Azzurra closes the Audi Sailing Week - 52 Super Series with a win

by Azzurra on 26 Jun 2017 Azzurra finished the Audi Sailing Week - 52 Super Series, raced in her home waters in Porto Cervo, with third and first place finishes today, missing a podium finish by just one point. Ran takes first place followed by Bronenosec. Quantum placed third after suffering some damage in today’s second race. The 52 Super Series next event is in the Balearic Islands and sees Azzurra in the lead.

The Mistral was blowing today in the waters off the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda club house at 18 knots which built to 24. The Race Committee got the first of today’s two coastal races underway punctually at 12:00 noon.

Azzurra got a strong start on the pin, and Bronenosec was right below her. Quantum was very fast at the center of the line and was sailing windward towards the left side of the course, the side that should have been better with Mistral wind conditions. The fleet arrived compacted to the first mark, Quantum had just a tiny advantage on Bronenosec and Azzurra. Since TP52s can plane at 20 knots downwind and Quantum was a bit late on her jibe, the two other teams took advantage. The Russian team was in the lead at the first gate, then Azzurra and Quantum rounded the gate even on opposite tack. The next two legs saw Azzurra third behind Bronenosec and Quantum.

The wind and the sea state built for the final race of the Audi Sailing Week and an exciting show was guaranteed. Azzurra got a good start on the pin but her opponents was also fast: Provezza, Platoon, Bronenosec and naturally Quantum. At the first upwind mark it was the American team that was half a length ahead of Bronenosec but Azzurra, with a perfect maneuver, shook them both off near the offset mark and hoisted her gennaker first and fastest. Azzurra won easily showing that her team knows how to handle stiff Mistral breezes. Other teams, like Provezza, threw away their chances at a podium finish while everyone was sorry to see Quantum withdraw after breaking a stay.

The event’s results saw Azzurra miss a podium finish by just one point, but the 52 Super Series’ overall score sees the boat flying the YCCS burgee in first place followed by Platoon and Quantum.

The 2017 52 Super Series is still wide open, there are many teams that could take the top slot. This is sailing at its best. The next event in the Series will be in Puerto Portals, Mallorca from July 24th to 28th.

Quotes of the day:

Riccardo Bonadeo, YCCS Commodore: “The fact that Azzurra closed this week in her home waters on a positive note is a good sign for the rest of her season. Some days she wasn’t sailing up to her usual standard, but her team has shown that they really know how to handle stiff Mistral breezes. I want to thank the team for their hard work here and our club members the Roemmers for bringing the historical name Azzurra to the 52 Super Series.”

Guillermo Parada, skipper: “It was a good way to finish the week for sure. We have been trying hard to get back to our normal level of sailing and today we came out with a strong attitude and got two solid placements. It’s a shame that Quantum suffered breakage, as did Alegre before her, that’s never nice and we’re sad for them. But we have to depend on ourselves and we have to make sure that we bring our best game to Puerto Portals if we want to win the season. We saved this week and are in a good position for the rest of the season, which was our main goal. Hopefully we’ll be strong in Puerto Portals too.”

Vasco Vascotto, tactician: 'We ended this event well, but we have to find a way to start better. We have to start angry maybe, convinced that we can win. Today we started strong after a good morning meeting where we went over all of the mistakes we’ve made this week. We had a good coastal race, but we have to improve. We’re in pretty good shape overall, but we have to stay focused. We were never a bad team, but we’re not the absolute best either. We’re all good teams here, separated by just a handful of points. Too bad for Quantum and their breakage, but that’s part of the sport. The same thing happened to us last year, it can happen to anyone.”

Porto Cervo 52 Super Series Audi Sailing Week (Final)

1. Rán Racing (Niklas and Catherine Zennström, SWE) (3,7,1,2,10,5,4,2) 34 pts.
2. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS) (6,6,2,9,2,6,1,3) 35 pts.
3. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA) (RET12,1,3,1,4,3,2,DNF12) 38 pts.
4. Azzurra (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers, ITA/ARG) (5,8,5,10,5,2,3,1) 39 pts.
5. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (8,3,6,5,1,7,4) 39 pts.
6. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) (4,4,7,4,6,1,6,7) 39 pts.
7. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER) (7,11,4,3,3,4,7,5) 44 pts.
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA) (1,5,9,6,7,8,8,8) 52 pts.
9. Paprec Recyclage (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, FRA) (10,2,11,11,9,10,10) 68 pts.
10. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR) (9,10,10,7,8,9,9) 72 pts.
11. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR/USA), (2,RDG7.5,8,8, DNF12, DNC12, DNC12, DNC12) 73.5 pts.

52 Super Series Standings after Four Regattas of Six

1. Azzurra (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers, ITA/ARG), 146 pts.
2. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), 147 pts.
3. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), 152 pts.
4. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) 180.3 pts.
5. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), 186 pts.
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), 200 pts.
7. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) 219.6 pts.
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), 226 pts.
9. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR/USA), 255.5 pts.
10. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), 316 pts.
11. Paprec (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, FRA) 354 pts.