Chaos as New Format Shakes Up Trofeo Princesa Sofía
IslandStats.com
The third day of action on the Bay of Palma proved that life is becoming no more straightforward for the 1,100 athletes competing at the 55th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca Olympic regatta. Heads out of the boat is a well worn cliché in competitive sailboat racing, yet it was the phrase on everyone’s lips after a mind bending and chaotic day on the water.
With a new race format being trialed for the first time at this prestigious event, the sailors have entered an elimination series where points are compressed. The move to single points means the competition remains wide open with as many as six races still potentially to be sailed, effectively leaving half a regatta left to play for.
No one has yet mastered the vagaries of the Bay of Palma in the ILCA 7 fleet, but Bermuda’s Sebastian Kempe made significant headway during the afternoon.
Kempe managed to climb four places in the overall standings to sit in 28th position with a total of 56 points. His progress came courtesy of two demanding races where he recorded a 31st place finish in the opening heat before improving to cross the line in 24th in the second race of the day.
In the ILCA 6 single hander, Ireland’s Eve McMahon has managed to hold on to her overall lead despite the shifting conditions. However, it was a more turbulent day for Adriana Penruddocke, who experienced the extreme highs and lows of the Mallorcan winds.
Penruddocke began the day in spectacular fashion by finishing the first race in second place, but a difficult second outing saw her cross the line in 36th. Those mixed results caused her to fall 15 places on the leaderboard, ending the day in 17th position with 38 net points.
