EC AT MARSTRAND 3.-9.8.2008
notes and incidents from the regatta

Team Alfa Romeo happy on board, even though the result wasn't what they wanted

friday 8.8. DAY 6, last race day

kuva ©www.blur.se
Long offshore race, 111 miles around Kattegat. We left shore very motivated. Our only goal was to win. And if Bergen or Beluga fails, we'd have a shot for medal. Wind was at first 5-8 m/s, lessening during the night.

Our start was great. We rounded windward mark second after Unique and just after us came Bergen. Beluga dropped somewhat during the 25 mile beat. The situation stayed same during the whole race. We crossed the finishing line well ahead the same sized boats. DataComm (again) won and we took good second place after a good race. Unfortunately our competitors held their ground, Beluga was 4th and Bergen 5th. So in the final results we were fourth.

kuva ©www.blur.se

Our boatspeed was great during the whole regatta. None of the same calibre boats couldn't match it. Without our own mistakes we would have finished better, even though Ralf Aspholm out of reach for anyone. DataCom's boatspeed matched bigger - 41-42' boats. Warm gratulations to Ralf. Big dissapointments were X-41s and finnish/estonian champion AudiSport. They never matched the speed of top boats.

Fourth place among the fleet of 39 is good, but we were sailing for medals, so a bitter fruit was ours to eat.

Final results:
1. Data Communication SWE 10,55
2. Team Bergen NOR 46,8
3. Beluga Sailing Team GER 50,25
4. Alfa Romeo FIN 56,25
5. Du Soleil II SWE 64,75
6. Unique GER 80,55

kuva ©www.blur.se

thursday 7.8. DAY 5, third race day
Three windward - leeward races were due. Wind would be 10 m/s in the morning ang weaken during the day to 4-5 m/s. Our goal was to sail three good starts with placings within best five, and the medals would be very near.

First race was a bit lucky, and in the end we were fifth.

Second race. A great start - or so we thought. At first windwad mark we were second right after 49' Unique. At the finnishing line we were sure the race was ours. You could understand our dissapointment when we heard that we we disqualified. Our medal hopes got quite a blow.

During the third start wind died, and the course was shortened. Unique, Bergen and DataCom got best of the slow winds. We crossed line fourth, but somewhat rising breeze gave smaller boats some help, and our placing in this race was 11th.

To get a medal, we would have to win team Beluga by six placings during the last race.

wednesday 6.8. DAY 4, second race day
One windward - leeward race and a short offshore race were due today. Weather reports promised dry day with 5-8 m/s winds.

kuva ©www.blur.se

Windward - leeward race started badly for us, but during the first leg we were able to climb among the leading boats. During the race we managed to keep our position. We crossed the finish line just after big boats, and only DataCom - again won us.

30 mile offshore race was a zig-zagging amongst the buoys and lighthouses outside Marstrand. Our start was great and were able to overtake all fleet on port just before winward mark. Again we kept our position and were over finishing line just after big boats. Hopes were high that we might have scored a victory, but even the third place was good for us.

In the end of the day we were third in the results.

tuesday 5.8. DAY 3, first race day
Skies were gray, but the low pressure was moving and the weather was definitely getting better. Northerly winds blew 10 m/s during the first start and got weaker during the day.

First race seemed promising for us, but due traffic we were forced to left. The current was harded there, and it felt like sailing in the mud. Icing on the bad cake was touching on the windward buoy with the help of the current. Second roud was better, but result not so great 19th.

Second start was a lot better, but again the current at the windward mark caused us trouble. and tacking too close Data Communication forged us to make 720 degree penalty. In the end we were 9th.

Third start we avoidied mistakes and got 3rd place. That gave new hope for us. Data Communication was the king of the first day winning alla starts. Our feelings after first day were that DataCom will be the toughest to beat, all the others we quite on the same level than us.

monday 4.8. DAY 2, Tune Up -race
The weather in Marstrand had been horrible. Skies were pouring water and wind blew 14-15 m/s. Tune up race was due at 3 PM, but only a handful of boat went out on the water. We decided to save our sails for the real event and didn't leave the shore. Instead we climbed the highest cliff of Marstrand to see the boats that went out. In the end the Tune up Race never started, and the boats returned quickly to shore. Already the winds were so high, that the manouvers were a bit dangerous and wild. Luckily no damage occured.

Already this time we knew our toughest competitors would be last years WC a german Christian Plump's Rodman 42 Beluga, swedish Ralf Aspholm's Sinergia 40 Data Communication and two Grand Soleil 42 Race, norwegian Sverre Valeur's Bergen and estonian Juss Ojala's Audi Sport.

sunday 3.8. DAY 1, Measuring day
Racing yachts were coming already saturday, and the measurers got into action. Real test for them though was sunday when most of the boat will come and ask for measuring. Lucky we were on the racing side of that fence.