Rolex TP52 World Championship at the New York Yacht Club - A beacon of success
by Quinag 22 Jul 2024 05:11 AEST
15-20 July 2024
Rolex TP52 World Championship © Carlo Borlenghi
The Rolex TP52 World Championship is the highlight of the 52 SUPER SERIES, the world's premier monohull Grand Prix racing circuit. 2024 was contested by ten teams representing seven nationalities and four continents.
After ten races held off Newport, Rhode Island, in the United States, the British team on Gladiator overcame elite competition with an impressive demonstration of precision and determination to secure a first ever world title.
Rolex has an enviable reputation for partnering only the very best sporting events. The Rolex TP52 World Championship, which became part of its yachting portfolio in 2017, is no exception. The highlight of the annual 52 SUPER SERIES, of which Rolex is also Official Timepiece, the regatta brings together exceptional crews for a series of dramatic and captivating races. The relationship is a significant element within the Swiss watchmaker's near 70-year partnership with sailing.
This year's edition was sailed as part of the biennial Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, and united the championship with Rolex's oldest partner in the sport, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), an association which dates back to 1958. Commodore L. Jay Cross had this to say: "We are very honoured that the TP52 class and the 52 SUPER SERIES chose Newport and the New York Yacht Club for the first Rolex TP52 World Championship to be held outside European waters. This fleet is the pinnacle of monohull fleet racing and the competition this past week was every bit as tight and exciting as we hoped. Our congratulations to Tony Langley and his Gladiator team on their win. It is always nice to see hard work and patience rewarded."
The ten competing teams were all led by passionate owners familar with success outside of sailing. Determined and competitive, they understand what it takes to build teams that will perform at the highest level and match their aspirations to achieve. With fine margins and the slightest of errors marking the difference between winning and losing, exceptional teamwork is a key requirement.
Rolex Testimonee and three-time Rolex World Sailor of the Year, Tom Slingsby has previously raced at the world championship with South African entry Phoenix: "The Rolex TP52 World Championship is really a competition at the highest level between the best tacticians in the world, the best strategists, best trimmers, best bowmen. It is really pure sailing, and is probably the hardest event to win."
This sense that it takes something more than just a good crew and a well-prepared boat to succeed, was echoed by Tony Langley, the owner of Gladiator: "Winning the Rolex TP52 World Championship is tremendous, it is a product of a very long process. To win any of the 52 SUPER SERIES regattas is quite something, but the world championship really is the pinnacle of the season."
Langley tried to put his finger on what makes the difference, how to rise to the top in a crowded environment: "We consider everything right down to the finest details. To make a successful team you need the very best people, but that is just the start. To build a team is about getting everyone working together and having an openness about things, everyone is encouraged to contribute."
Agustin Zulueta is Chief Executive of the 52 SUPER SERIES. Over many years he has watched the competition develop and intensify, seen how the perpetual quest for excellence within the fleet has narrowed the gaps between the crews. He is also aware of the need to deliver the best possible racing for the teams to be able to perform: "The ability to maintain such a high level in this class is due to fair rules and top quality race management. This year has been an extremely competitive championship because of the elite performance of the teams. Anyone could win. The smallest of errors could mean a jump from a leading position to the tail of the fleet."
Not only is the championship a beacon of success on the water, but the organizers also seek to protect the seas upon which it is raced, and to do their part to safeguard the future of the sport for the next generations. As one of the leading pioneers in promoting and embracing sustainability within sailing, the 52 SUPER SERIES targets reducing the environmental impact of its regattas through tangible action each year. And, as a global platform, it uses the power of sport to reach a broader audience to encourage positive change, as Zulueta explains: "Through Kick Out Plastic, our sustainability partner, we organize regular beach clean ups, but above all we champion the protection of our environment and our seas ensuring that sailors and the sailing community in general also recognize the need to act to protect the planet."
Achievement at the Rolex TP52 World Championship is measured both on and off the field of competition. This bringing together of sporting excellence and the commitment to deliver change in the way sport approaches its impact on the environment makes Rolex a natural partner.
The 2025 Rolex TP52 World Championship will be held in Cascais, Portugual from 1st to 6th July.