Terry Hutchinson (USA) steered Quantum Racing to victory in the Audi Region of Sardinia Trophy and top of the overall Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 standings after three of six regattas.

One year ago Hutchinson was a key member of the Emirates Team New Zealand crew, yesterday he and his team won a Audi MedCup regatta for the first time. Quantum finished third in Alicante in May and fifth in Marseille last month and now, at the theoretical mid-point of the season, the American boat tops the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 standings.

A great, but intense final day of racing took full advantage of the continuing Mistral winds, blowing between 13-17 knots. An early morning start allowed three sharp windward-leeward legs to be completed by early afternoon. It was only on the final run of the final race that the Quantum Racing crew did enough to beat Mean Machine (MON), Peter de Ridder’s 2006 champion team.

At the final windward mark of the regatta’s deciding 10th race, Quantum Racing and Mean Machine were locked together on the same points aggregate, and only by passing Spain’s America’s Cup Team on El Desafio and Matador (ARG) did Quantum Racing emerge triumphant by two clear points.

Sweden’s Artemis, the defending 2007 MedCup Champion, finished with a flourish – a third and two first places to finish third overall at the regatta. 
But hitting the windward mark first time up in the first race required a penalty turn. Then second time round, taking an another, Artemis might have made it a final day hat-trick. Even after their first penalty they regained the lead by the second windward mark.
Quantum set their stall for the day out by winning the first race, starting off the left, pin-end of the line. Artemis passed them again on the second beat, but Hutchinson and crew were able to capitalise when the Swedish boat had to make their turns. 
In the second race Quantum could only make a sixth when they lost two boats on the final shifty run, but the pendulum swung back on the final race when they were able to finish fourth to Mean Machine’s third.

Quantum Racing, the only new 2008 Botin & Carkeek design in the TP52 MedFleet and the only boat using Quantum Sails, now leads the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit by 6.2 points ahead of Jose Cusi’s Bribón (ESP), while Artemis now lies third 7.8 points behind Bribón.

“I am a little relieved,” smiled Hutchinson when asked about their win. “You have to take your hats off to the Mean Machine guys, they kept fighting after the first race, they did nice work in the second and in the third, as did we. Everything that we worked on prior to the regatta has been better here. Out starting was better, our boat was going faster, we are slowly improving our equipment and our sails, to a point where it is very nice, and the faster you get the easier it gets. I think we have to keep working hard at getting more out of our boat.”

“It has been a really good test, but we still leave stuff on the table, and so the good news too is that we can still get better as well. I think everyone can enjoy this win for what it’s worth for a day or two, but there is still 30 races or whatever it is, and so we are only about half way there.”


FINAL RESULTS:
(Positions, Boat, Nation, R1, R2, R3,R4,R5,R6A,R6B,R7,R8,R9,R10, total points)

1. Quantum Racing USA (3,1,6, 1,1,5,4,5,1,6,4,37)
2. Mean Machine MON (1,4,1,2,3,6,6,7,4,2,3, 39)
3 .Artemis SWE (9,5,4,5,7,4,5,1,3,1,1, 45)
4. Mutua Madrileña ESP (2,11,7,8,4,1,1,3,2,8,2,49)
5. Bribón ESP (4,2,5, 7,11,2,2,6,6,3,7, 55)
6. El Desafío ESP (6, 7, 11,3,6,7,7,4,5,10,6, 72)
7. Matador ARG (7,8,3,6,8,10,10,2,12,4,5, 75)
8. Caixa Galicia ESP (12,9,9,10,2,3,3,14,11,5,8,86)
9. Platoon by Team Germany GER (5,10,8,9,5,9,9,10,10,7,9,91)
10. Cristabella GBR (10,6,12,11,9,8,9,7,11,10, 101)

Breitling Trophy for the best Elapsed Total Time at the regatta: Quantum Racing

Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 
Standings after 26 races in Alicante, Marseille, Cagliari:

1. Quantum Racing USA 129
2. Bribón ESP 135,2
3. Artemis SWE 137
4. Mean Machine MON 158
5. Platoon by Team Germany GER 190
6. Matador ARG 192
7. Mutua Madrileña ESP 200,4
8. El Desafío ESP 207
9. CxG Caixa Galicia ESP 232,6
10. Cristabella GBR 264

Foe full results, click here .