Victory Challenge Claims Revenge

Victory Challenge Claims Revenge

Sweden’s Victory Challenge today claimed their revenge over GBR Challenge for their defeat in Round Robin One, beating the British team by 61 seconds. Harrison’s men led away from the start, but the Swedish team sailed a higher mode to take control of the first beat. From there, the Swedes tacked on top of GBR 70 as the teams sailed towards the layline, to extend their lead. The crew of Wight Lightning attacked on the three remaining legs, but SWE73 proved to be the quicker boat in the conditions. Orm defended their lead until the end to take an important win in the battle for fifth position.

In a 15 knot breeze from 260 degrees, GBR Challenge entered from the port end of the line. Both boats went into a dial-up for 95 seconds, before sailing back towards the right hand side of the line. Wight Lightning elected to sail deep and as gybed inside the Swedish team as they headed back for the line to maintain control as the leeward boat. As both boats headed towards the middle of the line, Wight Lightning was leeward and ahead of Orm, distrupting the flow of air onto SWE 73’s sails. The British team then bore away to take the pin end of the line. Orm crossed four seconds later in the middle of the line but immediately sailed higher than GBR 70 to recover the starting deficit.

As both boats headed to the left hand side of the course, Orm continued to sail higher than GBR 70 and increased the gauge between the two teams. Wight Lightning tacked and at the first cross, Orm was able to tack on top of the British team and gain control of the race. The Swedish team continued to cover Harrison’s men and tack on top of the British team at every opportunity to extend their lead. At the weather mark, Orm had a 43 second lead and was far enough in front of GBR 70 to prevent Wight Lightning from affecting her wind down the first run.

The Swedish boat, that has shown good heavy air speed throughout the regatta, pulled away to lead by 61 seconds at the leeward mark. On the second beat, Victory again chose to cover GBR 70 until halfway up the course when the British team sailed to the right hand side of the course. Initially the move paid as the wind swung to the right, and the Swedes lead was cut to 30 seconds. However, the wind moved back to the left and Victory re-established the advantage to lead by one minute and 28 seconds at the final mark.

Wight Lightning showed good downwind speed on the run to cut the lead, but the Swedes covered the British team to take the 61 second victory.

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