Emirates Team New Zealand extended their lead in MedCup standings with a solid third-place finish in the coastal race in the third round off Marseille.
With 14.5 points, NZL 380 is 12 points clear of American yacht and defending champions Quantum on 26.5 with Argentina's Matador third on 36.5.
Five
boats finished within two minutes of each other after the 39.7 mile coastal race, sailed in a norwesterly wind of 12 knots close inshore with 24 knots further out.
NZL 380 led at the first mark but was outsailed later to trail American boat Quantum and Russia's Valars across the line. Quantum beat Valars by 33s and NZL 380 by 1m 14s.
Said Team New Zealand strategist Adam Beashel: "It was not quite the mistral [breeze] we would have liked. We had a great long run from Marseille and then a long beat home. That makes it hard. We like it the other way round.
"The result was not everything we had hoped, but we extended our overall lead by two more valuable points.
"On balance we would have to say it was a good day," said Beashel.
At the first mark, NZL 380 was in the lead, with the fleet attacking hard. The Russian team Synergy was only 9s behind, with Bribon 11s, Quantum 15s, Artemis 21s and Matador 27s.
By the second mark, Synergy was in the lead with NZL 380 17s behind. Synergy maintained its lead around the third, with ETNZ only 4sec adrift and Quantum third 1m 14s back.
Pisco Sour had taken over the lead by the fourth mark with Synergy second to round 18s behind. Valars came round third on 29s, then Quantum on 47s and ETNZ on 58s.
Early on the beat home, Quantum benefited from more pressure under the cliffs which gave a consistent lift and they were able to pick off the leaders to win.
Matador, which won the first MedCup regatta at Alicante last month, had a bad day, finishing 11th after damaging the headfoil rounding the second mark.
