iShares Cup, Venice 2009
May 17. Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild wins the first 2009 iShares Cup event!Great starts, impressive speed and flawless manoeuvres allowed Yann Guichard's crew to shine on the racecourse since Day 1 at the iShares Cup Venice, taking the lead yesterday after 10 races... Winning the first one today, the French team proved omnipresent in the leading group, making very few mistakes and gradually capitalising on points to move closer to final victory after each race.
Pressure was building up, with the perspective of the last race of the day counting for double points. By that time Renaissance had moved into second place, and tension was high as anything could happen for second, third and fourth places! And indeed, it did. Renaissance's risky start option did not pay off and Peyron ended up at the back of the fleet whilst Ecover was leading at the first mark... before being relegated to the last place in the final race with so many points at stake!
BT captured the last victory of the iShares Cup Venice event in front BMW ORACLE Racing while Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild came third and secured overall victory.
Points Position Gitana Extreme-Groupe LCF Rothschild 140 1 BMW ORACLE Racing 120 2 Renaissance 113 3 Masirah 111 4 Groupama 40 102 5 BT 97 6 LUNA 88 7 Holmatro 84 8 iShares 84 9 Ecover 48 10Click for iShares Cup
Click for Video of the First day.
Click for Video 2nd Day highlights
The next event of the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series will take place in Hyères-TPM (France), a venue which last year provided some of the most spectacular images of the season! As Gilles Chiorri, OC Events Director, points out: "Moving on from Venice to Hyères is probably the best demonstration of the variety the iShares Cup offers in terms of racing conditions. The sailors have had to adapt to a tricky and very tight course in the Bacino San Marco (Venice), the game will be different in France with a more open and windy venue, and with the Mistral likely to kick in, we can expect a few hair-raising moments!" The stunning bay of Hyères with the gorgeous Porquerolles island in the background will be a delight for the sailors and the spectators alike.
May 16, 2009. Changes in hierarchy... but the "bosses" make it clear who they are!
The Committee had to postpone the first start but the wind eventually kicked in, and BMW ORACLE Racing won the first race of the day just like they had done yesterday. Quite clearly, the American team, Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild, Renaissance and Masirah seemed to dominate and the mark roundings proved red hot, with a few contacts and subsequent penalties.
Yann Guichard's crew impressed with their speed, while Pete Cumming went on to win two races in a row... with Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rothschild in his wake! Loïck Peyron had mixed fortunes and a few imperfect starts, but showed a great ability to get back in the game - unfortunately, the crew's 5th man had a taste of Venetian waters and had to be picked up by a safety rib!
The "man overboard" seemed to have enjoyed his experience, coming ashore dripping but with a big smile on his face. Peyron went on to win race 10, with BMW ORACLE in his wake and Holmatro posting a second third place of the day.
Click for Video 2nd Day highlights
Click for Video of the First day.
May 15, 2009,
Heavyweights stay close in light airs
Despite challenging conditions at the opening round of the iShares Cup Venice, the 10 Extreme 40s put away five races this afternoon, before the breeze died.
The race course is set along the Riva dei Setti, within striking distance of St Mark's Square, and the 40-ft catamarans were tacking and gybing within meters of the wall. The racing was hotly contested with no team gaining a clear advantage and it was a case of mixed fortunes for some.
Ultimately, consistency paid off for James Spithill's BMW ORACLE Racing who after winning the first race emerged as leaders at the end of the first day of the 2009 iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series.
Gitana Extreme - Groupe LCF Rotschild, Renaissance (Oman Sail) and Masirah (Oman Sail) also made a remarkable debut, the latter only being one point behind Yann Guichard's team on the provisional leaderboard!
After a windless and overcast morning (although the scenery remains magical no matter what!), the breeze started to fill in shortly after midday and the 10 Extreme 40s took to the racecourse under menacing skies and a few drops of rain.
The first four races of the day were held in around 6 to 8 knots of breeze, but by the end of the afternoon the wind had died and conditions were more than challenging for the crews.
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