Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 1

52 Super Series 2019 starts in Mahón, Menorca, in one week’s time

by 52 Super Series 14 May 2019 06:55 PDT 21-25 May 2019
52 Super Series Valencia Sailing Week day 4 © Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series

When the highly competitive fleet of 11 TP52s representing eight different nations line up to start the first points races of the 2019 52 Super Series season one week from now, on Tuesday 21st May, off Mahón, Menorca, one word will represent the target of each and every team. Consistency.

This will be the start of the eighth season of the 52 Super Series and by all accounts this is set to be the closest, most open contest for years. But history has shown that it's high-level consistency maintained over the entire season rather than brilliance that wins the coveted circuit title.

"When I look round the fleet right now, at one week to go, I see every team is strong," considers Adrian Stead, a double TP52 World Championship winning tactician. "Everyone seems to have been putting in solid results in this build-up period. You look at it and say 'everyone can win'. There are opportunities for everyone. Getting a good result on the 52 Super Series is always about taking every point you can, occupying your space and sticking to it. Look at last year's tie break for second overall and it was down to one place, one point. You need to keep the same mind set all the way through. It is a 40 race series, no discards."

Looking ahead to the five regattas of the 2019 season, May in Menorca, June in Puerto Sherry, Cadiz, July in Cascais, August's Rolex TP52 World Championship in Puerto Portals and the season's finale in Porto Cervo, Sardinia and it really is a daunting prospect.

Almost all of the teams have had an extended period of preparation after a winter of modifications, including a week in Valencia in March as well as the Sail Racing PalmaVela event that finished Sunday, which included ten of the eleven crews who will race next week in Mahón.

The defending 52 Super Series champions Quantum Racing took the win at the warm-up regatta, which teams utilised as a full on dress rehearsal. Having made five changes to their line up from last year's winning crew, Ed Baird re-joining as skipper-helm, Juan Vila back as navigator and Cameron Appleton taking over the tactician's role from Terry Hutchinson, Quantum will likely only improve from where left off Sunday in Palma.

America's Cup winner Baird is happy with the progress the team made in Palma, pointing out that the absence of the hard-driving stickler Hutchinson does not really add extra pressure to his role: "My role does not change much. This group manages itself. That's the wonderful thing about this team. Everyone does a great job looking after their own area. All these guys take responsibility for their own areas and we have the approach that each and every person is equally important," Baird explains. "But there is so much talent in this fleet and now too there is a lot of history and knowledge. Everyone has been working so hard at getting better in a class that has now been around for a while. Everyone goes out and we have these amazing races and we come in having had such a good time."

If there is a team that seems best set to challenge for Quantum Racing's crown it is probably Harm Müller-Spreer's über-consistent Platoon, also on Quantum Sails. Changes to their keel and rudder have delivered the more all-round performance sought by the crew that has now finished runner up twice in successive years. Platoon had two costly errors in Palma last week one that resulted in a penalty and one that dropped them down the fleet and but for them they might well have won the indicator regatta.

"We feel we have improved our performance in the stronger breeze, which was the aim, and we seem to be still going well in the light. We have a new film that Quantum have for some of our sails and it seems to be a lot more stable and lighter. We are going well and like what we have." Platoon's America's Cup winning trimmer Ross Halcrow comments.

Platoon's owner-driver Müller-Spreer declares: "I want to win this year. That is what we are here for, you buy a boat like this, you do this, you are here to win. But we need some luck. We did not do well in Cascais last year in the heavy conditions and so have changed the keel, and now we can see we have a different boat. But you have to keep your head up and stay totally focussed all year to win this thing."

Azzurra were the strongest finishers in the second half of the PalmaVela event. It would be no surprise at all to see them win in Mahón next week. Takashi Okura's Sled led after the first day before they missed Day 2 due to a medical incident with one of their crew, which required them to return to shore. But Sled were quick in all conditions, especially comfortable in the breeze and could have been on the podium but for their missed races. Adam Beashel was ably assisted in Palma by six-time America's Cup winner Murray Jones who will do some regattas this season but will miss Mahón.

The brand new Botin Partners designed Bronenosec, the only new build this season, debuted in Palma just days after launching but still proved a competitive weapon. Tactician Morgan Larson has Croatia's 470 Olympic gold medallist and 49er world champion Sime Fantela as strategist on the Russian-flagged boat.

Of his return to the 52 Super Series after a year off, owner-driver Vladimir Liubomirov says of the 52 Super Series: "I had to come back. It is the only one for me where you can really race at this high level. To be at least in the middle of this fleet or a little better and I will be happy. The new boat is more powerful and feels great."

Probably no team has devoted more time to practise during this early season than Hasso and Tina Plattner's Phoenix crews. In Mahón they will race both the 2014-launched Phoenix 12 (originally built as "Phoenix"), which Tina will steer, and Phoenix 11, which was their new boat launched last year, which Hasso will steer.

"As a team, we are in good shape. We have proven we can be competitive." Says Ado Stead of the Phoenix teams, " I think we go with an open mind though. From my point of view and the team's there are opportunities to go in and be competitive. We have shown we can win races and we have shown we can sail past the best teams out there."

Ergin Imre's Provezza showed glimpses of very competitive form with a new afterguard comprising tactician Hamish Pepper and helm John Cutler who admits he is still very much learning some of the subtleties of sailing the boat in particular downwind conditions.

"Upwind I feel like we are going pretty well but downwind some of these owner-drivers have been giving me a bit of a lesson, so plenty to learn. That is about coordinating the trim with the helm and the angles we are sailing, but we made progress. We have the same objective as everyone else: aim for the podium," concludes Cutler.

Entries:

  • Alegre Andy Soriano (USA/GBR), 2018 Botin
  • Azzurra Roemmers Family (ARG/ITA), 2018 Botin
  • Bronenosec Vladimir Liubomirov (RUS), 2019 Botin
  • Gladiator Tony Langley (GBR), 2017 Botin
  • Phoenix 11 Hasso/Tina Plattner (RSA), 2018 Botin
  • Phoenix 12 Hasso/Tina Plattner (RSA), 2014 Botin
  • Platoon Harm Müller-Spreer (GER), 2018 Judel/Vrolijk
  • Provezza Ergin Imre (TUR), 2018 Judel/Vrolijk
  • Quantum Racing Doug DeVos (USA), 2018 Botin
  • Sled Takashi Okura (USA), 2018 Botin
  • Team Vision Future Jean Jacques Chaubard (FRA), 2015 Botin

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 3
French tour de force gives Paprec world championship lead As the Rolex TP52 World Championship passed its midway point today in Cascais, Portugal it is the French underdogs on Paprec, led by ocean racing legend Loïck Peyron, which has taken the overall lead. Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais Day 2
Consistent American Magic Quantum Racing move clear ahead American Magic Quantum Racing stepped three points clear at the top of the 2025 Rolex TP52 World Championship leaderboard today in Cascais, Portugal on the strength of a first and third from two breezy races. Posted on 3 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais Day 1
Sled sparkle in Cascais' Atlantic surf to lead After seemingly being starved of boisterous top end conditions for some years now Okura's Sled crew have been relishing a return to big breezes and big waves. Posted on 2 Jul
Admiral's Cup 2025 | Interview with the CYCA Team
A highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta from July 17 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is fielding a highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta that will be run from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the UK, from 17th July 2025. Posted on 1 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais - Practice Day
Will Platoon Aviation's big breeze, big pressure experience prove key to their fourth world title? Of the three past and present world championship winning crews which completed their final practice today in typically muscular 25 knot breezes and big waves out of Cascais, Portugal it was Harm Müller-Spreer's Platoon Aviation which showed best today. Posted on 1 Jul
Introduction to the Admiral's Cup/Fastnet 2025
After a 22 year abscence, the renowned Admiral's Cup is back. After a break of 22 years, the renowned Admiral's Cup is returning to the international yacht racing scene in July 2025. One short ocean race, three days of inshore racing, and then the fabled Fastnet to finish Posted on 29 Jun
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais preview
Eleven teams hoping the Portuguese venue lives up to its reputation Given that it is a long time since the 52 SUPER SERIES fleet raced in big winds and waves, a breezy final few training days before the start of next week's Rolex TP52 World Championship in Cascais would be universally welcomed by the 11 teams. Posted on 23 Jun
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez preview
Looking ahead to the 27th edition The elegance of the Classics, the power of the Moderns, the majesty of the Maxis. This dreamlike combination, a legacy of the Nioulargue, will once again come together in the stunning setting of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez from September 27 to October 5. Posted on 22 Jun
Rolex TP52 World Championship preview
The pinnacle event of the 52 SUPER SERIES will be held at Cascais The annual Rolex TP52 World Championship represents the top tier of monohull grand prix sailing. Held as the pinnacle event of the 52 SUPER SERIES, of which Rolex is also Official Timepiece, the regatta is one of the most revered in the sport. Posted on 19 Jun
Sailing with Matt Cornwell
From youth sailing in Lymington to the America's Cup and TP52 Worlds From youth sailing in Lymington to the America's Cup and TP52 Worlds, Matt's journey has been shaped by resilience, big moments, and life at the bow. We caught up with him to talk favourite races and what he'd be doing if he weren't a sailor. Posted on 13 Jun
Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMAllen Dynamic 40 FooterHyde Sails 2024 - One Design