Team NZ dominate in Med Cup 

Source: Chris Cameron/PhotosportTeam New Zealand in action

Team New Zealand, already with the MedCup yachting series title in the bag, are poised to win the season's final regatta in Spain as well.

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 on Sunday, it would give them an unprecedented record of four victories in the TP52 circuit's five regattas, having won the past three 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.

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 on Saturday, with defending series champions Quantum Racing of the United States taking out the first contest.

But Team NZ's consistency allowed them to stretc h 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 d own 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 of Quantum Racing, Swedish yacht Artemis, Bigamist and Argentina's Matador.