Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

Tuscany beckons for red hot 52 Super Series fleet

by 52 Super Series 25 May 2023 08:13 PDT
Royal Cup 52 SUPER SERIES Scarlino day 5 © Nico Martinez

For the second event of the five regatta season the 2023 52 Super Series resumes competition next week in Tuscany as the beautiful, modern, purpose-built Marina di Scarlino hosts the 52 Super Series Scarlino Sailing Week.

In September last year the Gulf of Follonica delivered some of the most spectacular action of the year with lumpy seas and strong winds through the main part of the week as Doug DeVos' US flagged Quantum Racing lifted the Royal Cup for the regatta win in style with Takashi Okura's Sled second and Harm Müller Spreer's Platoon third with Vasco Vascotto debuting with the German team.

But, as teams who raced in May 2017 when the circuit first visited Scarlino, will recall, around this time of year - the transition period from spring to summer - lighter winds do tend to prevail on what tends to be a challenging, open racing arena.

Chapeau Provezza, andare Alegre!

The first event of the season in Saint Tropez in early May once more proved how closely matched the class has grown in recent years. Six of the eleven teams won races while Ergin Imre's Provezza crew proved the most consistent, triumphing overall by showing excellent all-round speed in the mainly light sea breeze conditions, starting well and sailing clean.

But, at the same time, also consider that only the top two teams - Provezza and Quantum Racing powered by American Magic - did not score at least one 10th or 11th. Increasingly in this fleet it is proving doubly hard to convert the so called 'shockers' to something useful.

There was definitely a certain ring rustiness evident in Saint Tropez, most obviously off the start line. That applies to the settled afterguards but for those groups who had new crew in key roles at the back of the boat, it was apparent that it was all the more difficult to deliver good starts from Race 1 onwards.

Turkish flagged Provezza come to Tuscany with a six points lead on the overall standings but after eight races so far only 11 points separate the top seven boats. Tony Langley's Gladiator now with Guillermo Parada steering are tied on points with second placed Quantum Racing powered by American Magic. And while there is every chance that any one of these three teams could win in Scarlino, equally there are probably four or five more teams who might strike gold.

Among them is Andy Soriano's Alegre team. They brought in Aussie Olympic gold medallist Will Ryan in Scarlino last year and have Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli enhancing the mood on board as well as bringing huge experience of the class and the different venues. After keel mods last year they are widely recognised as a fast boat with all the components in place to win a regatta. A poor final day cost them in Saint Tropez but Mongelli believes in the team and that the regatta win will come in time.

"To be honest as a team we are getting better all the time we are growing together, we are tight and enjoy spending time in each other's company and there is a lot of new passion, we sail together on the race course and go cycling together. We have a very good feeling together and Scarlino is a place we like to go together." Explains Mongelli.

And, along with many others, he loves the challenges on the water in Tuscany as much as he appreciates the world renowned, excellent local cuisine.

"The Follonica Gulf can be a super complicated place to sail and we love that. It depends if it is a sea breeze day which I think we might expect as there is an expanded high pressure over the area, then we will see sea breeze and that is not so hard, but anything else is complicated, hard to predict and it is a beautiful place to race." Grins Mongelli.

"And I really appreciate the food, most of all because you can sit down to eat and everything on your plate is very local and tastes amazing."

Sled were runners-up in 2022 and arrive in Italy with their lessons from Saint Tropez foremost in their minds. This season they have an afterguard reshuffle with Murray Jones sailing as tactician now complemented by Italy's Michele Ivaldi as strategist also supporting compatriot Andrea Visintini as long time navigator.

"It seems lately we have always sailed in Scarlino in big land breezes. It is such a great place to sail. The land breezes are shifty and complicated. This early in the season we might be in land breezes but it is a great place to race. It is an open race course and now with eleven boats racing you have to be clever. It is a whole different game now, and the big thing is always being able to turn a sixth at the top mark to a fourth or a third." Says Sled's coach Rod Davis who spent six summers with Prada Luna Rossa at nearby Punta Ala.

"Confidence in the venue is a huge deal, having the confidence to stick to your choices, to stick to the normal and that keeps you from getting flustered. Once the confidence goes it is really, really hard to get back." Davis adds.

Of the prospects for Sled in Scarlino this time he summarises, "We did not get off the starting line well in the first half of the regatta in Saint Tropez and we worked hard on that and are still working hard at it. Our pace is good, tactically and fleet management we are good. We screwed up badly at one mark in Saint Tropez and that cost us, but life goes like that sometimes. If we can start better I think we can do well. And in terms of the season we are only five points off the lead, so that's OK at this early stage."

Starting to improve

Starting was the most obvious weakness in Saint Tropez for the new look Quantum Racing powered by American Magic. Finishing second in France at their first regatta with new young American picks Harry Melges IV steering and Victor Diaz de Leon as strategist/navigator might represent something of a warning shot to other teams of what is to come when they have the starts totally dialled. Factor in the experience, hunger and reliability of John Kostecki as tactician, racing at a venue where he won the Rolex TP52 Worlds at his first event in Europe with Platoon in May 2017, and there is every chance the Scarlino winners of last year might repeat that success.

"This fleet is tighter than ever. You have a lot of good boats. The Vroljik boats (Provezza and Platoon) have made a gain with their new keels and are very fast upwind and maybe have lost a little downwind but not much. Alegre is going very well and are fast in a straight line. And I expect Phoenix to come back strong. They are a good team and so I think we all have our work cut out to score good, counting races each time. I feel good about our team. I think the boat is going well, especially upwind, and now I think if we can get off the start line cleanly and can do what we want to do in the first two minutes of the races we can do well. If we don't....well life is tough in this fleet." - Highlights Quantum Racing powered by American Magic's championships winning coach James Lyne.

Racing starts on Tuesday 30th May after the official practice day Monday. Eleven boats will compete a again and there will be live commentary every day with 3-D tracking on the website, app and social media channels.

2023 season standings after Saint Tropez

1- Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 34
2- Quantum Racing powered by American Magic (USA), Doug DeVos, 40
3- Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 40
4- Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 43
5- Interlodge (USA), Austin y Gwen Fragomen, 45
6- Sled (USA), Takashi Okura, 45
7- Platoon (GER), Harm Müller Spreer, 45
8- Paprec (FRA), Jean Luc Petithuguenin, 56
9- Phoenix (RSA), Hasso y Tina Plattner, 57
10- Vayu (THA), Familia Whitcraft, 58
11- Alpha+ (HKG), Shawn y Tina Kang, 65

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais overall
American Magic Quantum Racing win Rolex TP52 Worlds after breezy week in Cascais. Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal. Posted on 6 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 4
All on the line Sunday as American Magic Quantum Racing seek to close out eighth world title After three spectacular races today on Cascais, Portugal's showcase high winds arena, Doug DeVos' seven times world title winners American Magic Quantum Racing lead into the final day of the 2025 Rolex TP52 Worlds with a hard earned five points buffer. Posted on 5 Jul
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
Armstrong 728x90 - Performance Mast Range - BOTTOMRooster 2025Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM