Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Azzurra holds on to her lead in the 52 Super Series

by Azzurra on 20 Sep 2017
Azzurra – 52 Super Series Nico Martinez / Martinez Studio
Today the boat flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's burgee placed fourth and is holding on to her leadership in the overall provisional results ahead of Platoon and Quantum. First place for Bronenosec. The Olympian sailor Giulia Conti is guest of the Azzurra team.

Unstable conditions characterized the second day at the Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week, the final event in the 2017 52 Super Series. There are three teams fighting to the end for this season's top place.

This morning the TP52 fleet docked out at 9:00 from Mahon's beautiful natural port, ready to race at 11:00 to take advantage of the northerly breezes before the predicted lull as winds shifted to the south. Starting procedures began punctually in northerly breezes at about 12 knots that died down to about 7-8 during the race.

Azzurra got a good start to the left, choosing to repeat yesterday's strategy in conditions that seemed to be similar. But this time her closest competitors, Platoon and Quantum, were ready and it was the American team that was in the lead at the first upwind mark, followed closely by Azzurra. These two teams were in the lead while the rest of the fleet fought it out alternating positions with some teams dropping back and others recovering. Gladiator, for example, started last but soon was third, sailing in clean air to the right of the course. Quantum and Azzurra were in the lead, fighting it out on the left.

Along the last downwind leg the tables turned: the breeze on the left died on Quantum and Azzurra, while the rest of the fleet gybed to catch the better wind on the right. Azzurra handled the situation well and passed Quantum to head for the center of the course. Bronenosec, the Russian team with lots of Italian sailors, Platoon and Gladiator managed to catch puffs and pass on the final gybe before the finish. Azzurra finished fourth, Quantum seventh. Azzurra is now tied with Gladiator for the lead in the Menorca 52 Super Series, and is still at the head of the provisional results overall with six points on Platoon and thirteen on Quantum.

During the wait for the transition in the winds the Race Committee, headed by PRO Maria Torrijo, hoisted the “AP over H” signal, and the fleet headed back to port for the wait. At 2:30 PM the second race was declared cancelled and racing was called off until tomorrow at 12 noon. Windward-leeward courses are scheduled and the forecast calls for winds at 8 to 13 knots from the south-southwest.



Guillermo Parada, skipper: 'It was another tricky race with the wind oscillating a lot and with the waves on top of that. I think we did a good job of getting a clear start and being able to keep up our position in the fleet and that allowed us to stay in second place until the last run. Then the breeze dropped a lot for the first two boats and we decided to play the side we were already on. We knew that the boats at the back of the fleet were gybing and were in better breeze than us, but we elected to stay close to Quantum. We even managed to pass them, but we lost three boats on the other side. We were a little unlucky because we were close to catching Platoon and Gladiator at the finish, but given the circumstances I think it was a good day. Today we had another good start, we were quick enough so we kept our lines, Vasco and Cole positioned us where they wanted and we were able to round the first mark second, so the crew is focused and the boat is sailing well.'

This week Azzurra has a famous guest, Olympian Giulia Conti, World and European champion in 2015 in the 49er FX Class with Francesca Clapcich: “Now that I have left the Olympic Classes to become a professional I really want to know how a top team like Azzurra's works. The 52 Super Series is the top event in pro sailing. I have spoken with Vasco and the whole Azzurra team has welcomed me. In the future I could see myself as tactician or in a support role for an owner-driver.'

Starting tomorrow and until the end of this event on Saturday September 23rd, racing can be followed in web streaming with commentary in English both on the 52 Super Series and on Azzurra's websites.

52 Super Series Provisional Scoreboard Overall

1. Azzurra (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers, ITA/ARG), 177 p.
2. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), 183 p.
3. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), 190 p.
4. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) 216,3 p.
5. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), 236 p.
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), 245 p.
7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), 265 p.
8. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) 294,6 p.
9. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR/USA), 317,3 p.

Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week, after two races:


1. Azzurra (Alberto e Pablo Roemmers, ITA/ARG), (1,4) 5 p.
2. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (2,3) 5 p.
3. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER), (6,2) 8 p.
4. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (9,1)10 p.
5. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (3,8)11 p.
6. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (4,7)11 p.
7. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) (5,6) 11p.
8. Sorcha (Peter Harrison GBR) (11,5) 16 p.
9. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (7,10) 17 p.
10. Paprec Recyclage (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, FRA) (8,9)17 p.
11. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR/USA) (10,11) 21 p.

RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERC-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 BOTTOMAllen Dynamic 40 Footer

Related Articles

Thayer Trophy Women's Team Race preview
Regatta has become a catalyst for developing women's sailing teams When the Corinthian YC launched the National Women's Invitational Team Race for the Thayer Trophy in 2021, the goal was to give women sailors the opportunity to compete in a high-intensity format on par with the world's most renowned team racing events.
Posted on 17 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik Day 2
Pieter-Jan Postma leads after the second day of racing in The Netherlands Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, is leading the fleet of 307 Finns from 27 countries after everyone sailed two more races at the 2025 Finn World Masters in Medemblik. France's Laurent Hay is second with Germany's Fabian Lemmel in third.
Posted on 17 Jun
World Sailing launches the World Sailing Academy
A new online learning platform for the global sailing community World Sailing officially launched the World Sailing Academy, an innovative new online learning platform designed to provide comprehensive educational resources and training to sailors, coaches, officials, administrators, and the global sailing community.
Posted on 17 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom.
Posted on 17 Jun
Erica Lush Completes Bermuda 1-2 Regatta First Leg
While training for the Solitaire Du Figaro Rhode Island sailor Erica Lush completed the first leg of the Bermuda 1-2 regatta as the only woman skipper in the fleet. Lush sailed solo from Newport to Bermuda, handling a boat new to her, and rough sea state.
Posted on 17 Jun
Susan Widmann Sinclair Women's Championship
Winning this year's event was a very accomplished skipper, Carmen Cowles and her team The biennial running of Noroton Yacht Club's Susan Widmann Sinclair Women's Championship, presented by Fairfield County Bank, just finished a second wild and wooly event, thanks again to Mother Nature.
Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality.
Posted on 17 Jun
2025 GL52 Big Red Regatta overall
Katana prevails, Wizard finished second The 2025 edition of the GL52 Big Red Regatta is now in the books. John Huhn's KATANA continued its winning ways on Day 3 to wrap-up first place overall with just 12 pts.
Posted on 16 Jun
Conrads, Bell win 505 Pacific Coast Championship
A single point victory at Bellingham Yacht Club After three days and 11 races, AJ Conrads and Jon Bell captured the 505 Pacific Coast Championship by one point, narrowly besting former World Champion and Long Beach legend Howie Hamlin and crew Jeff Nelson.
Posted on 16 Jun
Finn World Masters in Medemblik Day 1
Eight races over two course areas in four groups with four different winners Racing at the 2025 Finn World Masters began in Medemblik, The Netherlands, on Monday with eight races over two course areas in four groups.
Posted on 16 Jun