Hundreds of sailing crew, invited VIP guests and organising staff saluted the new 2009 Audi MedCup winners and celebrated the end of the season at a glittering gala prizegiving in the beautiful setting of the open air quadrangle in Cartagena's Universidade Cartagena, Antiguo Hospital Militar.
Audi MedCup Circuit winners in the TP52 Series, Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) skipper Dean Barker (NZL) and CEO/mast man Grant Dalton (NZL), paid tribute to their entire team, shore support to sailing crew, and to Circuit's organisers.
It was an emotional evening for the young Canary Islands crew of Islas Canarias Puerto Calero who won the inaugural Audi MedCup title for the GP42 Series. Thanking the Calero family for the opportunity to race on the Circuit, skipper Jose Maria Ponce (ESP) said : ” We may be a young team but we have sailors with a lot of experience and I am very proud of them.”
The Veni Vidi Vici themed party followed the regatta prizegiving for the Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia Trophy in front of thousands of spectators in the Audi MedCup Village immediately after racing, where both of the new 2009 champions also lifted the regatta trophies.
The top prizes were presented by Audi AG's Lothar Korn, head of marketing and communication, and Santa Monica Sport's director Juan Antonio Samper.
Among the bands to get the enthusiastic crowd dancing were Israel's Mayumana and Ray and Trae's Allstars featuring ETNZ's tactician Ray Davies (NZL) and mainsail assistant Tony Rae (NZL), and Audi MedCup Technical Director, Nacho Postigo (ESP).
Prizewinners, Audi MedCup Circuit 2009:
TP52 Series
1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) Dean Barker (NZL)
2. Quantum Racing (USA), Terry Hutchinson (USA)
3. Artemis (SWE), Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE)_
GP42 Series
1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), Daniel Calero (ESP)
2. Roma Mk 2 (ITA) F Faruffini (ITA)
3. Caser-Endesa (ESP) Juan Luis Paez (ESP)
