Highlights - GAASTRA 52 World Championship

52 Super Series- World Championship - Azzurra opening day stars

Fonte: 52 Super Series


After triumphing with a consistent display in Key West in January, Azzurra seemed to have continued in their winning ways today when they made the strongest opening to the Gaastra 52 World Championships in light and very challenging conditions off Miami Beach.












Azzurra’s effervescent tactician Vasco Vascotto is on something of a winning run, backing up that 52 SUPER SERIES win in Key West with an overall world title win on Pisco Sour in the Soto 40 class the following week in Chile and then a Melges 32 regatta win in the Caribbean.

Miami 52 Super Series

Fonte: 52SS

Miami should deliver a true 52 World Champion teamTony Langley and the crew of the British flagged Gladiator proved that even though they have made technical changes to improve the all-round performance of their boat in stronger winds they still have the pace to win in very light winds when they ghosted to victory in today’s practice race which is the prelude to the Gaastra 52 World Championships which start Tuesday off Miami Beach, Florida.



The eight teams competing are fully expecting Miami to deliver a broad range of wind conditions over the five scheduled days of racing but they will be hoping that the breezes have a little more punch and are more settled in direction than today’s offering. Langley’s crew, with Chris Larson calling tactics, were quickest off the start line, knitting together the patchy breeze to build a very big early lead.

Defending 52 SUPER SERIES champions Azzurra crossed the finish line second with the Austin and Gwen Fragomen’s quietly consistent Interlodge – runners up in Key West last month chasing Azzurra to finish third.

The eight boat Gaastra 52 World Championship fleet is split evenly with four from the USA and four from Europe. Newcomers to the fleet since Quantum Key West 2013’s 52 SUPER SERIES are Jim Swartz’s USA based Vesper which has Gavin Brady on tactics and the Dutch all-star team on Gaastra which is skippered by Finn and Star sailor Marc Blees. Both 52’s showed good form at times today and during informal practice have been up with the established crews.



Gladiator’s tactician Larson confirms that each day here looks like it might be different, suggesting that the team which collects the world title trophy on Saturday evening will be deserved winners:

“We will see a little bit of everything. Tomorrow will be light, Wednesday will be in the mid-teens with really nice sailing conditions and then there will be a front coming through and we will see what happens with that, it will be breezy NW 15-20kts on Thursday and then it will be windy and wavy from NE on Friday.”

“Things are going well. We are going better in the breeze but when it is light and crazy light today then anything can happen. I am superstitious about a lot of things but winning the practice race is not one of them. Winning the practice race has always been a good omen for me.” Larson concludes.

“I think we will see everything this week. That should be the most extreme light we will see but the forecast shows a bit of everything.” Also affirms Adrian Stead, the tactician of Rán Racing who has won the world title twice as tactician with Quantum Racing.
“It should be good over the five days. It is a world championship to be won and we are definitely capable of winning. We see this a good opportunity to put together a solid series with the added motivation that there is a world title at the end of it. And certainly it is a good focus for us. I have won it twice and want to win it a third time!”

One particular feature of the 52 World Championship is that it is strictly owner-driver, perhaps giving a small advantage to those owners who steer regularly through their season – like Langley, Rán Racing’s Niklas Zennström, Fragomen on Interlodge and Jim Swartz on Vesper. Doug De Vos steered Quantum Racing in Key West whilst Alberto Roemmers JR has had a longer break since he last steered Azzurra, but showed no sign of that when he brought the blue hulled 52 home second today.

The Gaastra 52 World Championships are complemented by the HPR 40 class Midwinter Championship. The HPR entries are not defined tightly by a box rule, but can range in size and style, relying on the new HPR rating system to equalize them under handicap. HPR was devised to fairly rate high-performance, offshore-capable boats. There are two design types on show here the Carkeek 40 and the Farr 400 with two of each – Stephen Murray’s New Orleans-based team on Decision won the HPR class in Key West along with Steve and Heidi Benjamin’s Spookie which is the newest boat in the fleet. George Collins’s Chessie Racing finished as the top Farr 400 in Key West, and so may be considered a strong favorite here in Miami but will have strong competition from Team Premier lead by Dee Smith.

Quotes:
Doug DeVos (USA) skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA): “We’re looking forward to a great week. Eight boats means the competition will be intense. We did a small change in the keel blade after Key West to make it a little faster, but it's a very small change and today was so light I did not feel any difference. We’ll know more throughout the week.”

Keith Kilpatrick (USA), project manager Rio (USA): “We are having some hydraulic problems now, but will get them sorted. The boat was new to us in the last event, and we’re still learning, but we’re looking to build on what we learned in Key West and improve here in Miami.”

Eight teams, five nations at the Gaastra 52 World Championships

Eight 52’s representing five different countries will challenge for the Gaastra 52 World Championships off Miami’s famous South Beach from March 4th to 9th.



The championships, which return to the Miami for the first time since 2006, are being supported by headline sponsors Gaastra who also enter their own Dutch All-Stars team lead by Gaastra’s Marc Blees.

Entries are confirmed from the USA, Sweden, Great Britain, Holland and Italy and include two teams which have won the world title in the past. As was required at the 52 World Championships till 2007 all boats are for 2013 owner steered.

Defending world champions are Doug deVos’ Quantum Racing, who actually won the title in Porto Cervo, Italy in 2011. The American team have prevailed at three of the last four world championship showdowns, winning in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

The only other team which has won the world title in the past which will line up in Miami is Alberto Roemmers’ Azzurra, which won as Matador in Palma, Mallorca in 2009. Azzurra hold the initiative this season already after having already won the first 52 SUPER SERIES regatta, Quantum Key West 2013.

“We are happy with the entries for the Gaastra 52 World Championships. On the one hand it completely satisfies all the criteria for a world championships including representing two continents and five countries, but also the standard of the teams is very high across the board.” Says Rob Weiland, the 52 Class Manager. Having Gaastra join the championships as sponsor is great news, according to Weiland:

“Gaastra and Gaastra Pro have been involved with the TP52 Class in one way or the other since 2008. As the Official clothing sponsor of the class and its world championships, as clothing sponsor of individual teams and now as official clothing sponsor of the 52 Super Series, co-sponsor of the 52 Worlds, as well as an actual participant at the Gaastra 52 Worlds.” Continues Weiland, “This is based on the owner of Gaastra Pro, Marc Blees, a keen sailor himself and a big fan of the TP52 and the 52 Super Series, being attracted by proper racing combined with good social scene onshore as well as the possible synergies between the high profile status of both brands.”

Typical wind conditions for March on the Miami coast are anywhere between 10 and 20kts, usually with relatively flat water but peppered with some strong localised currents. The plan is to run racing on at least two days in front of South Beach, in front of the cityscape which should allow some exciting images to be captured. Racing runs from Tuesday 5th March through to Saturday 9th March with windward-leeward racing scheduled each day.

“We are very happy to be able to support the Gaastra 2 World Championship as a sponsor but it is an event which we would just not miss as fans and sailors. We love the class, the excitement and the racing and so we have taken the chance to come along and race as well.” Explains Gaastra Pro’s Marc Blees.

The Gaastra 52 World Championships will be run alongside the HPR Midwinter Championship for HPR 40 footers.
Entries:

Quantum Racing (USA) Doug DeVos (USA)
Rán (SWE), Niklas Zennström (SWE)
Azzurra (ITA), Alberto Roemmers Jr (ARG)
Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley (GBR)
Gaastra Pro (NED), March Blees (NED)
Interlodge (USA) Austin and Gwen Fragomen (USA)
Rio (USA) Manouch Moshayedi (USA)
Vesper (USA) Jim Swartz (USA)
Past winners of the 52 World Championships:


2006 Patches, (IRL) Eamon Conneely
2007 Artemis (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist
2008 Quantum Racing (USA) Doug DeVos
2009 Matador (ARG) Alberto Roemmers (ARG)
2010 Quantum Racing (USA) Doug deVos
2011 Quantum Racing (USA) Doug deVos

Farr 400 Key West

Azzurra Wins in Key West

Fonte: http://www.52superseries.com

Given that the final day of Quantum Key West 2103 started with the two top teams Azzurra and Rán Racing tied on points it is appropriate the overall winner emerged after the most dramatic and closest day of racing. Whilst errors and bad luck afflicted several key teams in the brisk breezes delivering a great last day finale, it was the defending 52 SUPER SERIES champions Azzurra who kept it tight on board and sailed smart for the 2012 champions to open their 2013 account with the regatta victory.

Azzurra’s Key West Regatta starter was lobster, their second course humble pie but they finished with champagne.



Azzurra’s bad luck or misdemeanours were at the beginning of the week and indeed they may have learned from them. They hooked a lobster pot on Day 1 and had to make penalty turns on Day 2. But the iconic crew from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda were on blistering form when they won the first race of the day, during which both of their main rivals, Niklas Zennström’s Rán Racing and Doug DeVos’ Quantum Racing, both blunted their respective challenges with their own problems.

Whilst Azzurra won the first contest, Race 9 of 10, it was Quantum Racing which was first to struggle. Starting the day with a deficit of just one point on the leading duo’s overall tally, the disappointment was palpable when, only minutes after the start, Quantum Racing’s J2 jib split three metres down from the head. It took the crew some time to retrieve the halyard from the top of the rig. Although they dropped to sixth initially they did managed to recover one place.

Rán Racing were in contention when they dropped their spinnaker in the water at the first leeward mark. They also took several minutes to sort out the mess, slowed to a dead standstill with the sail filled with water. Their resultant sixth place effectively handed the Quantum Key West 2013 title to race winners Azzurra.

“ We knew that the first race was going to be the important one.” Recalled skipper-helm Guillermo Parada: “ At one stage we were a little bit lucky at the first leeward mark because Rán Racing dropped their spinnaker in the water and Quantum Racing had their problem with their jib earlier. That opened the door for us to go all out to win the race rather than trying to control our opposition. So from there on we were really focused on sailing every shift rather than trying to keep control of these two boats. We were able to win the race and they were fifth and sixth. We had already clinched the regatta. But we are always focusing on the season’s standings and so we want to beat Rán Racing and Quantum Racing when we can.”

Quantum Racing’s torn jib left them without the key headsail not only through that race but for Race 10 too, which was contested in 11-15kts, even more in the range of the required sail. Project manager Ed Reynolds responds:

“We were flying, launched off the start line. But we had been pushing the J2 jib well above its range but we were just flying. There is a small bleed in the backstay which just loads up the luff of the jib and it just went beyond. We were seriously red lined on that jib, but you just keep trying. A lot of what we do with this programme is to see. We know we are not going to get fired for anything, so we just keep pushing.”




Going into the final race it was a battle for second and third places with Rán Racing and Quantum Racing tied on points and Austin and Gwen Fragomen’s Botin Partners designed Interlodge one point behind.

After a great start Interlodge were quick to exploit the extra pressure and favourable lift on the right side of the course, leading around the windward mark ahead of Azzurra. Their win, the second of the regatta, with Rán Racing third and Quantum Racing taking their second fifth place in a row, ensured that it was Interlodge, 2-1 for the day, which stole second step on the podium at their first ever 52 SUPER SERIES regatta, with Rán Racing third.



Key West’s winds were even better than usual for the first visit of the 52 SUPER SERIES, ensuring that not only were all 10 races sailed but the average wind speed over the five days of racing would certainly be 12 knots or more. That the 52 SUPER SERIES regatta was blessed with fabulous sunshine and warm temperatures are just two more reasons why owners and crews look forward to a return here.

Results, 52 SUPER SERIES at Quantum Key West 2013

Race 9. 1 Azzurra (ITA) 2 Interlodge (USA) 3 Gladiator (GBR) 4 Rio (USA) 5 Quantum Racing (USA) 6 Rán Racing (SWE).

Race 10. 1 Interlodge 2 Azzurra 3Rio4 Rán Racing 5 Quantum Racing 6 Gladiator

Overall after 10 races
1 Azzurra 24pts, 2 Interlodge 29pts 3 Rán Racing 31pts, 4 Quantum Racing 32pts, 5 Gladiator 42pts, 6Rio52pts

Quotes

Guillermo Parada (ARG) skipper-helm Azzurra (ITA): “ We knew that the first race was going to be the important one. At one stage we were a little bit lucky at the first leeward mark because Rán Racing dropped their spinnaker in the water and Quantum Racing had their problem with their jib earlier. That opened the door for us to go all out to win the race rather than trying to control our opposition. So from there on we were really focused on sailing every shift rather than trying to keep control of these two boats. We were able to win the race and they were fifth and sixth. We had already clinched the regatta. But we are always focusing on the season’s standings and so we want to beat Rán Racing and Quantum Racing when we can.”

Kris Matthews (USA), project manager Interlodge (USA). “It is a little bit of a surprise to finish second overall. We limited our mistakes and a few teams had their mistakes in the first race and that opened up an opportunity in Race 2 we got away clean and were able to sail our own race then. We did know what to expect coming into the regatta. We though mid fleet was a goal but we thought it would be hard to match the Rán Racing, Quantum Racing, Azzurra and Gladiator, with their time in the boats. We decided we were doing this regatta five months ago and so we did a lot of sailing last fall and got better.”

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Rán Racing (SWE): “For us it was a bit of a disappointing end to the regatta. We were in contention on the first race and unfortunately the drop line snagged and we sailed right over the spinnaker and that was pretty much the end of the race by the time recovered it and so it was a sixth from that one and that kind of gave the series to Azzurra. The second race Interlodge sailed really well. We were fighting for third, trying to keep Quantum Racing behind us as well. We are philosophical. We let ourselves down at the gate not getting the spinnaker down but everyone is pushing the bottom marks pretty hard. This time we did not get away with it. We have come a long way since the beginning of the week. And we are looking to going racing in Miami at the World Championships. We are very positive about where we have got to this week.”

Doug DeVos (USA) owner-driver Quantum Racing (USA): “It was a tough day for us. It started off really well when we had a chance of first place and were ready to go for it and then we blew up our jib and were never able to recover. That was the job we needed even more in the second race. We were sailing a little out wack, after one little thing seems to happen then other things follow and away it goes. The team dealt with well. It happens in sport. You deal with and have to stay positive, looking for opportunities.”

Ed Reynolds (USA) coach, team director Quantum Racing (USA): “We were flying, launched off the start line. But we had been pushing the J2 jib well above its range but we were just flying. There is a small bleed in the backstay which juts loads up the luff of the jib and it just went beyond. We were seriously red lined on that jib, but you just keep trying. A lot of what we do with this programme is to see. We know we are not going to get fired for anything, so we just keep pushing. It was the standard J2, we pushed film things a little light but we figure if we are going to try we do it on ourselves. This is an important regatta, it is great sailing but the European 52 SUPER SERIES is what we want.

Chris Larson (USA) tactician Gladiator (GBR): “ The scoreline is pretty indicative of the windstrength for us. The first couple of days were under 13-14kts which plays to our strengths and so we had some good racing then, and after that when it gets to 17-18kts versus the new boats. We had some good races, we got in there and had some decent finishes in some of them. But we were in there in the pack most of the time and today most of the way around the race track we were in it. I think in general where the programme was one year ago at the first regatta we are doing well.”

Manouch Moshayedi (USA) Rio (USA): “ We improved a lot from the beginning of week, our goal was to learn the boat and in the eight days of sailing in total here I think we’ve made great progress. Getting around the top mark in front of the pack has proven that we have the potential to beat these guys, and our eyes have been opened that we have now a very good boat. It was great to end the week on a high note, we are looking forward to Miami, and hope to start of there where we ended here to keep learning and improving.”

TP52 Quantum - 2012 Highlights

Soto 40 and TP52 day 2 @ Valencia

Nos TP52 Audi Azzurra Sailing Team seguem em primeiro, seguidos por Audi All4One e Rán a ocupar as seguintes posições do pódio.

Nos Soto 40, hoje os portugueses conseguiram manter a posição, mas ficando mais longe da liderança após o Iberdrola Team conseguir ganhar todas as regatas realizadas e o Bigamist ter feito um 7º e 2º. Amanhã é o ultimo dia de regatas e vão-se realizar mais duas regatas.

A nós resta desejar boa sorte à equipa de Pedro Mendonça - Bigamist e a todos os outros competidores.

52 SUPER SERIES	TEAM	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	TOTAL
1		Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA)	1	1	5	1	3			11 pts
2		Audi All4One (GER/FRA)	2	2	4	3	2			13 pts
3		Rán Racing (SWE)	4	5	1	5	1			16 pts
4		Quantum Racing (USA)	5	3	2	2	5			17 pts
5		Gladiator (GBR)	3	4	3	4	4			18 pts

	SOTO40	TEAM	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	TOTAL
1		Iberdrola Team (ESP)	4	2	2	2	2			12 pts
2		Bigamist (POR)	2	4	4	14	4			28 pts
3		Alegre (BVI)	8	6	12	4	10			40 pts
4		Black Pearl (GBR)	10	8	6	8	8			40 pts
5		Ngoni (GBR)	6	12	8	10	12			48 pts
6		Noticia (ESP)	12	10	10	6	6			44 pts
7		XII (FIN)	14	14	14	12	14			68 pts
8		Sercotel-Geseme (ESP)	16	16	DNS	16	16			82 pts

Prevemos receber algumas fotos ainda hoje para publicar.

Ultima etapa dos tp52 e s40 - Quantum e Bigamist vencem regata de treino

Nico Martinez / www.studiomartinez.com



Can Quantum Racing and Iberdrola hang on to their leads?
Tuesday September 18th 2012, Author: James Boyd, Location: Spain

Racing gets underway tomorrow in Valencia for the grand finale of the 52 Super Series and Soto 40 2012 championships. The line-up in the
Marina Real Juan Carlos I de Valencia, the marina which famously hosted the 32nd and 33rd America’s Cups (and still looks remarkably unchanged albeit a bit dustier since 2007) features five 52s and eight of the smaller Argentinean designed and built one designs competing for the Audi Valencia Cup.

Today the practice race for both classes was just about held with muggy hazy conditions only allowing a smallest of sea breezes to fill in during the mid-afternoon.

THE WINNERS OF THE 39º TROFEO CONDE DE GODO

Fonte: Troféu Conde Godo

Magic Carpet 2 and Roykan 2 in the Wally class, Quantum Racing in the TP52, Ngoni in Soto 40, Nilfisk in J80 and Es Tes Unno, Lone and Si BW Ana in ORC 0,1 and 2.

The Real Club Náutico de Barcelona brings the 39th edition of the competition to an end. More international than ever with an excellent organization both on the water and on land, despite the lack of racing on the final day due to poor wind conditions.

The Wally class honours Magic Capet 2 and Roycan 2

The Wally class rendered homage at the 39th Trofeo Conde de Godo to Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’ Magic Carpet 2 with Daniel Gallichan helming in Group 1, winning four out of the six races undertaken. Second in the class was Open Season with third place going to J One.

In Group 2 the victory had already been mathematically assigned since Saturday with first place for Phillipe Ligier’s Roycan 2 skippered by L. Olivier. In second place it was Sensei, whilst Spanish team Tiketitoo had to settle for third.

Ed Baird’s Quantum Racing claims the Trofeo Conde de Godó in the TP52

The TP52 class concluded its participation in the Trofeo Conde de Godó with a double draw on the penultimate day of racing. Ed Baird’s Quantum Racing (with Spaniard Juan Vila onboard) climbed the leader board throughout the competition to claim the overall victory of the Trofeo Conde de Godó despite drawing with Alberto Roemmers’ Audi Azzurra who finally took second place. Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran was third.

The Soto 40s flying a British flag

British team Tony Buckingham’s Ngoni helmed by Kevin Spronl is the winner of the 39th Trofeo Conde de Godó with four out of six victories in the class racing.

A lack of racing on the last day meant Torcida’s team was unable to battle it out with Castañer skipper of Luis Martin Cabiedes’ Noticia IV – who finally claimed second place. Agustín Zulueta’s Iberdrola Team with José María Torcida at the helm took the third spot, having been affected by their disqualification on Day One.

ORC winners Es Tes Unno, Lone II and SI BW ANA
The local team for the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, Francisco Soldevilla’s Es Tes Unno are the proud winners of the 39th Trofeo Conde de Godó in the ORC 0 class, followed by Luis Mas’ Motivel-Quantum and Rafael Carbonell’s Rats on Fire.

After the Measurement Committee’s disqualification of Antonio Guasch’s Vert

Where next for the TP52s and Soto 40s?

Ian Roman Photography / Audi MedCup
Lower key circuit looks likely to go ahead in 2012
Audi pulling out of the MedCup, after contact renegotations failed to be resolved, is one of the most significant blows the sport of grand prix yacht racing has suffered in this recession. It comes at a time when budgets are being tightened across the board and less funding is becoming available from venues, this latter income representing a significant part of the MedCup’s annual war chest. So with World Sailing Management announcing yesterday that the MedCup will not be going ahead in 2012 – what will fill the void? Yesterday’s news didn’t come as a complete shock to those involved in the circuit who were aware of the breakdown in negotiations between WSM and Audi. It seems that initial discussions have been taking place for the last couple of weeks on a Plan B, or what might happen in 2012 if the MedCup was to disappear. Next week in Valencia meetings are due to take place between the TP52 and Soto 40 teams, their owners and their respective class associations to plan a path forwards. While it is early days obviously, Rob Weiland, the TP52 Class Manager, expects racing in the Mediterranean next year will continue with a similar format to previous years with roughly one race per month over the summer. However this circuit is likely be set up by the TP52 class in a considerably lower key way ie without the same level of media and corporate hospitality jamboree featured at Audi MedCup events. Weiland believes that the outcome for the MedCup may have been different had the owners and teams and the class association had more involvement in the circuit’s running. So, if all comes to pass, it looks like racing in the Med for the TP52s and Soto 40s will return to its roots in 2012, joining in at big


fonte: thedailysail.com

Resumo TP52 WC - Video