Technical partners on board for 52 Super Series 2020

Cascais 52 Super Series Sailing Week © Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series

For what promises to be a thrilling six-event year of competition that will take the circuit to South Africa for the first time, the 52 Super Series is again welcoming the support of key long time Technical Partners Quantum Sails, North Sails, King Marine and Longitud Cero.

Specialist grand-prix boat builders King Marine and Longitud Cero and renowned sailmakers Quantum Sails and North Sails each have a long and storied history with the world's leading monohull circuit. All have won the 52 Super Series overall title many times since 2012 when the series ran for the first time, and have enjoyed multiple successes in the TP52 class previously and world-wide.

Without doubt these companies see the 52 Super Series as the key grand prix arena where they are driven to make constant technical improvements as they partner with owners and crews in the pursuit of the championship title each season. Their passion to improve their respective products to seek a performance edge drives them hard but also all are loyal fans of a circuit which they recognise touches and inspires their existing and future customers.

Agustín Zulueta, CEO of 52 Super Series, welcomed the Technical Partners on board for 2020, saying: "As a high-performance class we are driven to push the boundaries of what is possible in our sport, on our race tracks in South Africa and Europe this year, and our Technical Partners' missions are all aligned with what we as a globally renowned series, and the owners and teams, are all looking to achieve. All together we enjoy and benefit in so many ways from their endeavours, supporting what is a fantastic product, which is avidly followed all around the sailing world."

Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sails, comments: "We love the 52 Super Series and the global broadcasting of the circuit and through this Technical Partnership support we love the fact we are helping people see and interact with the circuit. Our racing programme has never been predicated to just winning, obviously we want to win and we are always trying to achieve that goal, but the 52 Super Series touches and inspires our customer base, and with the 52 Super Series it is like being able to give them a backstage pass, a pass directly into the pitlane, to share the lifestyle and the great venues. We have a great team of America's Cup sailors, for example, and the 52 Super Series lets sailing fans connect with them."

Commenting on the partnership, Paul Westlake, North Sails Executive Vice President, and Mainsail Trimmer for Bronenosec concluded: "Every November we get the sail designers who have worked with the various teams together for a full debrief on what we have learned from the previous season and what is next area of development for the coming season. The partnership we have with the 52 Super Series helps us to grow the support we can give clients and to enable North Sails to help them make more gains in the future. We have the utmost confidence in our sail design tools and 3Di composite technologies to provide our clients fast, reliable, cutting edge sail wardrobes. Still, we are always exploring the limits for ways to improve as we progress along the highly demanding season consisting of 60 races with all to count!"

Gabriel Mariana, CEO of King Marine and builders of the 2019 championship winner Azzurra said: "For us, being a Technical Partner of the 52 Super Series is something that goes with our identity, because our will is to always be as close as possible to the owners who have entrusted the construction of their sailboat in us. Each TP52 made in our yard represents part of our shared history, and, of course, this strengthens our commitment to go well beyond being just the boatbuilders. We are like a family, in each project, from the first day to the last day. In 2020 we will have two boats built by us Phoenix 11 and Azzurra in the water. Azzurra defends the title they won in 2019."

Chimo López, owner of Longitud Cero said: "Being Technical Partners to the circuit is very important for us. It is seen all over the world, so it is a great showcase. We must be involved because we are in the world of racing and we have to be there. We know that the broadcasts are watched all over the world. It is a way of advertising and is very direct, because all the viewers can see our products on the water. In 2020, Alegre, Quantum, Bronenosec and Gladiator are sailboats that have left our yard. We have four boats representing around the 40% of the fleet. We cannot be on the sidelines; this is the only publicity we do and it is a way of supporting the circuit held by team and boat owners who trust us."

Racing at the first event of the 2020 season, the Odzala Discovery Camps 52 Super Series V&A Waterfront - Cape Town, starts on Monday 2nd March and finishes on Friday 6th March.

The 2020 52 Super Series is a best of six events trophy:

• Odzala Discovery Camps 52 Super Series V&A Waterfront - Cape Town - March 2-6, Cape Town, South Africa
• Rolex TP52 World Championship Cape Town 2020 - March 31-4 April, Cape Town, South Africa
• Royal Cup 52 Super Series Scarlino 2020 - May 12-16, Tuscany, Italy
• Audi 52 Super Series Porto Cervo and TP52 20th Anniversary - June 17-21, Sardinia, Italy
• 52 Super Series Valencia Sailing Week - July 18-22, Valencia, Spain
• Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week - September 15-19, Mallorca, Spain