Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre day 4 closes the gap

7:45 PM Thu 4 Aug 2011 GMT

'EarlyBird - IRC2 - Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre 2011' Nico Martinez &copy Click Here to view large photo

The 30th Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre has now wrapped up its fourth day of racing. The day's events resulted in discards being applied. Meanwhile, Brib?n's advantage over Container has now shrank to just six points in IRC A while Speedy cuts down distances upon Earlybird in IRC B and Melges 32 Argo stays at the top in the OD fleet with the discard still undelivered.

All sailors were able to discard their worst result with the exception of the Melges 32 fleet which runs two races behind and will do it tomorrow. The venue of Palma delivered again perfect sailing conditions, and a sea breeze -known as Embat in the local argot- from 10 to 12 knots established short after noon and reached 10 to 12 knots.

Brib?n sees her advantage upon Container go down from eleven to six points after the discard was applied. The TP52 steered by Galicia born sailor and round the world skipper Gonzalo Ara?jo signed two second places, whereas Udo Schutz's Container was third and first, thus pulling up to second in the overall classification after eight races and one discard. The fight for the first place continues in IRC A, for Brib?n enjoys only six points advantage over Container, whereas Shockwave, Jethou, Gladiator and Hispano candidate for the last step of the podium.

Shockwave IRC1 - Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre 2011 - Nico Martinez &copy Click Here to view large photo

Kiko S?nchez Luna and Fernando Le?n's BC 52 Hispano with HRH Felipe de Borb?n at the steer was sixth and fourth, thus dropping to sixth in the overall after eight races. In IRC B British Speedy struggles and cuts down distances with Earlybird, which stays at the top, but just six points ahead.

In Melges 32 John Kilroy's Samba pa ti with Italian ace Vasco Vascotto aboard ruled today with two bullets in as many races thus moving up to third; besides, the American boat could get rid of a poor 13th position in the first race of the competition tomorrow. Jason Carroll's Argo with Cameron Appleton calling tactics remains on top of the board after a second and a third place which leave them with a 12 points cushion over second placed B-Lingsailing.com. The Melges 32 world champion steered by Luca Lalli with America's Cup skipper Lorenzo Bressani calling the shots was third and sixth today, still lacking some consistency.

Argo - Melges 32 - Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre 2011 - Nico Martinez &copy Click Here to view large photo

Within the J-80 fleet Jose Mar?a van der Ploeg's Factorenergia - Great Sailing Quum pulls up to first after finishing second in both races. The Olympic Spanish sailor is accompanied by his eleven year old son Jose Mar?a Van der Ploeg junior aboard, the youngest sailor of the 30th edition of the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre. World champion Nextel Engineering could only manage a third and a fifth.

After three days of Italian command, the X-35 class sees Spanish Iberostar step onto the podium after their rather humble start in competition. Javier Bandera's new X with two times Olympic sailor Lu?s Doreste calling tactics won today's first race and was third in the next one, thus moving up to third in the overall classification after the discard was applied. Italian Tixelio is second just one point ahead, and Hotelplan stays at the top in spite of today's blunder in the last race, an eighth position, and a third in the second one.

In RI 1 Rafael's Carbonell Rats on Fire with Rayco Tabares calling the shots is more leader after her two-one today, thus extending her advantage on second classified Cuadernos Rubio, a Swan 45 steered by Plat? 25 world champion Manu Weiller, to 12 points. The latter has a five points cushion over Giacomo Miscioscia's Italian Swonderfull, which resulted benefited by Axel Rodger's Mapfre's over the line in the first race and is now third.

Pedro Campos Movistar remains on top of the RI 2 scoreboard after one discard, with a short advantage of three points over Power Plate of Sydney and Athens Olympic sailor Gustavo Mart?nez Doreste. Campos was replaced by Pablo Iglesias at the steer today, who won one of the races, for the Galicia born sailor and project manager resulted injured in one eye yesterday and won't be able to sail again until next Saturday.