From a long day that finally yielded just one race, Quantum Racing emerged with an increased lead at the Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week in Mahon, Spain.
The 2018 defending circuit champions, winners of the 2016 TP52 World Championship title on these same Balearic waters, profited on the second upwind to pass early leaders, Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon, and so scored their second race win in a row.
The new line up on Quantum Racing are gelling nicely and have sailed a strong 2,1,1 from the last three races of the regatta, their perennial rival, Azzurra, which led after the first day, had another disappointing day.
Azzurra fouled Alegre and had to take a penalty, which dropped them to 11th. A recovery to 7th only partially helps morale, but Azzurra, who won here last time the circuit visited in 2017, need to get back to regular top results.
The 2018 defending circuit champions, who won the 2016 TP52 World Championship title on these same Balearic waters, profited on the second upwind to pass early leaders, Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon, and so scored their second race win in a row.
Winds took a long time to fill out on to the race arena. Race officer, Maria Torrijo, chose to hold the fleet ashore until mid- afternoon. It was only on the fourth attempt – after two general recalls and an AP’d start – that the race finally got away in eight to 10kts of breeze and flat water.
Platoon started off the pin end of the line and had Quantum Racing in their pockets off the line. The German team, training and race partners to Quantum – with whom they share data, briefings and debriefs – led around the course until the second beat. They moved left and let Quantum and Provezza profit.
Through the finish, Quantum scored the victory with Platoon second and Ergin Imre’s Provezza third. The Turkish-flagged team now lay second going into the final day, three points behind Doug DeVos’s crew, which has Ed Baird on the helm through this season. Azzurra dropped to fourth overall.
“That was a tough race. Everybody was fighting so hard on the line. It was good that we had the two hour delay; there was no waiting around half an hour at a time, and then everyone is right into it.
“We had a little bit of good fortune getting through Platoon; that is how the game works sometimes. But we should get three races tomorrow, nice breeze and big waves. It should be a great finale,” said Ed Baird, skipper-helm on Quantum Racing.
“Our start after the delay was a little bit of a mess and we ended up behind Quantum Racing on the first cross, but then we were guilty of fouling Alegre. We made a decent recovery saving ourselves four points, but we need to sail better,” commented Azzurra’s navigator Bruno Zirilli.
Regatta standings after Day 4
1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (8,5,4,2,1,1) 21 punti.
2. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (6,3,3,1,8,3) 24 p.
3. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (5,2,6,3,7,2) 25 p.
4. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto/Pablo Roemmers) (2,1,1,7,10,7) 28 p.
5. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (4,11,2,5,6,8) 36 p.
6. Bronenosec (RUS) (Vladimir Liubomirov) (1,7,8,10,2,10) 38 p.
7. Phoenix 12 (RSA) (Tina Plattner) (7,4,7,8,9,4) 39 p.
8. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (9,8,5,9,4,5) 40 p
9. Phoenix 11 (RSA) (Hasso Plattner) (3,10,11,6,5,6) 41 p.
10. Team Vision Future (FRA) (Jean Jacques Chaubard) (10,6,9,4,11,11) 51 p.
11. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (11,9,10,11,3,9) 53 p.
For full results, visit: http://bit.ly/2wkggTj
