Racing in the SSL Gold Cup Africa and Oceania Qualifier got underway on Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland, with teams from Morocco, Mozambique, the Seychelles and Tahiti putting their training to the test, though a storm cut the day short before a second race could be sailed.
Drama unfolded before the gun had even fired. Mozambique's Gala-Gala crew lined up too early and couldn't shed enough speed, crossing two seconds early for an OCS. The Tahitian Black Pearls timed their start well, crossing just to leeward of the trapped Mozambique boat, but were soon fighting their own battle, stuck for pace and eventually tracing the problem to a large clump of weed on the keel. They had to reverse to clear it, and by then the damage was done.
The Seychelles Vann Swet team, named after their south-easterly trade wind, and Morocco's Atlas Lions both found their groove early, overhauling the experienced Tahiti squad and forcing them to tack away on the first upwind leg. Seychelles rounded the top mark ahead of Morocco, then extended on the downwind after a well-timed gybe locked them into a fresh band of pressure, opening a lead of over 500 metres at the leeward gate. Tahiti's tactician Teiki Hacheche kept his eyes out of the boat to hunt new pressure and worked the boat back to second ahead of Morocco.
The race committee shortened the upwind, and Seychelles reached the final windward mark 1 minute 48 seconds clear. Tahiti took a deeper line downwind and closed the gap, but Seychelles held on to win by 42 seconds, with Morocco third and Mozambique fourth.
Seychelles captain Allan Jule was measured but pleased. "Yes, we were very pleased. We had a very good start, we went well on the first upwind leg, our spinnaker work was ok and fast. I feel very happy with my team."
Hacheche was generous in defeat. "We had a very good start, and then we figured out that we were stuck and couldn't get our speed," he said, noting that with one more lap Tahiti might have got there. "They did the right thing and it's part of the game, so it was a fair and a good race for the Seychelles."
For Mozambique, crewmember Myriam Beck was direct. "Mistakes happen, and I trust fully that we're going to be able to recover from a start like that. We kept our mind on the race and we are going to perform to the best of our abilities every day. This is not going to happen again, tomorrow's a new day, we're looking forward to it, and we're super excited to get back into it and show all Mozambiquans that they can be very proud of their team."
What began as a routine postponement waiting for the breeze to settle quickly became an AP over A as storm clouds built, rain set in, and winds climbed into the high twenties. With lightning strikes nearby, the Race Committee sent the fleet ashore without hesitation.
Wednesday is forecast to bring cleaner conditions, with a 10-knot south-westerly expected through the afternoon and the possibility of three races to bring the event back on schedule.
