Penultimate and exciting day of the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds. With everything seen for judgment, the fleet has already taken positions for the final assault and the North American “Yonder” clings to the lead of the event organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the International Association of the J/70 class.
With a forecast of southerly winds and intensities that would increase from ten knots, the race committee called the fleet again today, Friday, at the initially scheduled time, 11:30 a.m. The teams cast off punctually and, after a first postponement on the regatta course Waiting for the wind to pick up, the day started in the bay of Palma with the title contenders ready for the penultimate day of competition.
The American “Rowdy” Richard Witzelwho yesterday made a place for himself on the podium in third position, managed to prevail and sign a partial victory that allowed him to reach the lead for a moment after this first test of the day, relegating the “Yonder” of Douglas Newhouse and Jeremy Wilmot to second place after adding a tenth.
The second and third places in the heat were shared by the American “Kid’s table” from Bryce Kalow and the Brazilian “To Nessa” by Renato Faria, respectively.
Already in the second round the candidates for the podium, aware that there is less and less left until the end of the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds, they made the most of their options to place themselves as high as possible in the table. The victory on this occasion went to the defending champion, the British “Brutus II” from Charles Thompson and Tom Mallindineahead of “Yonder”, which was second, and “Kid’s table”, which scored a second.
With these results, the penultimate day of the World Cup once again ends with overall dominance of the “Yonder” crew. The New York YC ship is, without a doubt, the favorite to be crowned tomorrow as the new world champion of the class by increasing his advantage to 15 points over the second place, the Brazilian “Mindset” of Ralph Vasconcellos from IC Río de Janeiro, and 19 over the also American “Kid’s table” from Wayzata YC, who occupies the provisional bronze and has been the best of today’s day with a second and a third scored.
“We are doing well. It is being very intense, very competitive and We are lucky to be where we are now.“Frankly,” he stated. Douglas Newhousepoint guard of the leading team. “Palma is being incredible and the club even more so, very open to everyone. We have had a fantastic reception,” he added.
The “Patakin” of Luis Albertwhich competes under the RCNP banner, remains the Spanish representative best placed in the classification. The local team occupies thirteenth position and has a chance to once again sneak into the top ten on the last day of the World Cup. Behind, the “Tenacious” of Pablo Garriga of the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona (RCNB) improves significantly with a twelfth in the last race of the day and is in 37th place just ahead of “Noticia” of Luis Martin Cabiedes of the RCNB/RCM Santander clubs.
Good day also for “Let it be” Marcelo Baltzer of the Real Club Náutico Denia with 19-9 results that place it in 39th position. The team that scored the best partial today was the Canarian “HSN” from Luis Martínez Doreste from RCN Gran Canaria with a seventh in the first round.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the 96 teams of 25 nationalities They face the last and definitive day of the world championship with everything to decide and a weather forecast of rain for practically the entire day.
