Azzurra gets a win at Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week

by Azzurra on 25 Jul 2017 Azzurra wins a race and is currently in second place overall behind Ran at the Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week.

It was a positive day for Azzurra in the waters off Palma di Mallorca. Two windward/leeward races were held in thermal breezes from the southeast at 12 to 18 knots that were shifty and unstable because of a passing weather front.

The first of the day’s races saw Azzurra get a good start slightly left of the center of the line. But along the first upwind leg there were strong wind shifts and Azzurra was often “in traffic” and covered by other teams. Approaching the first upwind mark there was a strong wind shift and Azzurra was penalised when she crossed Platoon. She had to fight back from last place but her team stayed calm and concentrated and showed their skill by narrowing the gap with the rest of the fleet along the first downwind leg. They went on to recover three positions and finished sixth. The Turkish team aboard Provezza won handily, followed by Ran and Sled.

The second race of the day saw a general recall. The second time around Azzurra got a fast and perfectly timed start on the Committee Boat. From there she went on to control the fleet, gaining distance on all the other teams during the rest of the race. Ran, who has been sailing very consistently after winning the recent event in Porto Cervo, placed second. Platoon finished in third place after placing ninth in the first of the day’s races.

Thanks to today’s win the boat flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s burgee is in second place overall at this event and is still in the lead of the 52 Super Series circuit.

Quotes of the day:
Guillermo Parada, skipper: 'In the end it was a good day. We had a stressful situation in the first race when we got very close to a big group of boats at the windward mark and got a penalty that we deserved. We took a risk and it didn't work and from that moment we were last and had to work our way back up the fleet. In the end we placed sixth which isn't good but is acceptable since we were last. In the second race we were sailing in 15 knots. We got a very good start, I think the boat was going well and it was a pretty uneventful race which is easy when you're at the front of the fleet. Overall it was a good day. We stayed consistent and worked through the bad spots, so we should feel satisfied.'

Vasco Vascotto, tactician: “It was a positive day even though I made a mistake in the first race. I didn’t notice a wind shift at the upwind mark when we were just 10 seconds off and unfortunately we found ourselves in a tricky situation. We got a penalty and had to fight back from last place. But in a fleet like this everyone can make mistakes, the important thing is knowing how to recover from them. That we did, and we recovered three positions to finish sixth. In the end we sailed well and recovered three points that are going to be important at the end of the season. In the second race we got a perfect start in the perfect place. In these conditions the boat is sailing really well and when everything is going right it seems like it’s easy to win. The season is still long, but we’re satisfied. I want to congratulate Ran who is sailing very consistently and could be a dangerous adversary at the end of the season.”

?Tomorrow racing will begin at 1:00 PM in breezes that are predicted to be more stable than today’s.

Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week after 3 races
1. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (1,2,2) 5 p.
2. Azzurra (Alberto e Pablo Roemmers, ITA/ARG), (3,6,1) 10 p.
3. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) (6,1,7) 14 p.
4. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (4,4,6) 14 p.
5. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER), (5,9,3) 17 p.
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (7,5,5) 17 p.
7. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR/USA) (2,8,9) 19 p.
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (8,3,8) 19 p.
9. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (9,7,4) 20 p.

52 Super Series Provisional Standings
1. Azzurra (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers, ITA/ARG), 156 pts.
2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), 164 pts
3. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), 166 pts.
4. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), 191 pts.
5. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) 194.3 pts.
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), 217 pts.
7. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) 239.6 pts.
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), 245 pts.
9. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR/USA), 274.5 pts.