Breitling MedCup TP52 championship series leader Mutua Madrileña is maintaining her position at the top of the scoreboard after yesterday’s opening races of the championship final in Ibiza.

With a 1,4,6 in the first three races Peter de Ridder and his mainly Emirates Team New Zealand crew not only lead the Trofeo Balearia Ibiza y Formentara regatta, but have more than doubled their 14 points overall lead over their nearest rival Warpath, Steve and Fred Howe’s boat skippered by Dean Barker. Caixa Galicia (Roberto Bermudez/Vicente Tirado) from Spain however, is currently close on her heels, just one point adrift after the first three races. In third place at this regatta, after three races is Siemens owned by Eamon Conneely and skippered by British sailor Ian Walker.

The three races yesterday were held in tricky conditions with a patchy oscillating south-easterly breeze that mostly averaged between four and seven knots. Chatting about the race Roberto Bermudez from second-placed Caixa Galicia commented: “We are very happy with the second race and indeed the whole day. We were second in the general standings only one point from Mutua Madrile’s in the general standings for this regatta.

“We’ve even taken a point from Siemens in the general standings for the circuit. Today we’ve sailed well. It was just a shame in the last race that we were stupidly over the line with a big gap on the leeward side. Sometimes it happens that way and a small stupid mistake can mean you lose a big opportunity. But we were able to see it in a positive way, recover and come in ninth. We were in penultimate place and made up all that ground.”

Results (after 3 races)
1. Mean Machine Mutua Madrilena (Peter de Ridder/Peter Ridder, Monaco) 11pts
2. Caixa Galicia (Roberto Bermudez/Vicente Tirado/ Spain) 12pts
3. Siemens (Ian Walker/Eamon Conneely/Ireland) 15pts
4. Rush (Tom Stark/Tom Stark, USA) 20pts
5. Orlanda (Lorenzo Bressani/Alessandro Pirera, Italy) 21pts