Audi MedCup
Introduction The '''Audi MedCup''' was a sailing 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 and Soto 40 classes (previously the GP42 class in 2009–2010).The circuit, which was sponsored by the German car manufacturer Audi, 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 sails 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 and running a professional sailing campaign made the Audi MedCup one of the most expensive sailing circuits in the world.
2010 Audi MedCup Circuit  Date Regatta Location 11–16 May 2010  Portugal Trophy  Cascais, Portugal 15–20 June 2010   Marseille Trophy  Marseille, France  20–25 July 2010  Camper regatta Conde de Godó Trophy Barcelona  Barcelona, Spain  24–29 August 2010  Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy  Cartagena, Spain 20–25 September 2010  Region of Sardinia Trophy  Cagliari, Italy
2011 Audi MedCup Circuit  Date Regatta Location 17–21 May 2011  Portugal Trophy  Cascais, Portugal 14–19 June 2011  Marseille Trophy  Marseille, France 19–24 July 2011  Region of Sardinia Trophy  Cagliari, Italy 23–28 August 2011  Region of Murcia Trophy  Cartagena, Spain  12–17 September 2011  Barcelona Trophy  Barcelona, Spain
References
External links * * Pictures of MedCup in Portugal 2008/2009/2010/2011