Although the ten boat fleet went afloat for most of the afternoon and a race course was set up, in the end there was not enough wind off the Barcelona waterfront today for competition to take place at the 52 SUPER SERIES Barcelona Sailing Week.
As the five regatta season nears its conclusion scheduled for Saturday it was an especially frustrating situation for the crews who need races and good results to improve their standings.
The forecast looks better for the final days and Principal Race Officer Maria Torrijo has set a three race schedule for Thursday in order to try and catch up on lost races after only one race could be sailed on the opening day of the regatta, Tuesday.
Torrijo said,
“Today was difficult, we looked at four different main weather models and all of them gave light winds but from four different directions. In fact all the models were correct at one time and we saw six knots at the maximum but it died before we could start. But it looks better tomorrow, we expect a wind from the east-northeast, which should be in by 1000hrs in the morning getting up to over ten knots during the day. So we have set the first starts to be at 1100hrs and we are going to try for three races.”
Quantum Racing hold an 11pts lead at the head of the circuit standings ahead of Phoenix. The South African team welcome owner-driver Tina Plattner back to the helm this week. She is rising to the pressure of trying to overhaul the current world champions in the final days of the 2022 season,
Tina Plattner enthused,
“I think everyone always feels a bit of pressure so I definitely am too, I’m a little bit anxious, I haven’t done this since Cape Town in 2020 so definitely a bit nervous and I guess the guys have been doing so well this season so I’ve been stepping into a team that knows what they’re doing. I do feel like the weakest link but I guess everyone just has to cope with that. But the guys have been good, teaching me, giving me time to learn.”
And she has missed the cut and thrust of the tight racing:
“I think the 52 Super Series is so competitive, that’s what everyone loves. We get to sail with the best of the best. There isn’t another sport where we can get to sail with the Vasco Vascottos and the Tom Slingsby’s. All of the owners are so involved and so keen and so good. It’s competitive out on the water and it’s really nice and friendly and everyone gets on ashore. There isn’t anything better than that.”
52 SUPER SERIES Barcelona Sailing Week Provisional Standings
- QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 1 pt.
- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 2 pts
- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 3 pts.
- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 4 pts.
- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 5 pts.
- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin & Gwen Fragomen, 6 pts.
- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso & Tina Plattner, 7 pts.
- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 8 pts.
- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 9 pts.
- PAPREC (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 10 pts.
