52 Super Series – The new Azzurra is in the lead

by Azzurra Sailing Team on 10 Jun 2015 2015 52 Super Series – With first and sixth place finishes, Azzurra, the boat flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s burgee, is tied for the lead with Quantum after the first day of the second event.

Light breezes from the northeast at six to nine knots were enough to get the Settimana delle Bocche, the historical regatta that the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda has hosted and organized since 1972, underway with two windward/leeward races. The SdB is also part of the 52 Super Series, the top racing circuit for monohulls.

Azzurra got an easy win in the first race with a perfect start that soon had her at a comfortable distance from the rest of the fleet. Second place for Paprec and third for Quantum. In the second race, a sudden wind shift to the left surprised the boats that were at the head of the fleet and favored the boats to the back. Azzurra was in a difficult position during the first leg but managed to recover positions and finish sixth. The seven points total that she has won up to today put her in a first place tie with Quantum who today finished third and fourth. Gladiator is third with nine points followed by Bronenosec who today finished last in the first race and first in the second and now is tied for points with Sled.

Tomorrow will see the first coastal race through the beautiful waters and landscapes that this area of Sardinia is famous for worldwide. The course chosen by the Racing Committee will depend on the winds, expected to be slightly stronger than today. Starting from 12 noon the racing can be followed on VirtualEye on the website and with live updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Quotes of the day

Skipper Guillermo Parada: “It was a good beginning of the regatta because we achieved our goal which was to get three or four points for the race and because we know that at the end of the event with that scoring you can win the regatta. We have learned that over the seasons and it was the same in Valencia. We’re happy that the whole fleet was upside down in the second race, that the boats that got beat in the first race got results in the second race and that we were able to recover a couple of positions in the second race where we were at risk of being last at the top mark. So we’re happy with the boat, happy with her speed and looking forward to the rest of the week.”

Tactician Vasco Vascotto: “I’m pleased to be able to dedicate our win in the first regatta to Luciano Giacomi, who has sadly passed away. He was a good judge, a reference point for many of us. I was lucky to work with him as Rules Advisor in the America’s Cup. Luciano was a straightforward person, the kind of man I like, and we’ll all miss him.'
“As far as today’s racing goes, our recovery in the second race shows, as far as I’m concerned, that we know how to sail competitively. The first race was easy enough to win after an excellent start. We controlled it from the beginning to the end, but the second saw us recover positions from the back of the fleet and that wasn’t easy. We got a good start, but the breeze shifted suddenly to the left and that put us in a bad spot. Recovering places when there is really only one course to follow isn’t easy, but we were able to limit the damage. I took a tactical risk in the last downwind leg and didn’t really gain from it. In the future I’ll have to be more careful. One first and one sixth place finish work out to a good average and for now we’re tied for the lead with Quantum.”

52 Super Series - Settimana delle Bocche

Provisional results after two races

1 Azzurra 1,6 7 pt
2 Quantum 3,4 7 pt
3 Gladiator 6,3 9 pt
4 Bronenosec 9,1 10pt
5 Sled 8,2 10 pt
6 Provezza 5,5 10 pt
7 Paprec 2,9 11 pt
8 Alegre 4,8 12 pt
9 Platoon 7,7 14 pt

2015 Calendar 52 Super Series
18 to 23 May: Valencia (Spain)
8 to 13 June: Porto Cervo (Italy, Sardinia)
13 to 18 July: Puerto Portals (Spain, Mallorca)
3 to 8 August: Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
15 to 20 September: Cascais (Portugal)