Day two of the SSL Gold Cup European Qualifiers Round 2 brought storm drama, spinnaker disasters, and some of the tightest racing of the regatta, with thunder rolling in from the Jura mountains as conditions built through the morning.
The wind filled in from the east and racing got underway.
Group G's third race produced a three-way start to savour, with the Bulgarian Lions, Young Turks of Türkiye, and Portuguese Navigators crossing the line in perfect unison just after 11am. Bulgaria grabbed the committee boat end and all three teams held starboard tack for a full three minutes before tacking. Portugal struggled to keep clear air and were then hit by a spinnaker problem that cost them dearly, leaving the Lions and Young Turks to fight it out.
With the wind building to 15 knots and dark clouds massing at the northeastern end of the lake, the two teams split the leeward gate and traded metres all the way to the finish. At times just a single metre separated them. The teams were using light wind jibs, positioning their tracks at the very back to spill power from the huge rigs while hiking hard. The Young Turks held the lead into the final drop, but a problem with their spinnaker drop line let Bulgaria close right onto their stern. Türkiye defended hard and sealed their second race win before the storm cloud swallowed the lake and sent the fleet back to the marina.
Group F didn't get back on the water until 3pm, racing in a 6-knot breeze from 250 degrees after the storm had reset the wind. Greece started on the pin end with Ukraine further to windward and Finland a couple of metres back, which proved costly in the opening manoeuvres. Ukraine's United team made the most of the shifts to lead at the windward mark in Race 3, with the race committee also rotating the course axis 10 degrees during the race. Ukraine converted cleanly, Finland finished second, Greece third.
Race 4 was where the day turned. Greece led at the final windward mark by nearly 200 metres, having sailed a near-perfect beat with just two tacks on the entire leg. Then came the spinnaker. A catastrophic twist wiped out their lead in an instant, followed immediately by a disastrous gybe that produced a second twist and dropped them behind Ukraine as well.
Finland's Northern Magic, having tacked on Ukraine repeatedly throughout the race, capitalised on Greece's collapse to pip the United team in another photo finish, taking the overnight lead by a single point. Greece were left to reflect on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
The storms disrupted day two, but the race team kept things together well enough to leave the event just a single race behind schedule.
