Dream conditions for the last practice day

Will the lake conditions reshuffle the cards? The question raised last weeks is still open but the first practice brings initial clews. Indeed, the winner is Team Beecom, from Japan; a team that often got very good results in light and flat conditions during the first RC 44 Championship Tour. Sailing with a genoa – unlike the other teams who opted for a jib, Beecom benefited from some light wind patches to make it to the top.

Second of the practice race, Team Banco Espirito Santo (with John Kostecki at the helm) confirms that it is in good form after a good race in Cagliari last month, just ahead of Markus Wieser’s Team Sea Dubai.

Team Austria Cro-a-Sail - considered as the local team thanks to the involvement of Christian Binder and Sylvia Vogl (who will compete in the Olympic Games this summer in the 470 Class) – was also fighting for victory today and finishes a good fourth.

Organised by PROFS Marketing KG, the Austria Cup begins tomorrow with the match racing event. After a full round robin held in two days, the team owners will take the helm for three days of fleet racing. A long distance race - the DHL Trophy - will take the fleet around Lake Traunsee on Saturday.

Practice race ranking:
(Name of team, owner, pro sailor)
1) Team Beecom, Isao Mita / Kelvin Harrap
2) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros / John Kostecki
3)Sea Dubai, DIMC, Markus Wieser
4) Team Austria Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic / Christian Binder
5) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts
6) Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Mateusz Kusznierewicz
7) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti / Sébastien Col
DNF: Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
DNF: Team Ceeref, Igor Lah / James Spithill

RC 44 Championship Tour 2008 (after 2 events):
1) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, 40 points
2) Team Banco Espirito Santo, 75 points
3) Ceeref, 78 points
4) Sea Dubai, 81 points
5) Team Aqua, 84 points
6) Cro-A-Sail, 112 points
7) BMW ORACLE Racing, 120 points
8) Team Organika, 136 points
9) Beecom, 138 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, 164 points
11) Magia Alike, 184 points
11) Jelik, 184 points