Racing got underway in Rio de Janeiro for the SSL Gold Cup Pan-American Qualifiers, with Sugarloaf Mountain, the city skyline and Christ the Redeemer atop Mount Corcovado framing the action across Guanabara Bay.
Group H opened with Puerto Rico nailing the start of Race 1, timing their run to the committee boat perfectly. Antigua & Barbuda sat beneath them and had to tack away early, while Uruguay below put the pace on and forced the Antigua & Barbuda 'Rum Runners' to tack off too. Venezuela were well behind, sailing in the other teams' disturbed air.
Uruguay's 'La Celeste' then produced the move of the race, a lee bow tack that squeezed out both the Rum Runners and Puerto Rico's 'Los Boricuas' and turned a tight situation into a 50 metre lead. Olympian 49er sailor Hernán Umpierre bore away smoothly at the top mark, and a quick spinnaker hoist stretched the margin to 70 metres. Los Boricuas weren't so tidy, a twist in the spinnaker letting Venezuela's 'Los Caciques' through into third.
Then it unravelled for the Uruguayans. They were penalised for deploying their spinnaker pole early, and compounded the error by trying to complete the turn with the kite still up, fouling the Antigua & Barbuda boat as it sailed past. A second penalty turn stalled the boat completely, forcing the spinnaker down and handing second to Puerto Rico. Antigua & Barbuda went on to win, from Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Race 2 belonged to Uruguay, who responded to that setback in style. Puerto Rico again started well at the committee boat end, but La Celeste tacked into clear air just after them and rolled straight over the top of Los Boricuas. Uruguay rounded the top mark 15 seconds clear and led throughout, eventually winning by 45 seconds from Puerto Rico. Antigua & Barbuda gybed early at the final mark and paid for it, allowing Venezuela's Los Caciques through into third.
Uruguay and Puerto Rico are tied on six points after day one in Group H, Antigua & Barbuda sit a point back on five, and Venezuela trail on three.
Group I brought Bermuda, Cuba, Mexico and newcomers El Salvador onto the water for a tight first race. A drag race out to the left saw Mexico's 'Las Catrinas' sail beautifully to take the lead, with Bermuda stuck just beneath them. Mexico, with Captain and helm Yanic Gentry at the wheel, held on all the way to the finish, while Bermuda's Rockal Evans and his Privateers team fended off Cuba for second after a challenge on the final upwind leg. Cuba took third, with El Salvador's 'Torogoz' fourth on debut but showing real promise.
Race 2 had more drama. Cuba quickly put the pressure on Mexico, forcing them to tack away, and rounded the top mark ahead after the wind clocked right around Sugarloaf Mountain. El Salvador used their lake experience to hunt down Cuba downwind, rolling them to lead into the final upwind leg, only for a bowsprit infringement penalty to drop them from first to third.
That let Cuba through for the win, with Mexico second. El Salvador still finished third, having put real pressure on the more established teams.
Mexico leads Group I after day one on seven points, with Cuba a point behind on six, Bermuda on four and El Salvador on three.
