The Audi MedCup was a

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' ( sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' ( iceboat) or on ''land'' ( land yacht) over a chose ...

competition which began in 2005 and turned into the world’s leading regatta circuit. The event was last held in 2011. It was sailed in the

TP 52 The Transpac 52 (TP52) is a class of yacht used for competitive 52 Super Series yacht racing, and the Audi MedCup previously, besides the world championship of the class. The class is recognised by the International Sailing Federation which en ...

and

Soto 40 Soto 40 is a sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types ...

classes (previously the GP42 class in 2009–2010). The circuit, which was sponsored by the German

car manufacturer This is a list of notable automobile manufacturers with articles on Wikipedia by country. It includes companies that are in business as well as defunct manufacturers. Only companies that have articles here are included. A Algeria * SNVI ...

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The o ...

, ran annually throughout Southern Europe and attracted some of the best sailors in the world. The five-regatta circuit lasted five months starting in May and culminated in September. The circuit was based on a box rule where every boat, in theory, had a similar design. This left it to the skill of the sailors to decide the winner, much like Formula One. There is some leverage in the rule in that deck layouts can be adjusted and

sail A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails ma ...

s can be crafted differently but the main design features such as weight, beam, and mast height and sail area are restricted to this "box rule" standard. While originally sailed only on TP 52s, the Audi MedCup in 2009 became a two class regatta with the introduction of the GP42 class. In 2011 the GP42 was replaced as the second class by the One Design Soto 40. It costs roughly 2.5 million Euros to build a brand new TP52 on which to race, and an additional five hundred thousand to one million Euros for sails and deck gear. This plus the added cost of maintaining the

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

and running a professional sailing campaign made the Audi MedCup one of the most expensive sailing circuits in the world.

2010 Audi MedCup Circuit

2011 Audi MedCup Circuit

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://web.archive.org/web/20080905114028/http://medcup.org/
Pictures of MedCup in Portugal 2008/2009/2010/2011
Sailing competitions Yachting races Sailing series Recurring sporting events established in 2005 Defunct sailing competitions