Days 1 & 2 Baltimore -Team Basilica storms back into contention after strong finish on day two.
Two second places and a first saw British Volvo Extreme 40 entry Basilica storm back into contention in the third leg of the VX40 Grand Prix series in Baltimore on Sunday. The Hayling Island based team had a disappointing start in the first race coming through in fifth position, but came back strongly in the next three with a 2-2-1 finish. The results mean that Basilica has regained some ground on the leaders in the Baltimore Grand Prix, having moved up from fourth position to third with 52 points, only 14 behind leg leader Tommy Hilfiger.
All four of the day’s races were extremely close with Dutch entry Holmatro having the best of it with three firsts and a second place. The dominant crew from Friday’s racing, Tommy Hilfiger, had a less successful day’s sailing with 2-4-5-3 results. A frantic end to race three saw Hilfiger surrender its early lead by taking the wrong line to the finish, eventually coming in in fifth place. The final race saw Basilica take an early lead which it confidently held right to the end, winning by a long margin.
After a disappointing first day, Basilica is now right back in contention and chasing Holmatro and Hilfiger who lie in first and second place respectively. Basilica skipper James Grant was delighted with his crew’s improved performance:
“We were very disappointed with the results on Friday but we knew that there are plenty more races to catch the leaders. Conditions in the harbour are very tricky to read and we have learnt from our experience on day one. Although we did not get off to a great start today, we fought back extremely well and the results speak for themselves. There is still a long way to go in this Grand Prix and there are many more points to be won, but we will continue to try to improve and make up ground on the leaders.”
Team Basilica lies second in the overall series standings on 15 points, only one behind Tommy Hilfiger. The Baltimore VX40 Grand Prix continues with three more days of racing from Monday 1st May until Wednesday 3rd May with at least three races scheduled to take place each day.
Baltimore Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Points Standings after day two:
- Holmatro – 66 points
- Tommy Hilfiger – 63 points
- Basilica – 52 points
- Motorola – 46 points
- Volvo Ocean Race – 37 points
Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series Overall Points Standings:
- Tommy Hilfiger – 16 points
- Basilica – 15 points
- Motorola-CHR – 12 points
- Volvo Ocean Race – 12 points
- Holmatro – 11 points Remaining
Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix Series Dates:
Portsmouth, UK 27 May – 3 June, 2006
Rotterdam, Netherlands 9-14 June, 2006
01/05/2006
