvaro Marinho.
The Frenchman took charge early in his race and from the start took the lead from the Portuguese, finally winning with ease. The same happened to the Italian Simone Ferrarese who beat the Russian Evgeny Nevgodnikov by a wide margin. This flight also saw the debut of two of the three Spaniards with a duel between the finest Spanish match racers Manu Weiller and José María Ponce with the former first from the start and not giving any quarter to his countryman. The fourth battle took place between Presti and the Argentinian Axel Rodger with their respective rankings Presti (7 th) and Rodger (400 th) making themselves clear.
Presti and Ponce opened the next flight, already rivals this year in the GP42 class, the former in Madrid and the latter with Islas Canarias Puerto Calero although on this occasion it was the Frenchman who saw victory. The other was between the Spaniards where Weiller beat Rodger. The most exciting race however featured Simone Ferrarese against Pierre Antoine Morvan; a well-matched pair with two penalties each meaning that they were visibly fighting for a win right up until the very end where Morvan pipped his rival to the post. The fourth race in this flight was between Michelle Perris from Monaco who has on board world number 1 Adam Minoprio, and Alvaro Marinho. Perris won the race and his first point.
Conditions allowed for the third flight to begin where José María Ponce scored against beginner Rayco Tabares after the latter was awarded three penalties disqualifying the Lanzarote contestant. The second match with Manu Weiller against Philippe Presti, had to be suspended due to lightening winds and an increase in shift.
Paolo Cian and Jude Orel ended the day without be able to race.
The wind blew gently between 3 and 8 knots, shifting frequently between 80-150º, accompanied by a strong current.
Tomorrow is set for continuing the Round Robin with the semi-finals and final on Sunday.
Round Robin
Flight 1
Morvan 1-Marinho 0
Ferrarese 1-Nevgodnikov 0
Ponce 0-Weiller 1
Presti 1-Rodger 0
Flight 2
Presti 1-Ponce 0
Rodger 0-Weiller 1
Ferrarese 0-Morvan 1
Perris 1-Marinho 0
Flight 3
Tabares 0-Ponce 1
Results after 2 flights
1 Manu Weiller (ESP), 2 wins / 2 races
Philippe Presti (FRA), 2 wins /2 races
Pierre Antoine Morvan (FRA), 2 wins /2 races
4 Michelle Perris (MON), 1 win /1 race
5 Simone Ferrarese (ITA), 1 win /2 races
6 José María Ponce (ESP), 1 win / 3 races
7 Rayco Tabares (ESP), 0 wins /1 race
Eugeny Nevgodnikov (RUS), 0 wins /1 race
9 Axel Rodger (ARG), 0 wins /2 races
