Portuguese Another Affair from Tiago Morais, Nuno Barreto, Luis Queiroz and Diogo Pontes from Clube de Vela Atlantico, Porto, held to the top on the last day to win the 4th stage of the Cascais J/70 Winter Series. 14 teams coming from 6 countries gathered in Cascais for the first J/70 event of the year in Cascais, part of its 23/24 Cascais Winter Series. It was a tight event until the last race with the team of the north of Portugal edging Brazil’s Highlanders of Henrique Haddad by one point. Third place was for the Finnish team of Lucas Karlemo that sailed a consistent series to earn the last podium place. The forecast for the long weekend in Cascais despite sun and warm temperatures was not easy in terms of wind and the race committee had to be flexible and work hard to fully complete the nine races scheduled. On the first day after a long two and a half hour wait on the water, race got underway mid afternoon as a thermic breeze eventually filled in near the shore, rotated and settled in a light and shifty 5 knots of NW. With the course set near the shore in a glorious Cascais day the spectacle was on but the conditions were challenging for the sailors. At the end of the day the Finnish team of Lucas Karlemo, Akseli Keskimen, Otto Dalhberg and Pasi Palmu was the best tackling the tricky conditions and kept it consistent with two solid third places to top the table. William Edwards’ Sardonyx from the Royal Thames Yacht Club, UK with a 2 and 6 trailed the leaders tied with Leny of double Olympic medalists and runner up at the 2023 J/70 Corinthian Worlds Tonu and Tomas Tõniste from Estonia with two fourth places. For the second day the race committee called an early start as the forecast was for an Easterly breeze that would fade around lunch time. They were proved right. Three races were sailed in 7 to 12 knots of wind. Another Affair of Tiago Morais, Luis Queiroz, Diogo Pontes and 1996 470 bronze medalist Nuno Barreto from Clube de Vela Atlantico, Porto moved to the lead at the end of the day. It was a beautiful day of races. None of the sides was clearly favoured. Some shifts and patches of pressure on both sides of the course kept the races fun and alive. Another Affair sailed consistent and scored two bullets and a fourth and moved to the top, tied with Sardonyx that scored 4, 6 and 2 on the day. Chasing the leaders and gaping by 3 points was a pack of 4 boats led by Haddad’s Highlanders from Brazil, locals Solyd Sailing Team of Vasco Serpa and Trimarine of Rui Brites and first day leaders the team of Lucas Karlemo. At the top Sardonyx protested Another Affair on the first race of the day on a port/starboard incident but the protest was considered invalid as a mistake was found on the identification of Another Affair. At the end of the second day, with 5 races completed 6 boats were separated by 3 points. Everything was open for the last day. Last day came and same forecast and early call again. Despite the same forecast the day was to be slightly different from the previous. The wind was lighter and filled slower. the first race was sailed mostly in a tricky 5 knots breeze of E/NE. Along the morning the wind picked to 9 knots and rotated 20 degrees to the right. For this but also because it delivered consistently more pressure the right paid more often, but sometimes the left delivered a nice shift. And on the last day Another Affair held their nerves and secured the win. Two bullets on the opening two races followed by a 7 and a 8 were just enough for the team of the north of Portugal to beat Brazil’s Highlanders by one point, that on the day went 6, 3, 1, 5. It was a fight until the end as the Brazilians lost two places in the last 100 meters of the last race. Lucas Karlemo that scored 5, 7, 6, 2 closed the podium in the open division. The first Corinthian was JellyFish of Tim Dickinson from the UK. All in all a great long weekend of racing. Cascais delivered. The fith and penultimate stage of the Cascais J/70 Winter Series will be sailed 8th to 10th of March.
Pics: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/f3d2a38ef3cca59148d413b5c298bdfe20240204233753/6a5fd7?utm_campaign=TRN_TDL_05&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&trk=TRN_TDL_05
Photos by Nene Ayres Pereira
The championship had the support of Cascais Municipality, Visit Cascais , Cascais Marina, Cerveja Sagres, SailCascais and Vista Alegre.
Full Results: https://regatas.cncascais.com/en/default/races/race-resultsall/text/cascais-J/70-winter-series-4th-stage-en