Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

Rolex TP52 World Championship at Cascais, Portugal - Day 3

by 52 Super Series 19 Jul 2018 14:28 PDT 16-21 July 2018

Quantum Racing won the exciting, interesting Coastal Race off Cascais, Portugal, to extend their lead at the Rolex TP52 World Championship to seven points with four scheduled races left to sail.

While the five-time world title winners delivered an accomplished victory – never far enough ahead of the pack to relax even for a moment – they had to rely on "seat-of-the-pants", intuitive sailing skills for much of the course.

After their electronics shut down entirely at the first leeward turn – less than 30-minutes into the three-hours-and-20-minutes 20-nautical-miles course upwind to Cabo Raso followed by a long strategic run and a sting-in-the-tail-finish in the bay at Cascais – helm Dean Barker and the Quantum Racing crew were forced to rely on their natural feel for the boat.

"We lost our instruments at the first bottom mark, and so we sailed virtually the whole race with no instruments. That was interesting. That made life a little more challenging than it needed to be," Quantum Racing helm Barker revealed, "The guys did a great job then just keeping the boat going fast and dealing with a 'zero information' situation. It was back to seat of the pants stuff. But it is amazing that because you sail the boat so much you do develop a very good feeling for how it is going. I think we did a good job preserving that little bit of lead we had."

If the 52 SUPER SERIES coastal races have come under fire lately, Cascais actually delivered a course that included between 40 and 45 tacks and gybes over its length, including an engaging passage up the shore closing up to Cabo Raso followed by a long run back in the direction of Lisbon, during which there were gains and losses to be made.

Royal Cup winners Luna Rossa's rollercoaster world title challenge hit another downwards slope when they snagged a rope on the long upwind and dropped from fifth to ninth. But credit to Vasco Vascotto, Francesco Bruni, Jimmy Spithill and crew who yet again showed their fighting spirit, battling back to fifth.

While Alegre made another neat start at the port end of the start line, Phoenix and Luna Rossa inshore and poised to head early for the preferred right side of the upwind, it proved to be a more open track early in the upwind because of the lighter breeze. The key was achieving the best layline in the right hand, lifting wind and it was Ian Moore and the Quantum Racing afterguard who seemed to nail it best, leading in to the first top mark ahead of Alegre.

With Ed Baird calling tactics for owner-driver Hasso Plattner, Phoenix made good gains on a close, exciting tacking spell up the shore towards the cape, when the gain was to be had in the shore. And so at the top turn of the course, Quantum Racing led Phoenix, which had got the better of the scrapping pair of Sled and Alegre.

On the downwind, Sled found a vein of sustained extra wind-pressure offshore, which allowed them to erode nearly 100 metres of Quantum Racing's lead. But Phoenix then positioned themselves better, to windward on the upwind to the finish and Plattner's crew were able to hold on to second, ahead of a photo finish for third, which went Sled's way by a matter of less than two metres.

Quantum Racing lead on 11pts after four races. With Alegre fourth today, and Azzurra sixth it is still the 2017 52 SUPER SERIES champions that hold second overall, but now tied on points with Andy Soriano's Alegre, which has so far been pleasingly consistent with 4,4,5,1,4 to ensure this is their best regatta of the season yet, as it is also Azzurra's. Meanwhile, 2017 Rolex TP52 World Champions Platoon are in eighth after finishing ninth, but redemption of sorts is within reach as they are only six points off fifth. For the last two days of racing, the winds are due to build again to produce an enthralling climax to this world championship.

Dean Barker concluded: "We are moving back into stronger breeze for the last couple of days and we are looking forward to that as we feel quite comfortable in the breeze. We are trying to keep progressively sailing better and better."

www.52superseries.com

Standings after day 3:

1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (2,1,3,4,1) 11 p.
?2. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers) (1,2,2,7,6) 18 p.
?3. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (4,4,5,1,4) 18 p.
?4. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (8,3,7,2,3) 23 p.?
5. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (10DNF, 6,1,3,5) 25 p.?
6. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (5,9,4,5,7) 30 p.?
7. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (6,7,8,8,2) 31 p.?
8. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (3,5,6,6,9) (2 penalty) 31 p.
?9. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (7,8,9,9,8) 41 p.?

Quotes

Dean Barker (NZL), helm Quantum Racing (USA): "It was a challenging race with a lot going on. It was never over. We started in a lot less breeze than any of the teams expected, I think, and then the long second beat was really technical. And then run back down to the downwind mark, and then even the beat back to the finish. It was never really over. There was never a dull moment."

Andy Horton (USA), tactician Alegre: "It was anything other than boring. At the top and the bottom of the race course there was less breeze, and in the middle more breeze. There was lots of action along the coastline. I lost count of how many tacks we did. We are disappointed to have lost a couple of boats, but any day we open our eyes and get a fourth place, then we are happy with that for a daily average. We are getting better every day. Identifying our weaknesses was one thing and then working on them is the next thing and so for example, an Indian – which is a type of kite set – we worked on that; take downs, we worked on that; every day we work on something. There is a lot of racing left in this regatta and this season."

Guillermo Parada, skipper Azzurra: "I would call this a grey day, we should have started on the right, not the left and Quantum did a good job from there. They got their bow ahead of us and that forced us to do two extra tacks that cost us a lot in terms of our position. From there we had chances for recovery and sometimes we gained some positions, sometimes we lost some. Along the last beat heading back we had to decide either to protect ourselves from Luna Rossa that was recovering positions from upwind or to cover Provezza and Onda. We took the second option, passing Provezza but getting passed by Luna Rossa. But there are still four races to go and tomorrow the wind should be stronger, let's hope that will allow us one last try for this world championship."

Related Articles

Exceptional Line-Up for Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
Over 240 remarkable yachts will take to the waters of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez Over 240 remarkable yachts will take to the waters of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez from September 27 to October 5, carried by the lively winds of late September that extend the Tropezian summer with its golden light. Posted on 18 Sep
52 Super Series Porto Cervo preview
Spectacular Sardina will see teams looking to finish 2025 on a high note Teams on the 52 SUPER SERIES head to the renowned YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo for the final event of the season, 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta, all sharing the same, universal ambition, to finish on an absolute high note. Posted on 17 Sep
Range Rover main sponsor for 52 Super Series Week
The event will mark the conclusion of the YCCS 2025 sporting season The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda will bring its 2025 sporting season to a close with the final leg of the 52 Super Series, one of the world's premier professional grand prix circuits. Posted on 4 Sep
Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Overall
It's a certain kind of Magic… On the 52 SUPER SERIES' return to the Mediterranean after two regattas in the Atlantic, 2025 circuit leaders American Magic Quantum Racing scored a resounding victory today on the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, lifting the top prize. Posted on 23 Aug
Bulwarks and Bulldust – Show 4 Season 2
Bulwarks and Bulldust welcomes Jack Macartney into the Captain's Chair This week Bulwarks and Bulldust speaks with Jack Macartney, legendary Australian sailor, Sydney to Hobart winner, RTW racer, 18-footer driver, and co-owner of Cannafox. Posted on 23 Aug
Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Day 4
American Magic Quantum Racing go into final day with an 18 point lead American Magic Quantum Racing have given themselves what appears to be a relatively straightforward task as they now go into the final day of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week with a margin of 18 points with two races still to sail. Posted on 22 Aug
Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Day 3
American Magic lead at the midpoint Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing emerge with a slender one point lead overall at the end of a long mentally and physically demanding three race programme today on the Bay of Palma at Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week in Mallorca. Posted on 21 Aug
Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Day 2
Sled move into contention with race win. Takashi Okura's Sled move into second place on the 12 boat leaderboard some five points behind Andy Soriano's regatta leaders Alegre which took a well earned second in the only contest to be sailed today. Posted on 20 Aug
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez preview
Here, there is no prize money - only the pursuit of glory True to tradition, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez honours each of its 19 classes with awards presented in the pure Corinthian spirit inherited from the legendary Nioulargue. Here, there is no prize money - only the pursuit of glory. Posted on 19 Aug
Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Day 1
Alegre ring the changes with Puerto Portals opening win Andy Soriano's Alegre team made the best start to the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week winning the only race sailed today, the first day of competition as the 12 boat fleet returns to Puerto Portals for the tenth successive year. Posted on 19 Aug
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastSea Sure 2025Palm Beach Motor Yachts