Sardinia Cup - Team USA claims victory

by Jill Campbell on 18 Jun 2012 Audi Sardinia Cup has been organized biennially by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1978. The seventh and final race of the 2012 series was held in Porto Cervo, Italy today.

Team USA, composed of the TP52 Quantum Racing skippered by Ed Baird and the Soto 40 Iberdrola with Jose Maria Torcida Seghers at the helm, has claimed victory. Both boats claimed their fourth bullet of the series to leave them 11 points clear of first runner up Team Italy. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (TP52) and the Soto 40 Alegre took a fourth and a second place respectively today to retain the second place overall that they have held since the second day of racing. British boats Gladiator (TP52), owned by Tony Langley and with Chris Larson on tactics, and Tony Buckingham's Ngoni (Soto 40) took third place.

Quantum, owned by Doug DeVos, and Iberdrola also took the top prizes in the individual classifications for their respective classes, valid as part of the 52 Super Series for the competing TP52 and IRC52 boats and as a leg of the European Championship for the Soto 40s.

The light air that has characterized the week's racing in Porto Cervo prevailed once again today and only one windward-leeward race was held for each fleet in approximately 6-7 knots of breeze from 060°. Quantum sailed to a clear victory after passing Hugues Destremau's Paprec on the first downwind leg with the French boat crossing the finish line second and Gladiator third. Quantum's closest rival, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team which is owned by Alberto Roemmers and flies the YCCS burgee, was unable to recover after a poor start and finished fourth, putting paid to tactician Francesco Bruni and strategist Vasco Vascotto's hopes of winning the individual TP52 classification. Trailing Iberdrola in the Soto 40 fleet were Andres Soriano's Alegre and Ngoni. Second place in today's race was enough to ensure second place in the class overall for Alegre ahead of Pedro Mendonça's Bigamist.

Ed Reynolds, coach of Quantum Racing: 'It was up and down but overall it's the most beautiful place in the world so it was great being here. It's pretty challenging racing here, you have to be strong in all sorts of conditions. Today was a great day for us, we were a point and a half behind so we needed to win the race and the team did everything they needed to do and it is incredibly rewarding when that happens.'

Antonio Piris Turner, tactician aboard Iberdrola Team: 'The week was fantastic, there was a bit of a lack of wind, very light but it was great to win in conditions which can be considered extreme because of being so light. It is always special racing in Porto Cervo, there is a great atmosphere and a lot of tradition linked to the Sardinia Cup so it is a very nice regatta to have under your belt.'

YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo: 'These two highly competitive classes - the TP52s which are regulars on our waters and the Soto 40s racing here for the first time - have made the Audi Sardinia Cup a spectacular event. Special thanks must also go to the Race Committee for getting in seven races in difficult conditions and, of course, to our title sponsor and official automotive partner of the YCCS Audi.'

The YCCS racing calendar continues with the Coppa Europa Smeralda 888 from 22nd to 24th June followed by the Audi Melges 32European Championship from 28th June to 1st July.

Audi Sardinia Cup - Team Results
1. USA: Soto 40 Iberdrola Team (3/3/1/1/1/4,5/1=14,5) - TP52 Quantum Racing (1/1/3/1/3/4,5/1=14,5) 29 points
2. Italy: Soto 40 Alegre (1/1/5/2/4/7,5/2=22,5) - TP52 Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (3/2/2/4/1/1,5/4=17,5) 40 points
3. Great Britain: Soto 40 Ngoni (5/5/2/5/3/3/3=26) - TP52 Gladiator (2/3/1/2/5/3/2=18) 44 points
4. Sweden: Soto 40 Black Pearl (4/2/3/4/2/6/5=26) - TP52 Ràn (4/4/4/3/2/7,5/5=29,5) 55,5 points
5. Cayman Islands: Soto 40 Bigamist (2/4/4/3/5/1,5/4=23,5) - TP52 Powerplay (5/5/5/5/4/6/3=33) 56,5 points

Audi Sardinia Cup - Soto 40 Results
1. Iberdrola 3/3/1/1/1/4,5/1=14,5
2. Alegre 1/1/5/2/4/7,5/2=22,5
3. Bigamist 2/4/4/3/5/1,5/4=23,5
4. Ngoni 5/5/2/4/3/3/3=25
5. Black Pearl 4/2/3/5/2/6/5=27

Audi Sardinia Cup - TP52 Results
1. Quantum Racing 1/1/3/1/4/4,5/1=15,5
2. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team 3/2/2/4/1/1,5/5=18,5
3. Gladiator 2/3/1/2/6/3/3=20
4. Ràn 4/4/4/3/2/7,5/6=30,5
5. Paprec Recyclage 5/5/5/6/3/10,5/2=36,5
6. Powerplay YCCS website 52 Super Series Soto 40 website