Azzurra holds on to her lead in the 52 Super Series

by Azzurra on 20 Sep 2017 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.