El Desafío leads the Portugal Trophy

First top mark.© Th.Martinez/AUDI MEDCUP. Portugal, Portimão. 17/09/08. Race5

El Desafío (ESP)© Ian Roman/AUDI MEDCUP. Portugal, Portimão. 17/09/08. Race 4

MATADOR (ARG)© Th.Martinez/AUDI MEDCUP. Portugal, Portimão. 17/09/08. Race4

[source: Event Media]
Quantum Racing saw their Circuit lead eroded slightly while Matador won one race and finished second to take over third place on the overall Audi MedCup Circuit standings, while El Desafío leads the Portugal Trophy.

Leaving the Portimao race course having dropped six points off their Circuit lead it was hardly crisis time for Quantum Racing when they finished 10th in Race 6 of the Portugal Trophy Regatta - only their third double points score of 50 races so far of the Audi MedCup season - but the American boat did cede the regatta lead to Paul Cayard and the Spanish America’s Cup team on the green hulled El Desafio.

In light and shifty winds, between five and eight knots, Desafio posted a seventh and a second place to lead the second placed Argentinian boat Matador by a single point on the Portugal Trophy regatta leaderboard.

Alberto Roemmers’ Matador crew not only had the best day in the fifteen boat fleet, winning the first race and finishing second to Platoon powered by Team Germany in the second contest, but they overtook Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis, to now hold third place on the overall Audi MedCup Circuit standings going in to Thursday’s crucial double points coastal race. Read on…

Portugal Trophy Standings after five races
Placing, Boat Name, Nationality, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, Total
1 El Desafío ESP (10,2,3,7,3, 25)
2 Matador ESP (8,5,10,1,2, 26)
3 Quantum Racing USA (4,8,1,6,10, 29)
4 Platoon poweredby Team Germany GER (11,10,8,2,1, 32)
5 Synergy RUS (9,1,4,14,5, 33)
6 Bribón ESP (1,11,12,5,4, 33)
7 Audi Q8 ITA (2,9,2,15,4, 34)
8 CXG Corporación Caixa Galicia ESP (7,3,9,3,13,35)

9 Mutua Madrileña ESP (12,4,5,8,9, 38)
10 Artemis SWE (5,7,13,11,8, 44)