The coastal race in Cascais provides bonus point opportunity for top teams
Racing as part of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy, the coastal race allows for scoring points, prize money, for winning teams
Saturday’s coastal race during the Cascais stopover is the first opportunity for teams to earn bonus points on the overall leaderboard of The Ocean Race Europe.
The winner in each class (VO65 and IMOCA) will collect 3 points, 2nd place earns 2 points, and third place is good for a single scoring point.
In addition the top teams will be awarded prize money as part of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy.
Start time is 12:05 local time (13:05 CEST) for the VO65 class on Saturday afternoon, with the IMOCA class starting 10 minutes later at 12:15 local / 13:15 CEST.
The forecast is for 20 knot northwesterlies along a race course that takes the teams approximately 40 nautical miles, with a short upwind out to Cabo Raso, and then back down to a turning mark to the southeast of the entrance to the Tagus River before turning back again to the finish off the Clube Naval de Cascais.
“It’s going to be a course of two sides,” said Conrad Colman, the navigator on Ambersail-2. “The initial forecast is for lots of wind on one side and a bit less on the other. We’ll see as the final weather models come in this afternoon.
“But if we learned anything from the last leg, it’s that you ahve to be on your toes and really quick at changing gears, changing sails. We’re looking forward to getting stuck in again.”
11th Hour Racing sailor Justine Mettraux says it will be a physical race.
“We know it will be windy tomorrow so the poitn will be to keep it simple, get around the race track clean and take advantage of having five people on board.
“For sure it is hard on the guys grinding and very demanding. If there are a lot of sail changes, you feel it, even if it is not a long day on the water.
“It will be about finding the speed quickly, sailing less distance and doing the manouevres well.”
With the extended race course, live coverage will be via Twitter commentary by sailing journalists Matthew Sheahan and Niall Myant-Best. Photos and video clips will be available during and after the race and the Race Tracker will be live as well.
