(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Team Nika sealed a crucial race win on Saturday to emerge as the favourite for clinching the overall title after it logged 26 points in the RC44 Oman Cup on Sunday.
The ten competing teams enjoyed sailing in favourable conditions as three races took place on Saturday. Racing started in a seven-knot north-westerly breeze that built steadily over the day.
Behind Nika was Team Aqua (35 points) in second place after the defending champion won the last race of the day.
Peninsula Petroleum won the day's opening race with Katusha finishing runner-up and Team Aqua taking the third place.
With tight racing collisions are not unusual in the RC44 circuit. Coming into the offset mark at top of the course Bronenesec Sailing Team didn't leave enough space for Artemis Racing and Gazprom Youth Sailing Team and the result was a three-boat collision.
Artemis had to replace its bow between races. Damage caused to the Gazprom boat knocked it out of racing for the rest of the day. Vladimir Liubomirov's Bronenosec was slapped with two penalty points for the incident.
Chris Bake's Team Aqua had made it up to second overall on equal points with Katusha after seven races and was eager to get started again.
Both teams were called over the line in race eight having to restart. Nika Artemis and Peninsula Petroleum started at the pin end of the line and headed up the favoured left side of the course.
The trio rounded the windward mark ahead of the fleet. Nika and Artemis held their places until the finish Nico Poon's Charisma pulling itself up through the fleet to finish third just ahead of Peninsula Petroleum.
The final race of the day gave some good sailing conditions as the wind speed increased to 14 knots. Aqua made a safe start in the middle of the line played the shifts and led Bronenosec by a slender margin at the top mark.
Peninsula Petroleum was up in the top three again. Team Aqua kept out of trouble and sailed away from the fleet to take the win Bronenosec finished second with Team Nika settling for the third place.
Nika owner Vladimir Prosikhin said after the race 'It was the best race I've ever sailed. It was a good recovery after very hard work. We did everything perfect to take third.'
In the overall standings Team Nika has a nine-point lead over second-placed Team Aqua. Charisma is four points off Team Aqua. Positions second to fifth are split by just eight points.
Overall standings:
1 Team Nika (26) 2 Team Aqua (35) 3 Charisma (39) 4 Artemis Racing (43) 5 Katusha (43) 6 Synergy Russian Sailing Team (47) 7 Peninsula Petroleum (53) 8 Gazprom Youth Sailing Team (67) 9 Bronenosec Sailing Team (70) Aleph Racing (70).
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