AEZ Team Fritters Itself Away RC44 Sweden Cup, Marstrand, 17.-21. August 2011
		Russel Coutts, four-time Cup Holder and Helmsman for Oracle Racing (USA), claps his hands together in satisfaction. His series, founded in 2007, is decided through an annual championship tour and is rapidly increasing in popularity. For the first time at the Sweden Cup, which began today with the first Fleet Race decision, sixteen teams stepped into the ring. The most well-known teams are America’s Cup Syndicate Oracle Racing, Artemis (SWE) and Aleph (FRA), who were in action last week in front of Cascais on the catamarans. In yesterday’s warm up the stars as well as the cozy-at-home AEZ Aces competed with style and pulled off a great match race in front of a well-occupied Marstrand Pier. The Austrians performed extraordinarily well, winning three out of five duels and elevating Coutts and his Oracle Team into a more proper place.

The Fleet Race Competition is flagged and set up at the island word of Marstrand and lasts through Sunday. The RC44 AEZ Sailing Team unfortunately was not able to nab an optimal start. The crew, under helmsman Rene Mangold and tactician Christian Binder, was thrown off course in the first lap due to difficult wind conditions, forcing them to be content with 15th place. The victory went to the Slovenian Ceeref Team, where the Match Race world master and three time AC participant Michele Ivaldi (ITA) stands at the wheel. Christian Binder (Tactician): “In principle, we’re really comfortable here and in yesterday’s Match Race we were really convincing. Even though it’s just a show competition, no one wants to lose. The level is high and the tempo is fierce. Today the circumstances were extremely difficult. We were unlucky with the wind and were too focused on the direct opponents. The intermediate result is unsatisfying, and we can certainly do more and we burn for the chance to redeem ourselves.” RC44 Sweden Cup, Standing Results after Race 1: 1. Team Ceeref SLO 2. Aleph FRA 3. Artemis Racing SWE 15. AEZ RC44 Sailing Team AUT Details: www.rc44.at

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