Yachting: Med Cup in Team NZ's bag

Emirates Team New Zealand surf the final leg of race five in the Region of Murcia Trophy. Photo / Chris Cameron

Even if they got lost on the way to the start line, Emirates Team New Zealand would win the prestigious Med Cup yachting series - but they were still keen to win the final regatta in the series, the Region of Murcia Trophy, overnight.

Skipper Dean Barker and his crew had placings of third, second and first on the penultimate day at Cartegena to put them nine points ahead of Portugal's Bigamist 7.

If Team NZ close out the deal tomorrow, it would give them an unprecedented record of four victories in the TP52 circuit's five regattas, having won in Marseille, Cagliari and Portimao.

The day's first two races were staged in light, shifty conditions that tested the crews, before the breeze filled in later in the afternoon.

Team NZ boss and mastman Grant Dalton said the wind was "all over the place" early on.

"When we left the dock in the morning, the forecast was for conditions similar to the previous strong breeze. It couldn't have been more wrong, because the first two races were quite light, never above 11 knots.

"And for those two races the breeze was all over the place - boats that got two minutes behind could come storming back and end up a minute and a-half in front."

In race two, NZL380 was comfortably ahead going into the second beat and Dalton said that should have been enough to keep it in front until the end.

"Then we missed some shifts and, at one stage, I think we were eighth before a couple of shifts went our way on the run to the finish and we were second, four seconds behind Bigamist," he said.

"By the third race, the breeze was more than 20 knots at times with the seaway getting up again. We didn't really get into our rhythm until the first run. Once we were surfing, we were off and extended the rest of the way round the track."

There were three different winners yesterday, with defending series champions Quantum Racing of the United States taking out the first contest. But Team NZ's consistency allowed them to stretch their lead in both the regatta and the season standings.

NZL380 tactician Ray Davies described the conditions as extremely tricky with the wind appearing to be unstable under the headland and the big hills behind it. He said he had never seen such dramatic lead and position changes as in the first two races.

"It was incredible," he said."At one stage we were surfing down waves on opposite gybes heading in the same direction. That can happen in the really light airs, but not in 12 knots of breeze."

Overall, it was good day for Team NZ, Davies said.

"The main thing is to get the last shift right and we did that twice," he said. "The last race we just sailed really well with the wind up again."

While the New Zealanders might have claimed the series championship, the tussle for second and third will go to the wire. Only eight points separate the next four contestants - Quantum Racing, Swedish yacht Artemis, Bigamist and Argentina's Matador.

Bigamist took the winning gun, Emirates Team New Zealand gained four places on Audi.

Med Cup series

Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia Trophy, TP52 Series Overall Day 2

1. Emirates Team NZ

1+1+3+2+1 = 8 points

2. Bigamist 7 (Portugal)

6+4+2+1+4 = 17

3. Quantum Racing (US)

8+6+1+3+6 = 24

4. Bribon (Spain)

3+5+9+8+2 = 27

5. Artemis (Sweden)

7+2+7+6+7 = 29

Overall standings

1. Emirates Team NZ

126.5 points

2. Quantum Racing (US)

199.5 points

3. Artemis (Sweden)

204.5 points

4. Bigamist (Portugal)

206 points

5. Matador (Argentina)

207.5 points