It was a strong and confident performance from TEAMORIGIN yesterday, who improved progressively with every race on day 3 of the Audi MedCup in Cartagena, Spain. They worked hard to stay at the top of the fleet covering opponents and really holding their own in some of the closest racing we’ve seen so far in Cartagena. The conditions certainly suited this British team:

Iain Percy, tactician, commented: “We were very happy with today’s performance. Ben has been starting incredibly well this week, I think there’s only been one start we didn’t get totally right and today as a crew we found our sweet spot. There’s still a long way to go in the series.”

Race one saw a slightly frustrating end as the crew had started solidly, crossing the line with good speed and led the fleet most of the race. It was the final run that presented some tricky decisions which in the finale gave them a very respectable third place behind Matador in first and Artemis just nosing into second.

Julien Cressant, mastman, explained: “Yes, of course it was frustrating to go from first to third but it’s important in these situations to stay together as a team. Sometimes there’s a mistake at the back of the boat, sometimes at the front but we move on and that meant we were tight as a team and ready for the next races.:

A small wind increase for race two and flat water offered the optimal conditions. Not as strong a start but tight and tactical sailing saw Ben Ainslie and the team close in from seventh to third on the first leg then take Artemis on the run into second place. They played a good hand in protecting their position and held second the rest of the race as Bribon extended to take first place.

Shifty winds by the third and final race of the day appeared not be an for the team, who sailed a cool and confident race from the front, extending on every leg to consolidate their lead in this regatta.

Ben Ainslie, skipper and helm concluded: “It was a good day. The boat goes great in flat water and we’re sailing better and better as a team. There’s still a long way to go, it could be a different day tomorrow!”

For full race results, CLICK HERE.