German-born British skipper Herrera and his University of Plymouth team of rising stars claimed bragging rights on the opening day of the 2016 EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour (SATT) yesterday by winning the opening race of the Dubai In-Port Race series.
Crédit : M Lloyd
They followed it up with a fourth place and a second place in the following two races to finish the day – and go into the opening offshore leg from Dubai to Abu Dhabi today – at the top of the overall leaderboard.
Tour veteran Gavignet is largely regarded as the man to beat after winning three editions of EFG SATT in five years.
But the EFG Bank Monaco skipper was forced to settle for fourth place overall in the Dubai In-Port Race series after posting a second, a third and a fifth.
Herrera, returning to EFG SATT for a fifth year, said: “Top of the table after the first inshore series is a really good place for us to start this campaign.
“We were quick on the water and had no real problems – we couldn't really ask for a better opening day. It would have been nice to win all the races but the competition is so tough it wasn't possible! It just shows that the teams are all so good that anyone is capable of winning a race.
“We have come close to winning this event twice now but each time Sidney's team beat us. This year could be our year – Sidney is the target for everyone on the water and that might just work in our favour. We're looking forward to getting offshore on leg one and seeing what happens.”
The Dubai In-Port Race series also saw seven months of training pay off for Dutch student team TU Delft Challenge, who finished second overall under the leadership of Wouter Sonnema.
Round the world British yachtswoman Dee Caffari saw a mixed bag of results, with her Oman Airports-Al Thuraya Women’s Team ending the day in seventh overall.
But Caffari insisted her all-woman crew were buoyed by their improvement throughout the day.
“It's good to get the first In-Port race done – there were a few nerves onboard but we got them out of the way in the first race,” Caffari said. “From there on we were in amongst it with the rest of the teams. Now we just need to work a little on our boat speed and move up the rankings.”
The nine international crews have had little time to rest before they set off again today for the first offshore leg of EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour. The 61 nautical mile leg is shaping up to be a downwind drag race with light airs from the north forecast.
It will see the fleet race south west down the coast of the UAE to its capital Abu Dhabi, where the stage will then be set for the second in-port race series today.
Official results after the Dubai In-Port Race series:
1 Team Averda (GBR/Marcel Herrera)
2 TU Delft Challenge (NED/Wouter Sonnema)
3 Al Mouj, Muscat (OMA/Gilles Favennec)
4 EFG Bank Monaco (MON/Sidney Gavignet)
5 Team Zain (KWT/Cedric Pouligny)
6 Renaissance Services (OMA/Fahad Al Hasni)
7 Oman Airports-Al Thuraya Women's Team (OMA/Dee Caffari)
8 Team Bienne Voile (SUI/Lorenz Mueller)
9 Team Mangold (GER/Martin Felgenhauer)
From Oman sail
