Eker Süzme Stretch Gold Cup Lead as Khumbu Move Up to Second
Turkey's Eker Süzme have extended their lead at the first Cape 31 Gold Cup after three days of racing in Saint-Tropez, and go into the final day 17 points clear in the record 28-boat fleet.
It was a huge day on the water in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Racing started off light, with a delay before the first start, but the breeze built to perfect 10-15 knot conditions and, with a light forecast for tomorrow, the race team made the most of it to complete four races, taking the series to eight races sailed.
Black Seal 2 opened the day with their first Gold Cup bullet, ahead of Django and Lennard van Oeveren's Motions, who took third to strengthen their grip on the Corinthian (1 Pro) division. Christian Schwoerer's La Pericolosa finished fourth, with Guy Gillon's Khumbu fifth.
Gecko d'or then claimed race 6, with Kalantis second and Eker Süzme third to limit the damage after a 21st in race 5, which they have since discarded. Khumbu were fourth and Marcus Brennecke's Hatari fifth.
Django won race 7, ahead of Gecko d'or and La Pericolosa, with Eker Süzme fourth and Hatari fifth.
Kalantis closed the day with victory in race 8, ahead of lil'Desna, with Eker Süzme third to underline their consistency. Black Seal 2 were fourth and Black Star fifth. Hatari finished eighth and Khumbu ninth, while Django's 14th, now their discard, cost them ground on the podium places.
That leaves Eker Süzme on 22 points after discarding their worst score, 17 clear of Khumbu on 39. Hatari are just one point further back in third on 40, with Django fourth on 43 and Alessandro Rombelli's Stig, the Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit champions, fifth on 49. Gecko d'or are only one point behind Stig on 50, underlining how tight it remains behind the leaders.
With just four points separating Khumbu, Hatari and Django, the battle for the remaining podium places will go down to the final day.
In the Corinthian division, Motions lead on 80 points from Andrea Castrucci's Chisum on 100 and Outrage by Sériès on 109.
But with Eker Süzme having already used their discard on that 21st in race 5, and no further discards to come, any slip on the final day will count in full, so the first Cape 31 Gold Cup is by no means over.
Racing concludes tomorrow, Saturday 17 October, with the first warning signal at 10:30 and no warning signal after 14:30. The prize giving is scheduled for 17:30 at the SNST Pavillon.
Photography: Sailing Energy
Thank you to Quantum Sails, Sertinox and Exhibit Group, partners of the Cape 31 Gold Cup, and to Henri Lloyd and North Sails for their continued support of the class.
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