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The skipper, who was in fifth place at the end of the second day, admitted to being surprised he'd been able to come back and win, because of the high standard of the competition.

"I never thought off winning against all this sailors! The spectators gave us the support that we needed to recover from the 2-0 score!", Rui BOIA (POR) explained.

In the best-of-five race final series the Spanish skipper stamped his authority on the first confrontation, after an amazing recover on the last windward mark.

In the second race, Manuel WEILLER (ESP) won the start, controlled the race, and didn't give a chance to the Portuguese Team. However, BÓIA fought back, taking the third race after decisively winning the start, and controlling the race throughout.

The local skipper also won the fourth race, recovering from a 2-0 score to level things up.

In the decider the two boats came off the starting line evenly, with WEILLER in the windward position, overlapped. At the first mark the Spanish were half a boatlength ahead, but on the downwind leg BÓIA, on opposite tacks, managed to penalize WEILLER and pass ahead, establishing a small advantage which they defended to the finish.

WEILLER and Alvaro MARINHO (POR) had dominated the regatta through the early stages, while BÓIA only claimed his place in the final at the end of the qualifying series, but carried the momentum of his improving form through into the final.

In the petit-final the Russian, Andrew ARBUZOV, beat the favourite and local team of MARINHO 2-1 to take third place.

The last day of the regatta produced yet more testing conditions for the crews, with strong and shifty easterly winds.

BÓIA, from Lisbon, was 2006 National Match Racing Champion, and is #56 in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings.

WEILLER, from Palma de Mallorca, won the 2006 Platu 25 World Championship in Vigo, Spain and currently is #75 in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings.

MARINHO, also from Lisbon, was the silver medallist at the 2008 470 World Championship and reigning European Champion in the class. He is also the Portuguese Match Racing Champion and is #64 in the ISAF World Match Race Rankings.

The regatta was organized by CIMAV in the Port of Vilamoura.

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