Thirty-knot gusts ended any hope of racing on day four at Marina Rubicón. The 12-boat fleet motored out for a midday start to Race 6, but the northerly trades were simply too strong. Race officials sent the TP52s back to the marina within the hour, and by afternoon it was clear the wind wasn’t dropping. The AP over A flags flew, leaving Takashi Okura’s Sled with a two-point lead heading into Saturday’s finale.
Adam Beashel, steering Sled, struck a pragmatic note about the decision. “It is fun to go racing when it is top end conditions but you have to set a limit. It could have been a bit too fruity and there are so many things that could have gone wrong,” he said. The Australian skipper acknowledged the tension between wanting competitive racing and knowing when conditions cross the line. “It can be exciting but it can also prove frustrating if it goes wrong.”
Beashel’s experience at Marina Rubicón underscores how relentless Lanzarote’s wind pattern has been. “I don’t think I’ve been to a venue where for seven days every time you put a foot outside the door it is never blowing less than 15 knots,” he noted. The forecast promises more of the same for Saturday, though he remains cautiously optimistic about what morning light might bring.
Sled’s position atop the standings reflects smart racing across four completed races. Okura’s crew sit on 13 points, with Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec second on 17 points. Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Vitamina is third with 18 points, setting up what could be a competitive final day if conditions permit.
The Marina Rubicón Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week concludes Saturday with a scheduled 1130hrs start. One more race could reshape the leaderboard, or the wind could have the final say.
