No one TP52 team had won three back to back regattas on the MedCup Circuit until Emirates Team New Zealand wrote themselves into the record books in Portimao when they won the Portugal Trophy with a scrappy seventh place in what proved to be one final race in light winds on the last day on the Atlantic.

This time their points differential to second place was not quite as flattering, a mere 1.5 points between the Kiwi team and second place Artemis (SWE).

It was tight to the finish too in the GP42 Series where, after six races, Caser Endesa (ESP) landed their first regatta victory of the season when they won on countback from Roma (ITA).

Torbjorn Tornqvist’s crew lead into the last day by that same margin, 1.5 points, but with Paul Cayard missing from the Artemis afterguard, due to a sailing commitment elsewhere, the Swedish flagged team misfired on the start-line and could not come back in the difficult last race to secure their first regatta win since 2007.

On the water Portimao served a delicious diet of different breezes, sometimes the brisk later afternoon gradient NW’ly, sometimes a slightly flukey sea breeze, and sometimes a mix of the two. It was always interesting for both TP52 and GP42 Series competitors who also relished the spells of high speed sailing when the breeze topped 21 and 22 knots at times.

Very much a known quantity by the team the Circuit rolled into the Algarve for the third successive season, the on shore facilities and atmosphere is second to none. The Audi MedCup Village was popular with the sailors and guests and the busy Audi MedCup EXPO, set between the beach and the popular beach-side clubs, was well located.

Until the final day Artemis had finished no worse than fourth, and, for the second time in a row, won the Coastal Race. But when they faltered in Race 7, and could only make 10th, the omnipresent Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) were ready to capitalise. They left Portimao with a 52 points lead over Matador (ARG).

GP42 Series – The showdown awaits
For the GP42 Series crews there was the constant pressure in the small-fleet racing, knowing every metre counts in positioning and speed. Just one mistake - be it a missed shift, a bad start, or a dropped sail – can cost one or two places, which in turn can cost a series.

The team on Daniel Calero’s Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) felt that acutely in Portimao when a spinnaker went overboard which was then compounded by a poor start on Day Two pushed them off course from what would have certainly been another strong finish after their win in Cagliari.  But the strength of the new winner in Portimao - Javier Goizueta’s (ESP) Caser-Endesa – set the stage for a showdown for the overall GP42 Series crown in Carthagena.

The two contenders – Islas Canarias Puerto Calero and Filippo Faruffini’s Roma (ITA) – left Portimao tied on overall series points, with the Canarias team ahead winning on the tie-break.

“We think for the excitement of the Circuit, this is a really good scenario,” says Daniel Calero. “But it means the pressure will really be on in Cartagena!”