| PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN-(27-7-2003) 77 boats filled with colour an excellent day of races for the beginning of this leading international regatta. This year participants and organization are facing an even stronger challenge, considering the America’s Cup bid that Palma is willing to achieve in fiery competence. Top sailors and teams compete within the charming waters of the Palma de Mallorca bay, fighting for the yearly most acknowledge sailing trophy, the Copa del Rey Agua Brava. In the IMS 500 Group, Caixa Galicia confirms its favourite role
As expected, the northeast wind that blew in the first hours of the morning, did not resist the south wind shove, having the start postponed by 30 minutes, from 14,30 to 15.00 hours in the 500 Group.
In the this Group, the race started with the Tau-UBS starting strongly, by leeward of the fleet, while through middle of the line, Caixa Galicia, Bribón, Subaru X-Sport and CAM took advantage of a small wind shift to lay down the guideline in the first third of the hauled.
Caixa Galicia’s, went on at the top of the fleet in the passing of the first buoy, followed by Subaru X-Sport, Tau_UBS, and Bribón and Banco Espirito Santo slightly more distanced. However, the committee gave a change of the course when the fleet arrived at the stern. This conditions helped the Caixa Galicia to mark their rivals, getting at the end a small margin of 37 seconds before Banco Spirito Santo which was about to surprise the favourite in this spectacular regatta. Subaru X-Sport, in the third place, made a good race, bearing in mind that this crew had not sailed among the Spanish fleet until this moment.
Italian teams capture the start of the 600 group
After a “general call” in the first start, the second was successful and only Fermax and Near Miss have done “out of line”, having to re-start the race all over.
At the top of the fleet the fight was Italian, with the Wind leading, followed by Italtel. The Forum Filatélico standed the raise of the new Gran Soleil boats, while fourth was Jazztell, another Grand Soleil 42, closely followed by Zurich and Andalucía Sólo Hay Una.
The marking was extremely close among boats of similar lengths, facilitating the Italtel tactic in the rest of the course so to win in their particular race against the Wind for a mere 16 seconds. The third place is finally for the Zurich which, in a good second part of the course, passed Forum Filatélico in balanced time. The next classifications are for a trio of Rodman 42: fifth the World Cargo, Husa Hoteles sixth, and Telefónica Movistar the seventh.
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