Weather rules at Cartagena

The weather ruled on the first day on the Audi MedCup regatta at Cartagena, Spain.

With light air – the yachts were held at the dock until 2pm – followed by a very shifty 14-knot easterly breeze with thunder showers, there was little chance of getting races away.

Later in the afternoon, the fleet was within 20 seconds of a start when the race committee pulled the plug because of a 20 degree wind shift.

The yachts set off upwind anyway but it was clear that the breeze was shifting all over the place further up the course. The fleet waited in the heavy rain for a further hour before returning to the dock.

Grant Dalton: “The race committee had no chance of setting a fair course in the conditions. They made the right call, even though we have lost one day of a five-day regatta.”

The forecast for tomorrow is better. “It looks like we can expect three races tomorrow and perhaps three on Thursday instead of the coastal race that is in the programme.”

September 16 2009