Bermuda Continues to Struggle on SSL Gold Cup Day Two
On Day Two of the SSL Gold Cup 1/32 Finals, Gran Canaria delivered another beautiful setting for world-class racing. Today it was all about teamwork, smooth sailing, and eyes out of the boat looking for the best wind. Tactical yacht racing at its best.
The Bermuda Team includes Rockal Evans, Dale Brangman, Ruairi Brown, Peter Dill, Josh Greenslade, Somers Kempe, Aran McKittrick, Emily Nagel, Adriana Penruddocke, Thomas Penruddocke, and Jade Smith.
A superb start saw SSL Team Malaysia at the pin end, ahead of Ukraine and Antigua & Barbuda, with Bermuda being squeezed out at the committee boat and forced to slow down their approach.
During the first upwind leg, the entire fleet was separated by just 8 meters at times - well under a single boat length - with Bermuda coming out on top at the windward mark.
Ukraine then managed to hold their speed and squeeze around the outside of Bermuda at the leeward mark, forcing the Bermudan 'Privateers' into a tack, which dropped them from first to last. This move proved key for Rodion Luka's 'Haydamaky' SSL Team Ukraine who went on to take their first win of the event with yesterday's winners Antigua & Barbuda second and Malaysia third, with His Highness Tengku Amir Shah watching on.
Mid-race leaders Bermuda couldn't recover after their slow rounding at the leeward mark and once again finished last.
For the Ukrainian team, half of whom were still in Ukraine leading up to the event, participating in the SSL Gold Cup is no small achievement. Trimmer Denys Osliak says it's a huge source of pride to be representing his country, commenting after today's decisive win:
