The launch of the Portugal Trophy, Cascais, the first stage of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit, is only a couple weeks away and we spoke to Javier Goizueta (ESP), the new GP42 Class President, to learn about the latest news on the teams participating in this year’s GP42 Series.
“Today, we have five pre-registered five teams commited to complete their entries within the next few weeks: three are Spanish, one is British and one from Italy,” Goizueta says. He faces the presidency of the GP42 Class with an interesting season ahead, where he will combine his new role along with the co-ownership of the GP42 Madrid – Caser Seguros (ESP) together with José María van der Ploeg (ESP). Their 2009 Botin & Carkeek design will face this new season after finishing third overall last year, including their victory of the GP42 Series at the Portugal Trophy.
All the pre-registered teams are in their final stages of preparing for the season, with two committed to compete in the Palma Vela regatta (April 14-18) in order to check sails and the changes made to their boats during the winter. One of these is John Bassadone’s (GBR) Peninsula Petroleum (GBR), new into the GP42 Series this year. The British owner bought the Botin & Carkeek ex-Turismo Madrid after competing for the first time on a GP42 during last October’s Puerto Calero GP42 Global Cup in Lanzarote.
The Audi MedCup’s newest GP42 Series team to join the Circuit, John Bassadone’s Botin Carkeek designed Peninsula Petroleum (GBR), has been first of the fleet out to train off the Spanish port of Burriana Nova, 35 km north of Valencia, the home of boatbuilders Longitud Cero. Bassadonne’s team acquired Turismo Madrid, and Chimo Lopez and his team have made some alterations to the keel during the winter.
The other team racing in the Palma Vela regatta will be Roberto Monti’s (ITA) AIRISESSENTIAL (ITA), after making some slight changes to their deck layout, and with some new team members and new sails.
Joining these three will be two other boats which have confirmed their participation in the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit. Both are Botín & Carkeek designs, with one racing last year in Alicante and Cartagena as Iberdrola (ESP), and the other none other than the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit GP42 Series Champion, Daniel Calero’s (ESP) Puerto Calero (ESP).
Schedule and guests
“I think that this year’s calendar is superb,” Javier Goizueta remarks. “Including Barcelona as a venue is just fantastic all around: the race course, the notoriety, the infrastructures,… I think that is an absolute good idea in terms of development of the Circuit.”
Together with the two new venues (Cascais and Barcelona), the President of the GP42 Class highlights another novelty which, in his opinion, will help in the promotion of the Audi MedCup Circuit and the two Series participating, GP42 and TP52. This year, one guest will be sailing onboard each GP42 and TP52, both during racing and during the official training days. “This year we have an innovation which I think is fundamental: the onboard guest,” said Goizueta. “Thinking of the non-specialised media, an owner’s business-to-business contacts and potential new owners, this is a very powerful tool that we want to take full advantage of.”
This new rule is not the only one to be a good promotional tool, according to Goizueta: “We want to take advantage of the great facilities developed by Audi MedCup in order to provide a better service for our guests. I think that the elements available are extraordinary, and our goal is to make the most of them. I also think that the Public Village is a great idea to show the visitors the real excitement of this sport.”
Sailing program
The Notice of Race for the Audi MedCup Circuit 2010 says that there will be a maximum of 45 Windward/Leeward races for the GP42 Series. The Portugal Trophy, Cascais is the first event of the season, with the official training day scheduled for Wednesday, 12 May, with racing held Thursday 13 May, through Sunday 16 May. On that day we’ll know the name of the first event winner of the 2010 GP42 Series.
