Audi MedCup Sardinia - Team Quantum Prevails - News and Videos

Caliari, Sardinia - It was an extraordinary week's sailing as the Audi MedCup wrapped up in Caliari for the Region of Sardinia Trophy Regatta.   With a variety of conditions, including warm sea breezes and the cold Mistrals, the courses were challenging, and the races often tight to the finish as the TransPac 52's battled it out in 10 races over the last five days.  In the end, Quantum took this third regatta and is squarely in first place overall for the 2008 MedCup series.

“I am a little relieved.“ said Quantum's Hutchinson about the win, “You have to take your hats off to the Mean Machine guys, they kept fighting after the first race, they did nice work in the second and in the third, as did we. Everything that we worked on prior to the regatta has been better here. Out starting was better, our boat was going faster, we are slowly improving our equipment and our sails, to a point where it is very nice, and the faster you get the easier it gets. I think we have to keep working hard at getting more out of our boat.”

“It has been a really good test, but we still leave stuff on the table, and so the good news too is that we can still get better as well. I think everyone can enjoy this win for what it’s worth for a day or two, but there is still 30 races or whatever it is, and so we are only about half way there,” concluded Hutchinson.

Taking second for the Sardinia Trophy is Mean Machine, with Artemis at third.  Some of the most exciting racing was yesterday in the Mistrals.  With gusts reaching almost 30 knots, the fleet saw more than one blown 'chute, plenty of hard sailing, and the diverse mix of tactics one would expect from this fleet of world-class racers.

Trimmer Juan Meseguer of third place Artemis commented on the today's less extreme conditions: “Today was a good day for us. Nothing is really different for us today. We got the wind shifts better, and whoever was playing the wind shifts better won the regatta. Some times today it was left and some times it was right and so you just had to be patient. I think we were risky in the third race but it worked. And on the whole circuit with 50% of the Circuit done, being third and not far away from the top two, there are still plenty of boats who can win this Circuit, and I still think there are a lot of things can happen.”

The MedCup series continues July 21st as the Breitling Regatta gets underway in Puerto Portals in the Bay of Palma, Spain.

FINAL RESULTS:Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy Regatta.
(Positions, Boat, Nation, R1, R2, R3,R4,R5,R6A,R6B,R7,R8,R9,R10, total points)

1. Quantum Racing USA (3,1,6, 1,1,5,4,5,1,6,4,37)
2. Mean Machine MON (1,4,1,2,3,6,6,7,4,2,3, 39)
3. Artemis SWE (9,5,4,5,7,4,5,1,3,1,1, 45)
4. Mutua Madrileña ESP (2,11,7,8,4,1,1,3,2,8,2,49)
5. Bribón ESP (4,2,5, 7,11,2,2,6,6,3,7, 55)
6. El Desafío ESP (6, 7, 11,3,6,7,7,4,5,10,6, 72)
7. Matador ARG (7,8,3,6,8,10,10,2,12,4,5, 75)
8. Caixa Galicia ESP (12,9,9,10,2,3,3,14,11,5,8,86)
9. Platoon by Team Germany GER (5,10,8,9,5,9,9,10,10,7,9,91)
10. Cristabella GBR (10,6,12,11,9,8,9,7,11,10, 101)
Breitling Trophy for the best Elapsed Total Time at the regatta: Quantum Racing.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2008
Standings after 26 races in Alicante, Marseille, Cagliari.
1. Quantum Racing USA 129
2. Bribón ESP 135,2
3. Artemis SWE 137
4. Mean Machine MON 158
5. Platoon by Team Germany GER 190
6. Matador ARG 192
7. Mutua Madrileña ESP 200,4
8. El Desafío ESP 207
9. CxG Caixa Galicia ESP 232,6
10. Cristabella GBR 264
 

Audi MedCup Video 1: Terry Hutchinson, of team Quantum comments on the Audi MedCup 2008.

Audi MedCup Video 2: - Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy