They added to worlds wins in 2008 in Lanzarote and defended the title they won last year Valencia.
Emerging with a four points margin over Germany’s Container, the American flagged Quantum team complete the same 'double' as they did in 2008, winning both the Audi MedCup Circuit title as well as the World Championship.

With tactician Adrian Stead (GBR) combining with new navigator Francesco Mongelli (ITA) Quantum Racing were consistent across the very different wind conditions, from the very light sub 10kts conditions of the first three days of racing to a useful fourth in the strong early morning Mistral of Friday, to their final flourish in today’s moderate 7-11kts.

In paying tribute to team owner Doug De Vos, who was on hand to enjoy their success, Quantum Racing’s inspirational project manager Ed Reynolds, architect behind each of their wins, commented:

“Each of these world titles has been about a quintessential team performance, with two different teams of different characteristics and styles with no major, standout star names in either but unified in the level of results, and that is really down to Doug De Vos for putting the resources to give us good solid teams.”

Tactician Stead who called the shots successfully last season in Valencia, smiled:
“ It is splendid."
" It is a great way to finish the season. We had a tense Audi MedCup, we have been really pleased with the way that we have sailed here against boats which have been in their conditions in the form of Gladiator and Paramount Park. Everyone has been pushing pretty hard.”

Udo Schuetz’ Container with skipper-helm Markus Wieser (GER) and his crew, augmented at this regatta by Kiwi mainsheet trimmer Don Cowie, came out on the final day with their strongest finishes of the late season.

Their 2,1,2 over the last three races of the season a secured them second place overall and shook off some of the disappointment of their lacklustre finishes in Cartagena and Barcelona.

Wieser attributed a large measure of their success to completely changing their rig set up under the advice of Cowie who won the Audi MedCup Circuit title twice as mainsheet trimmer with Emirates Team New Zealand. Wieser said:

“We are happy that it finished up like this, it was a long season and the last two regattas we hard with no boatspeed. But here we changed everything, a complete new set up with Don Cowie, and we had boat speed again and could be more aggressive in the way we sailed. We were so slow in Cartagena. But second here is good.”

Tony Langley’s British crew on Gladiator, surprise early leaders of these world championship, held on to third place overall with their third place in what  proved to be the final race, completing the podium by virtue of a better tie-break than the Spanish Paramount Park Murcia. 

Langley commended the approach of their tactician, Melges 32 world title winning Chris Larson:

“What was great was the attitude he came with. He came to me and said ‘I really think we can win this’ and that mental attitude was really refreshing and we really set out to try and do that. So that was a big change really. Nacho (Postigo) stepped in and did a really nice job with us too.”

Three different boats lead the world championship over different days, but Quantum Racing were on solid form in the light-moderate conditions and today’s leftover sloppy seas. The breeze was shifting up to 30 degrees and there were big changes in wind pressure, between 5 and 11kts. Although there was breeze mid to later afternoon it proved too unsettled to run a third race, leaving Quantum Racing to enjoy their celebrations.

Container won the first race after starting close to the right hand committee boat end of the start line, showing good speed in the testing conditions Quantum Racing were unable to catch them with Audi Azzurra Sailing Team taking third.

In the second race Container led at the top windward mark with a beautiful layline call from the top left of the course by navigator Marc Lagesse (RSA) and tactician Hamish Pepper (NZL) until the leeward gate when Quantum Racing took the right hand gate mark and split to the right and gained 1 minute and 17 secs on Container on the second beat.

For Gladiator, third in the final race proved critical as it gave them the superior tie break over Ignacio Triay (ESP) and the Paramount Park Murcia (ESP) crew.  Langley wins the Owner-Driver trophy.

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“It is splendid, a really good day to finish on. It was pretty tricky with the breeze moving between 20 to 30 degrees, puffy and we made the best out of it. Container got away in the first race a little and so we made sure we got a good second place. In the second race we split with Container at the gate and we managed to extend on the second beat which was great.
It is a great way to finish the season. We had a tense Audi MedCup, we have been really pleased with the way that we have sailed here against boats which really have been in their conditions in the form of Gladiator and Paramount Park. Everyone has been pushing pretty hard. Container have been lurking there all week, their OCS in race 2 there was no way back and that was costly, but that just goes to show how tight the fleet is.
If there had been a bit more breeze this week Audi Azzurra Sailing Team and Audi ALL4ONE would have been in the frame too.
I think it is great that we have come and defended. In a couple of the light races we were definitely on the back foot, especially race 3. We had to be strong after our fifth. It was a tense MedCup.We overachieved in Cascais, we missed a few tricks with our sails, with our communication which meant we narrowly lost in Marseille. The game moved on in Cagliari definitely.
And there was always the potential of not knowing if it would be a four or five race series or an eight or nine race series. There was pretty of looking out for each other, but for me the turning point of the regatta was the light air race in bomb alley, being able to beat Gladiator and Parmount Park Murica in that really light stuff really made the difference.”

Markus Wieser (GER) skipper-helm Container (GER): “We are happy that it finished up like this, it was a long season and the last two regattas we hard with no boatspeed. But here we changed everything, a complete new set up with Don Cowie, and we had boat speed again and could be more aggressive in the way we sailed. We were so slow in Cartagena. But second here is good. We knew we could do better than we did in the past and had the better boat speed to do it. The only shock was the OCS which pushed us back but we finished the regattas with 2,1,2 and proved that Quantum Racing are beatable. With more preparation we can get there. Don will be back with us next year with some new sail designs planned, we will back fully motivated. Quantum have shown they are the team to beat.”

Tony Langley (GBR), owner-helm Gladiator (GBR):
“We are really pleased with third. If you had told me at the start of the week we would be third I would never have believed you. But here we are. We are pleased because we sailed well. We took some real steps backwards during the season at Palma Vela and in Barcelona. But we made some changes and I think they have really paid off. It really sets us up for next year.
Chris (Larson) really was good for us. What was great was the attitude he came with. He came to me and said ‘I really think we can win this’ and that mental attitude was really refreshing and we really set out to try and do that. So that was a big change really. Nacho (Postigo) stepped in and did a really nice job with us too.”
“I feel like we are just so far ahead of where we were at the beginning of the season at Palma Vela. So I’m looking forward to next season.”

Ed Reynolds (USA) project manager Quantum Racing (USA):
“What can I say. With fewer boats you would think it would get easier but it always gets more difficult. This really was not easy in the conditions, but I think the team sailed an awesome regatta. They did what they had to do, focusing most of all on being fast all the time. They were good at setting the modes in the different conditions and moving between them. Ado Stead sailed brilliantly with some good start and really following the plans we talked about.
Each of these world titles have been about a quintessential team performance, with two different teams of different characteristics and styles with no major, standout star names  in either but unified in the level of results, and that is really down to Doug De Vos for putting the resources to give us good solid teams.
Francesco Mongelli has been a fantastic addition to the team here. In fact both tall Francesco (coach De Angelis) and short Francesco (Mongelli, navigator) have been great here. Little Francesco added a whole different dynamic, visibly excited to be with the team and his energy was infectious, he was so proud to be with the team that it was infectious.”

The American flagged team complete the same double as they did in 2008, winning both the Audi MedCup Circuit title and the Audi TP52 World Championship.

With tactician Adrian Stead and navigator Francesco Mongelli Quantum Racing were consistent across the very different wind conditions, from the very light sub 10kts conditions of the first three days of racing to a useful fourth in the strong early morning Mistral of Friday, to their final flourish in today’s moderate 7-11kts.

They win the title by four points ahead of Udo Schuetz’ Container. Markus Wieser and his crew, augmented this regatta by Kiwi mainsheet trimmer Don Cowie, came out with their strongest finishes of the late season, a first and second to secure second place overall.

Tony Langley’s British crew on Gladiator, early leaders of these world championship, held on to third place overall with their third place in what  proved to be the final race, completing the podium by virtue of better tie-break than the Spanish Paramount Park Murcia.

Breezes are expected to remain from the north and build to 16kts from the Mistral direction in the afternoon. Initial wind direction for the first r ace which is due to start at 1100hrs is around 340 to 350, backing and dropping. It should clock round to east of north around 1300hrs then building again from around 280 to 310.
Quantum Racing (USA) go on the water with a lead of one point over Paramount Park (ESP) and Gladiator (GBR) one point behind them.
In effect the title remains very open, especially considering there can be as many races today as there have been in the last three days of the five day championship.

Francesco Mongelli (ITA) navigator Quantum Racing (USA):
"Our feeling is good, we know that we should have three races. Everything is very tight. I think maybe Azzurra can come back, maybe not to win but to be in the fight. We will do our own thing. With three races you cannot start to think about following this one, or this one. The weather is north flow with the Mistral coming back in the afternoon. So the first race should be north flow, second one could be pretty tricky in the transition,  and the third should be in the Mistral but  not as strong, 15kts maybe. It will be tricky, as usual."

Audi TP52 World Championship - I guess this feels very much like a second home for you having been here and been successful?
Nikklas Zennstrom - "We were here three weeks ago when it was crowded with a lot of people. In a way I like it like this when it is very quiet and calm."

AWC - How does it all compare to what you had as your expectations when you set out a year ago in Valencia?
N.Z. - " It has been a very busy and intense season, starting way back at Palma Vela in April and then one event every month, and also each event is so very intensive and the fleet is very, very good, such a high level of competition. It is pretty much as I expected though. I knew it would be intense, it would be tough and that there would be races where you would end up last. All those things have happened, and yes being last is harder to take than you think, but for us we decided that we would be making this a learning year, and so the most important thing would be to learn throughout the season, to gain confidence and improve. That was why our victory in Barcelona was so important for us. That showed us that things were paying off and the conditions were favourable, we got some of the breaks. That was hugely important for the team, to have that moment. But I am sure that we have improved as a team."

"Obviously this is the first time for us, but speaking to other teams, we are sure that even though it is smaller fleet it is much tighter for position. There is so little difference between the guys who win and those further down, that is the tough part of it. You look around the fleet and think ‘well, we were beaten by those guys you just don’t need to be ashamed of that. And you look around at the whole fleet, and so being beaten by them all is nothing to be ashamed of. But you still end up last and that is very hard to take. But the margins really are so small. You have a bad shift, a bad tack, a bad gybe, a bad set and that is it. So the feeling is you are racing to be the top boat, but as soon as you make a mistake you are suddenly racing not to be the last. That is how it is".

AWC - And how has the season actually unrolled compared with what you planned and hoped for, have you made more or fewer changes to the boat, rig and team than you anticipated?
N.Z. - " On the technical side with the boat we have really not made many changes compared with other teams who say they maybe made a big mistake with the set up of their boat at different times, trying to re-engineer their boat through the season. We really were quite happy with the way our boat came out. And we spent a lot of time optimising sails as they came out, so in general we have been very happy with the boat and the set up. "

" On the team side we made a few changes. We had some difficulties with the grinder because Chris Dougall who got injured, and so we had Jono Macbeth on board, and then we made changes with Morgan Larson on tactics from Barcelona. That was about making a change. I am great believer in it being not always having the best people doing the job, but having people who fit well together, who work well as a group, and having the right balance. Morgan stepped into that role well, gelled well with the team and he has very good fleet racing skills."

AWC- And how would you describe your role in the team as owner-helm? And what is your philosophy with regards to the team ethos, you seem to favour a close knit, extended family approach?
N.Z. - " I am sure if you take a boat like Quantum Racing or Audi ALL4ONE, the skippers take a much bigger role on board whereas my role is to drive the boat. On our boat the tactician is calling the shots and my job is to drive the boat fast."

" For me, I have two roles in our organisation if you like. Tim manages the whole programme but I work with him on what the objectives are, what the strategies are and how we set things up. But when I am on the boat I am just driving. It is very clear to me that you need to have different roles in port and on the boat."

" We stay in the same place, we have a crew house and have our de-briefing every night and briefing each morning and I participate at all of them and that is very important because if I did not it would be harder for the team to work around me. I am very happy to get constructive criticism and feedback. When you are sailing you are getting feedback from the trimmers all the time, you have the tactician giving you boat on boat manoeuvres, so that is also the way to learn. Gavin Brady is very good on boat on boat manoeuvres as a match racer.  A lot of times this year  I really felt I was thrown into the deep end of the swimming pool and I really had to learn fast. He was very good in coaching and me learning in that way. In Cartagena and Cascais, all the way through the season there have been a lot of tough situations, you put yourself in there like a match racing situation with, like, Ed Baird. And if you have not done it you are very likely to come out on the losing end, but you learn from it. As a sailor if you can outmanoeuvre them there is a great buzz experiencing things like that, but it is also a great way to learn. Sometimes we have not had good results that is because it is part of the learning curve. I think for us as a new team and for as an owner drive you need to allow yourself to make mistakes."

AWC - What parts of the programme are you especially involved or passionate about, the technical side, people, the sailing?
N.Z. - " I think for me my role and passion is about making things with the team gel, so things are really humming and people are happy with what they are doing. But for sure sailing is a very technical sport and we are quite fortunate to have a fair bit of big boat experience. But what really is interesting now is that the boats  do look quite different when  you compare our design to the other Vrolijks and the Botin designs, they are very, very different hull forms, but you can see that they are very similar in terms of speed and results and it is such a good thing now that you have a 2009 design which is as good as the 2011 designs, which is great. It is wonderful technology and I appreciate, but all the guys, like the boat captain for example, know their jobs much better than I would and so it is very difficult for me to add anything as we go along. It is great fun, but these guys are so good at their jobs and so I think my job is so much more to make sure that things are humming."

AWC - What do you see as the future for the class on the Audi MedCup Circuit, do you worry that it is still perceived as a class where you have to have your amount of money to be successful and spend more to win as an owner-driver?
N.Z - "It has been hard for several reasons to get more people into the class. There has been a little bit of stigma that the Audi MedCup is such high end class that is difficult for an owner to come in and drive his own boat at such a high level. And so we have proved that we can win, and look at Tony Langley here, he has been doing well the first few days."

" It is maybe true that in 2007, or some time like that, that you could come in and just spend money to win. But today you just can’t. The class is very well controlled, the budget is controlled and you cannot outperform by money. There is a limited number of sails with the buttons, you have a limited number of crew. No one can have an excessive number of shore crew because it would not add anything. Even now we see that you don’t need to build new boats every year. Look, the ex Bribon is actually the best performing boat in the second half of this season, and that is a 2009 design. These boats are now at a level where you can show up with a 2009 boat and be competitive. So the longevity of these boats is now very, very good and the sail buttons are good. The sails you do have to spend money on, but is you race IRC you can turn up with new sails at every regatta – most people don’t do it but you could. And crew, sailing with 12 here, you can sail IRC with 15, so someone buying or building an IRC boat can spend more money."

" And here for sure the race management is so good, everywhere the race committee are doing a fantastic job, the while organisation is very good, and Audi as a sponsor are doing a very, very good job. Sailing in nice venues is great, but what you cannot do is come here with a competitive advantage, you cannot build a boat which will be like a handicap beating boat. There is no silver bullet. And that way you do get more exposed, but if you want to improve this is the way to do it. We have two owner-drivers but if we can get three or four then that would be great."

AWC - So would you like to see you Swedish compatriot Torbjorn Tornqvist back as a successful owner-driver?
N.Z - He should. I am sure he misses it.

AWC - And the biggest high point?
N.Z - "For sure Barcelona was the high point, not just winning but because it went to the wire, and because we went there with no expectations, let’s go out there and enjoy ourselves and not be so worried about results."

AWC - Any changes foreseen for next season? And what could be the objectives, a podium at the end of the season?
N.Z - "We had a chat about the things we want to do with the boat. There are small things, but nothing major. For us we want to continue, no big changes in terms of the team. I believe if you make a lot of changes you unsettle everything. This has been the learning season and next year we go in with the aim of better results. We have not set the objectives, but I don’t see why we can’t have the podium as a target."

AWC - And how many days have you sailed this season, it must be a few!
N.Z - "I have not counted, this has been a very busy year but roughly 90 days. You can feel that now towards the end of the season, we do the Middle Sea Race as well. It is very good now, though, we are very relaxed. The atmosphere here has been great, very relaxed, chill out and try and get some good results."

Audi Azzurra Sailing Team lead at the windward mark on the first round, with already more than 25kts of wind blowing and more threatening. The team which sails under the colours of the host club, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, were first to break to the right on the upwind and were able to lead Container with Audi ALL4ONE and Quantum Racing overlapped for third and fourth.

A small problem on the kite drop on Azzurra at the end of the testing downwind allowed Container through to lead up the second beat. Paramount Park Murcia gybed early on the rollercoaster ride of a run and picked up a huge gust which they rode down the left side of the run and were challenging for second before they lost control. After suffering mainsail problems pre-start RAN started late and retired after the first run.

Azzurra's tactician Vasco Vascotto managed to fight back to get control of the right in the very muscular conditions, with good speed and power in the strong conditions, and were just able to cross Container at the top of the second beat. With the wind gusting over 35kts the race team shortened the course at the top mark.

With Container second Audi ALL4ONE took third and Quantum Racing fourth, all four top boats finished within 20 seconds. Key for the Audi backed boats was their choice of smaller code 4 jibs.

In the overall standings going into the final day of racing Quantum Racing lead by one point ahead ofParamount Park Murcia on 15pts after they finished fifth today, with Gladiator now dropped to third on 16pts.

After starting at 0900hrs the fleet reached the dock by 1010hrs with no further racing for the day with the Mistral hitting nearly 40kts at times.

Ed Reynolds (USA) project manager Quantum Racing (USA):
“It really was a day for getting the boat around the course. The light airs boats really struggled and there were a couple of sail handling things out there. It is always worrisome in these conditions, can you outlast everybody. It sounds boring but to be average today and get the boat around the course was good. We would really have liked that one more run because we might have been able to get another point or two, but you can never, ever question Maria the race officer. In all the years I have done this if she says you can’t sail in this then you can’t sail in it.

Vasco Vascotto, (ITA) tactician Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“It was important to win, for all the crew and the people here at the club, It was pretty windy really. 
The retrieval system did not work first time and in these winds at these speeds if it does not work you are in trouble quickly. We had a good recovery – it was not an ideal manoeuvre but it worked and we got around the mark, staying close to Container and Jochen Schuemann on Audi ALL4ONE and that allowed us to get back on the second beat and go on to win. 
We are very happy, the first three days were very, very light breeze and even if we sailed well and did not make many mistakes, the boat is not so fast to help us in the light winds.”

Hamish Pepper (NZL) tactician Container (GER):
“Azzurra sailed pretty well, they made only that one mistake at the bottom mark, we managed to get around them, but they were going quicker up that beat. It has been an interesting regatta, all very close with the top three and we are nipping at their heels and so the last day will be fun.”

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“It was a great decision to get out and race early and get a race in which puts less pressure on the last day. It is still very open and even Container with their second today are only four points behind us. For the light winds boats Gladiator and Paramount Park today’s conditions were more detrimental for them. 
We nearly changed to the number 4 jib and might have been better for us, but the key thing for us was at the top mark first time up when we were not rolling the red boat (Audi ALL4ONE) at the windward mark and that meant they really controlled us down the run. But we were right in there to finish. As we approached the line we were bow to bow with Container, but there was just no room to do anything, it would have been pretty punchy in these conditions.”

Racing was due to start at 0900hrs, already the breeze was picking up early morning with more than 30kts expected. The plan was to get in as many races as possible before it becomes too windy.

The top of the standings are locked with three boats on the same 10points tally, even if it is the world champions Quantum Racing which hold the theoretical lead on tie-break after four races.
It is some months now, July in Cagliari, since the 52 Series fleet raced in winds more than 20kts for any sustained period, so this could be an interesting and decisive penultimate day.

Their win, with Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) taking second and Ignacio Triay’s Paramount Park Murcia team stealing a third, leaves all three locked on the same 10points aggregate. By virtue of their second race win in these very gentle conditions, consistently lighter than anything else experienced through the Audi MedCup season, Quantum Racing lead on tie-break, on track to defend the world title they won last year in Valencia, Spain.

“ Our goal was to get through these light airs days leading the regatta, three of us are tied and we win the tie breaker right now, so we are pretty much where we want to be right now.” Confirmed Quantum Racing’s project manager Ed Reynolds (USA), “Hopefully the averages kind of work out for us. That is our focus.”

Again there was only one race sailed today. The race committee made a perfect call to take the race area to the north in the Secca dei Tre Monti, Bomb Alley’s confines of the Arzachena Gulf, for the first time this regatta and were rewarded with the only race-able breeze to be found.
Even is, it was something of a repetition of Wednesday’s exacting race – reading and using the puffs and lanes of pressure better.  
Quantum Racing lead by the first windward mark ahead of Container (GER), Gladiator and RAN (SWE).
After a lacklustre start Langley’s Gladiator showed good speed in the light, rising from sixth early on the first beat to round the top mark third.  

After the fleet all gybed set at the WW1 mark, Container - the German flagged team -  chose to gybe back earlier on the run and lost wind pressure compared to Gladiator.
And Paramount Park Murcia, with Ross MacDonald (CAN) calling tactics, improved to a third with a good final run, pipping Container on the final approach to the finish, so keeping them in the three way tie.

After three days of benign, fluky breezes the muscular Mistral is expected for Friday with winds over 30 knots anticipated, perhaps dropping to a difficult 10-15kts with an awkward residual choppy sea for Saturday’s final day of racing.

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“It was very tricky out there today. There weas only two and a half hours of breeze in the whole Porto Cervo region today and we were racing up in Bomb Alley where it is quite narrow with the mountain on one side and the island on the other. We had quite a good start and it felt like the right would work. As soon as Gladiator tacked to the right we took the opportunity to get round her. The boat was going pretty well but there were certainly plenty of potholes out there to watch, as light as four knots at times and as much as seven knots. The finishing times at the end the front four boats were all within 30 seconds of each other, but the back markers were some minutes behind and so that shows just how extreme it was racing out there today.”
“We have four races in light winds so far with big winds tomorrow- we might race, we might not, but Saturday is looking very sailable, but with a very lumpy, leftover sea. There is a lot more of this regatta left and if we got out there tomorrow, we would be really pleased.”
“I think we will have a good two to three more races at this regatta, maybe even three races on Saturday so we might only be half way through this regatta. Gladiator and Paramount Park are both grandfathered boats with slightly smaller rudders and they are going well downwind, and upwind in fact, so we have been happy with how we have gone. Great work today, very pleased with the win.”

Chris Larson (USA) tactician Gladiator (GBR):
“I gave the start up a little bit, trying to be a little too fancy with too many downspeed manoeuvres, and that cost us so we had to bale out get right by taking a few sterns, it was how to get there. We found a little lane to get us there and the boat is quick in this stuff and that helped us out. Our speed helps, we were too leeward of a couple of boats and by the time we got to the windward mark it started evening out. We hit a perfect layline, we tacked 15 degrees short of layline and got a shift, 15 degrees with a puff and that got us around, it was fantastic. Nacho (Postigo, navigator) and Tony (Langley, owner-helm) both did a great job and that helped us out from my bad start.”
“It will be a different day tomorrow, we don’t have to win the race we just need to make sure we have a decent finish.”

Ross MacDonald (CAN) tactician Paramount Park Murcia (ESP):
“It was a tricky day out there with the geographical influences in the bay, and so you try not to get caught out too much there. We got off to not a great start, kind of playing second row a bit. It was quite interesting but really as everyone can see the boat goes quite well in these light conditions, you just have to hang in there. It is very close, the next few days will be interesting for sure.”

Ed Reynolds (USA) project manager Quantum Racing (USA):
“We think we are more of a moderate airs boat and so I think that over the piece we don’t suffer as much in the breeze as the light airs boats do and in the light airs as the breeze boats do, so it is a little bit nerve racking, but we will not change anything specific. We have changed our mode a little bit for the wavy conditions which showed a great dividend in Barcelona, we are interested in that. But I think if the big breeze comes in then the Audi boats – Audi Azzurra Sailing Team and Audi ALL4ONE – are going to be pretty quick. If you had to bet I don’t think we will sail tomorrow. Everything we have heard suggests that it will come in early and be mid to upper 30kts, all day. Our weather reports change every hour, but Saturday looks 10-16kts, lumpy. We are full on, coming out tomorrow expecting to sail.”
“For us one of things we have really focused on here is how do we go relative to the rest of the fleet, who do we need to focus on and cover. In the light stuff there are two boats definitely faster and in the heavier air there are two boats definitely fast. At either ends of the winds spectrum it does not change our strategy a lot. But in the medium airs we feel really strong. Our goal was to get through these light air days leading the regatta, three of us are tied and we win the tie breaker right now, so we are pretty much where we want to be right now. Hopefully the averages kind of work out for us. That is our focus.”

TP52 World Championship - Francesco, what are your first impressions sailing with Quantum Racing after a few races?
Francesco Mongelli - " First of all for me it is a great honour to be sailing with them, they are the top team on the Audi MedCup Circuit with a very scientific approach to sailing. I am very happy to get this opportunity. I was a little surprised because I am not the navigator with the most and best experience at this level."

TP52WC - What, for you, are the differences between the teams?
F.M. - "For sure in a team like this you view Synergy with a lot of respect because here the average level of experience is much higher, so high. If on Synergy I felt that I could bring some advantage from my experience to the team, now it is about learning for me. The mentality here is very co-ordinated. The Russian team were not as co-ordinated, sometime yes, sometimes not, not as constant. Sometimes they were almost Latin, Here with Quantum Racing there is always the sensation that everything is under control.
Everything is done following a perfect project and procedures.

TP52WC - And what  is it like sailing with America’s Cup winner, Ed Baird as skipper?
F.M. - “ He has a style which is respected and admired by everyone on board. He has a very incredible coolness and tranquillity, great control of situations that he can see at a very high level, and great knowledge of his qualities.  At the briefing in the morning everyone is involved at different levels, and this is the key hour. This is why the team evolves.”

TP52WC - In terms of hardware and software what is the transition like between the projects?
F.M. - “ They use some systems I don’t know. As hardware and software I am happy to learn, but I don’t feel as confident as with the software I created and tools that I developed which helped me so much, they allowed me to not look just at the box but also on the water. The guys are helping me so much in the transition.”

TP52WC - On Synergy it was a mix of Russian and English, now it is all English and American and of course you are Italian, is that harder or easier?
F.M. - “ The language is not great for me, my English is not perfect and of course it is all English or American with different accents it is hard to catch absolutely everything, parts of conversations. But on Synergy everyone spoke in Russian.  During races the English parts that came out were the important things, so the lines of discussion which were open were just two or three. But on Quantum Racing the discussions open can be 11, so to catch everything is not easy. But this helps me to develop and grow, learning all the possibilities are different, what is going on through the boat. You understand how much there is to know.”

TP52WC - How do you deal with these light conditions here off Porto Cervo?
F.M. - “ We can see some boats are more oriented to these conditions. But so far we have made some good races. It is not just the boat which is important here, but about how the crew look at the hard conditions for them. It is important to know our characteristics and work with them.”

TP52WC - And now with Francesco de Angelis on the coach boat, how is that?
F.M. - “ Francesco is a sailor that everyone wants, he has a great experience. He is helpful at this very high level. You can count on fingers of one hand the number of sailors of his calibre. So it is great to have him here. With Quantum Racing we are still learning each other with him, so it is too early to see if the relation goes on.”

TP52WC - Do you see a long term future with Quantum Racing, into next season perhaps?
F.M. - “ For now we have spoken just about the worlds,  so I don’t know about the future. The Russians are sort of family for me because I am with them for five years, and if we had difficult moments it looks like their situation is evolving. And they are still good friends and we have fun together, I miss them, but I don’t miss their approach to racing. With Quantum Racing it is really a global approach to racing, everyone has different high level experience and all bring it to the table. On Synergy, for different reasons, it is a team where more of the sailors have more to learn, so for sure that is the biggest difference between the two teams.”

The plan is still to run either a windward-leeward race and/or the coastal race today but once more the forecasts promise less than 10 knots of wind. In terms of direction it is much the same as yesterday, starting out with a SW’ly early, clocking through N and potentially racing in a NE’ly-E’ly thermal breeze.
The standings at the top of the leaderboard are tight with Paramount Park(ESP) leading by one point ahead of Gladiator (GBR) which is one point up on third placed Quantum Racing ((USA).

A first win in the colours of new sponsor Paramount Park Murcia (ESP) for the Spanish team headed up by Ignacio Triay promoted the crew to step clear at the top of a tight leaderboard with a margin of just one point ahead of Tony Langley’s Gladiator.

There can be few more pleasant surroundings than the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda to spend time waiting for a sea breeze to establish itself, but the race team made a good call to have the fleet out and ready for the Race 3 start which got away at 1530hrs.

The late building thermal breeze proved to be difficult to read for the tacticians, keeping in the veins of pressure which pulsed down from the top of the course was key, whilst falling off the edge – out of the best breeze – either upwind or downwind meant losses.

Leaders after the first day, Gladiator kept their title challenge on track when Chris Larson (USA) and crew salvaged a solid fourth place, passing Quantum Racing down the final run.

Their fourth keeps the British Gladiator crew in contention in second, whilst Quantum Racing’s fifth today leaves them third overall, two points off the lead with a bigger day in prospect Thursday when one windward-leeward and the 1.5 points premium coastal race are scheduled.

After today’s light breezes a change is in prospect Thursday with some pre-frontal weather likely through the scheduled coastal race, ahead of Friday’s expected beefy Mistral winds.

“What is interesting now I think for the fleet is that you now have to look back to, I think Cagliari, in July for the last time we really sailed in strong breeze and so that will be a challenge for everyone to get back into that mode smoothly. For us it will be a case of spending some time looking at the different modes and settings which worked for us earlier in the season. It will be interesting, for sure.” Cautioned Triay who runs the championship leading Paramount Park Murcia which races for the Menorca based Club Náutico Ciutadella.

Once again the light winds placed a big premium on fast starting but the local team on Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA) compromised their race when they were over very early at the busy committee boat end of the start line, forced to re-start. But at the top of the first beat it was Paramount Park which read the shifts at the top of the beat best and were able to lead round from RÁN, Quantum Racing and Container (GER).
Able to sail the shifts and pressure from the front of the fleet, Paramount Park Murcia were 21 seconds clear of Niklas Zennstrom’s Barcelona Trophy winning RAN. Second place pulled the Swedish flagged team up to fifth overall.

But with only two points separating the top three boats, Paramount Park Murcia, Gladiator and Quantum Racing, Thursday’s high stakes racing could be key.

Ignacio Triay (ESP), project manager-trimmer Paramount Park Murcia (ESP):
“We had a good day, we had to wait a few hours. Our start was not very good but we started in the position that we wanted, a little bit late but in the position we wanted. We just got ahead of the bow of Ran at the top mark and from then on it was just good sailing, the boat is fast in these conditions and we had a good race although we could improve a little bit on the start.”
“We are first now but the windy days will arrive and our boat is not the fastest in the fleet on windy days, we know that.”

Chris Larson (USA), tactician Gladiator (GBR):
“We are pretty happy coming off the water today. We had one of the best starts ever for the boat, a bit conservative coming off the middle of the start line, but the unfortunate part was the right side coming in strong and we were kind of on the outside of that, but we were OK with that we were sailing a nice conservative race, then we salvaged a fourth getting Quantum Racing on the last run.
Upwind and downwind the right was favoured, basically on every leg as long as you were in the vein of puffs you were making good gains. We gybe set after having a big lift on starboard coming into the windward mark, and so we gybe set. Quantum set and then they gybed underneath us and we rolled them because we had the puffs and they had to gybe out and they got lighter sooner. But everyone on our boat has been sailing really, really well. It is kind of a new team and we are sort of feeling our way round, the guys have done a super job getting the sails up and down we have really had three really nice races. Right now everyone is full of energy because we did well yesterday and had a solid race today. Success breeds success and hopefully we can come up with a good finish at the end of the event. Two races tomorrow, with 2.5 points on the table and light to medium in the first race and more than 15 in the second. I told the guys on the way if they knew they would be in second after the second day of racing they would be pretty darn happy.”

Ed Baird (USA) skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA):
“As always sea breezes which build late in the day can build and be beautiful or they can build and then start to get crazy, and this one was a little shiftier than expected and full of pot holes. It was a pretty hard track to pick your way around. We did a reasonable job up the first leg and then it got a lot harder after that.
We are disappointed that we were up in the 1-2-3 at the windward mark first time up but then faded after that and you don’t like to drop places after the first mark, as in any other sport.
If they do two races tomorrow, windward-leeward and the coastal then that is a lot of points, but every day is a big day. But today it was a little frustrating not to end up with what better than we did.”

Bruno Zirilli (ITA), navigator Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
"We think that the committee boat was moving a little bit, that can happen with 60 metres of water depth. We trusted too much in our position of the boat, and when we realized that we were early, we had ALL4ONE under us that was luffing, so when there were only 20 seconds to go, we have decided to go around the commitee boat."

Today’s windward-leeward races look set to be very similar to the opening pair of Tuesday when Quantum Racing and Tony Langley’s Gladiator took the winning guns. They share the same points aggregate two points ahead of Spain’s new Paramount Park which sails with the support of Minorca’s Club Náutico de Ciutadella.
Winds are not expected to be much stronger than nine knots but there should be enough to get racing aftet a short delay which has been already signalled ashore.
Meantime the light conditions are still frustrating the two Audi backed Audi Azzurra Sailing Team and Audi ALL4ONE, with the powerful Vrolijk designs which are better in the moderate to fresh conditions, as the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team’s Milanese navigator Bruno Zirilli explains:
“It will be light and the rest of the week is really not a good picture for us. The end of the week looks like the Mistral is coming maybe with one day unsailable so that really is not such a good picture for us, too light at the beginning to strong at the end…nothing in the middle. I think we are good in 15-20kts and there is none of that this week.”
“We sail here a lot with the Maxi’s and some other races. This year is unusual here. Normally at the beginning of October here it is not so warm, this is like early September. Normally here in the summer you have the sea breeze coming from 120-140 degrees, but I think this period is different August and September. The longer you go into Autumn the less chance of the 120-140 degrees sea breeze. We have less chance of the sea breeze, and more chance of the continuous Mistral for five to six days, but not at the moment because it is too warm.
There is a big, steady high pressure extending from the Azores to here and so the N’ly flow is struggling to enter, and so the summer season extends longer. It very nice for living but not so good for racing. When you need 20kts that is not going to happen.
We feel like we have done all we can to sail well, to do the best we can, but the boat does not like the light winds. So when you have 6-7kts it is a big difference to having 10kts and then another step to 15kts. At the moment we are right in the lowest of the range.
I think we improve a bit, even in the light,  we are as good as we can be in that light wind.”

Gladiator (GBR) revolted against the season’s form book and lead by the smallest margin ahead of defending world champions Quantum Racing (USA).

Langley and his team never let the late season heat get to them, neither that extra warmth generated by the unseasonably fierce Autumn sunshine, nor that applied by the very evenly matched, now highly TP52 optimised fleet.

Larson guided owner-driver Langley intelligently in the very gentle breezes, making two clean, clear air starts, sailing quick and keeping clear of the early, first beat traffic.

Against the crop of 2011 launches, Gladiator, the 2009 build Vrolik designed former Artemis, lacked nothing for light airs speed in spite of their compact sail programme winning the second race by nearly three minutes.

Added to their third in the first race of this World Championship, Gladiator’s win leaves them only just ahead of Quantum Racing.

Ed Baird’s American team won the first race convincingly but had the Spanish crew of Paramount Park Murcia (ESP), skippered by Gonzalo Araújo (ESP) with Ross MacDonald (CAN) calling tactics, slip away from them right on the finish line. The resulting third place relegated Quantum Racing to second overall.

Winds, from the NW then east of N, never quite reached nine knots at any stage. In these exacting conditions clear starts were key, as was minimising interaction with other boats and reading the best lanes of wind pressure.

“That is the best result we have had in a day and we have never lead any regatta at this level, so it feels really good. You hope all the work and effort we all put in over the season will pay off one day, and never really expect it to, but here we are.”

“Chris was spotting shifts early and positioning us nicely when we were coming into traffic and for me that made all the difference. So I am very happy.” Smiled Langley.
“But we wont be letting it got to our heads, there is a long way to go yet.”  

Quantum Racing were quickest off the start line of the Race 1 and were a steady leader by the first windward mark, ahead of Markus Wieser (GER) and the crew of Container.

The German team proved slick in the light conditions, taking second, but they were over the start line in the second race. Having to re-start left them to round the course in seventh.

“It was a very streaky breeze. As our coach Francesco de Angelis said to us, it was like a road with many potholes and you had to avoid them.” Summarised Ado Stead (GBR) the Quantum Racing tactician,
“We came out of today with four points over two pretty tricky races, ending Day 1 tied for the lead of the World Championship, which is not too bad.”

Second place in the second race leaves Paramount Park Murcia, the team led by Araújo, MacDonald and Ignacio Triay, lying third overall, two points off the best aggregate of Gladiator and Quantum Racing.

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA)
“I think we saw eight knots at the most at one point. But as our coach Francesco de Angelis said it was like a road full of potholes. We had a reasonable first race which was good but the second race we had to fight hard off the start line, we were definitely on the back foot. But we got the top end of the first beat just right and that kept us in the money.
We had a good lane to go across and that was enough to get us around Azzurra and Paramount Park. That was the key for us.
Francesco is very experienced racing here. I have raced against him a lot and he puts the science and experience of the venue to the team, he is a good addition. It is always disappointing to lose a point or a place on the line, there, but Paramount Park is a very slippery boat downwind in those light conditions, and we are not the most slippery – especially gybing. We lost a few metres, but came away with four points and so I am pretty pleased to be coming off the water after Day 1 of the World Championship tied for the lead.”

Nacho Postigo (ESP), navigator Gladiator (GBR):
“I think we did three things very well. The first thing was starting with good speed and clear and on the line. The second one Chris was really inspired where to go, pretty much all the time, and then the third thing is we were fast which has a lot to do with the design of the boat and Tony is doing a very good job, in a straight line he has no deficit to the pro-helms and the trimmers are doing a very good job. So it is about that whole combination. It is only day 1 and things will surely change, but we are very happy with ourselves.”

Tony Langley (GBR) owner-helm Gladiator (GBR):
“ We were delighted with the third and really were not expecting a bullet in the second. We had a very good start in the second race. It was so important today. The last race was get a good start, lead around the windward mark and then extend. I have not spent much time racing here, but have been here a bit. I daren’t even think about wishing to win a race here, far less even considering winning a world championship, we take every race as it comes. We are OK in 10-15kts but sub 10kts is usually difficult for me.”

Ross MacDonald (CAN) , tactician, Paramount Park Murcia (ESP)
“ A very tricky day really with light winds and it was very difficult to see the wind on the water so credit to the team on Gladiator, they did a really nice job and seemed to always be in the right spot. As for us, we’re happy with how we went, it could’ve gone a little better.
Tactically we made some mistakes in the first race but we’ll see how we go tomorrow.”

Guillermo Parada (ARG) skipper-helm Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“ It was pretty good conditions, the wind was very light and we defend in the best possible way, but with these conditions our boat suffers a lot. Our target was to close the day in the best way, and we'll keep working in the same way hoping to have more wind in the next days to start to attack.”

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This morning in Port Cervo, Sardinia, Ignacio Triay, the project manager who leads the close knit former Bribon crew, unveiled Paramount Park Murcia as the backers behind the team’s challenge to win the Audi TP52 World Championship which begins today on the waters off the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

The which crew won Audi MedCup’s Region of Murcia-Cartagena Trophy this season is largely unchanged from their Audi MedCup Circuit line up.

“I have a good relationship with the promoters of Paramount Park in Murcia and with it being launched today in Spain on the first day of these TP52 World Championship, we were looking for some support to come here with our team, it was an amazing opportunity for us as a first step to secure our future on the transition path from sailing under the umbrella of an ‘owner’ team to a professional team on our own.

For us both it is a great opportunity because of the coinciding dates, making public there amazing new project in Murcia this week this same week as the Audi TP52 World Championship. It is a good joint venture, a win-win situation for us both sides.” Explained Triay this morning.

“For them it is a good platform to start to promote this fantastic new project they have on their hands. For us it is a good way to prove to the global sailing community that as a team we are here, ready to go. Out ambition is to go forwards as a team.”

The new theme park project includes Paramount Park Alhama de Murcia, the first Paramount theme park ever to be built in Europe which is complemented by a large cultural, business and leisure complex currently called the Lifestyle Center. The project will be located in Alhama de Murcia. His Excellency Mr. Ramón Luis Valcárcel, President of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, and Michael Bartok, Executive Vice President of Paramount Licensing Inc. were today in attendance at the launch event in Madrid to demonstrate their support for the project.

The entire project budget is 1.1 billion Euros and it will have a major impact on regional tourism with more than 3 million visitors expected annually, comprised of both Spanish and international tourists. The theme park will cover and area of around 550,000 square meters and the adjacent, state-of-the-art business and leisure complex is around 1,030,000 square meters.

A light NW’ly breeze has been blowing this morning around the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda but the chances seem to be that it will be challenged by an opposing thermal wind. Some navigators and weather gurus this morning were suggesting that getting one race away would be good, although up to three could – in theory be sailed.
After yesterday’s Practice Race there is no team with an obvious speed advantage in the light, such as ESP 7552 showed in Murcia and RÁN in Barcelona.
More than ever teams analyse what others are doing well and adopt similar approaches to rig and boat trim and the advantages are evened out quickly.
Racing is due to start at midday local time. Quantum Racing, the defending world champions, won yesterday’s practice race.

Steve Hayles (GBR) navigator RÁN (SWE):
"It is a light start to the week as everybody really knows but by the end of the week, probably Friday we will be looking at a NW’ly Mistral conditions and so it will be tough to call exactly. Unfortunately it might be very light today, marginal in fact because it will be NW’ly this morning and the sea breeze will try to come in.
I think we felt pretty quick yesterday, but the thing is with this fleet if there is one thing you are doing well then very quickly everyone is on it. Sure it suits the boat here then we will have that advantage but who knows.
We were here two weeks back with the 72 footer at the Maxi worlds, so we have done a lot of sailing here. But it is very different here at this time of year. The sea breezes are extremely weak. The temperatures are very different and so the typical Sardinian weather it is not.
The coastal race is a big one in a small fleet, the countback is important and it is a complicated area. A lot of the MedCup coastal races you go round a little bit of coast, but here when you get around the corner into the islands there are all sorts of little traps and opportunities. And I love that. It is good fun. As long as there is enough breeze to make it a crap shoot. If it is too light, you can do a long race and do quite well and then get it turned inside out.”

Their record which speaks for itself - on the podium at four of the season’s five regattas - the ‘local’ team recently finished third overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit but the iconic Azzurra team was still the only TP52 team to have contested the full season and not won a 2011 Trophy regatta.
“Do I look stressed?” shrugged Vascotto after today’s light winds Audi TP52 World Championship practice race, “Look, that is the answer. Tomorrow we will again have light winds but later in the week we have better conditions for us. All that we can try to do we have tried and so we stay calm and focused and will just have to see how it goes.”

Vascotto is undoubtedly on his game, taking second place at the recent Melges 32 World Championships in Palma, but in the benign NW’ly breeze which scarcely made seven knots for today’s practice race, the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team struggled today with their powerful boat in what are known to be their weakest conditions.

According to current forecasts this fourth edition of the TP52 World Championship looks likely to be a regatta of very different winds – very light for the early races and very strong by Friday and Saturday.

“The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week.” Says Ado Stead (GBR), who guided Quantum Racing to the world title in Valencia last year, “ Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.”

Defending champions Quantum Racing won last year under Terry Hutchinson. Today, with helm Ed Baird (USA) at the controls the recently crowned Audi MedCup Circuit champions won the Practice Race with new Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli as a replacement for Kevin Hall (USA).

In the light winds  it was Container (GER) and Gladiator (GBR)which were successive leaders on the water. Container jumped the start gun and were latterly disqualified, but the German team had decided it was more valuable to line up against the fleet rather than re-start.

After a lacklustre finish to their MedCup season, in their quest to improve speed they have brought the vastly experienced, twice Audi MedCup winning Kiwi mainsail trimmer Don Cowie on board.

Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) has two key changes and only lost out on the final run today Chris Larson (USA), recent Melges 32 winning tactician, stepped into the team as tactician and Nacho Postigo (ESP) is a late substitute for injured navigator Graham Sunderland (GBR).

Costa Smeralda has been a happy hunting ground for Niklas Zennstrom’s RÁN, winning back to back Mini Maxi world titles with their 72 footer, but this will be an acid test for the team which stood clear of the title scrapping to win last month in Barcelona.

Five days of racing are planned including Thursday’s 1.5 points premium coastal race into the beautiful islands to the north.

Quotes:
Vasco Vascotto (ITA) tactician Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“ Do I look stressed? No, and that is the answer. Today was a perfect day to try to some different things in light winds. We came back to the dock staistfied with some aspects and not others but we spent our day in a good way.  Tomorrow we will again have light winds but let us hope we have better conditions for us later in the week. But we are calm and focused. All we can try we have tried and so we will just have to see how it goes.”

Markus Wieser (GER) skipper-helm Container (GER):
“We had a good race, we were over the start line but did not want to go back because we have Don Cowie sailing with us now and so we wanted to see how we lined up with the boats. We were just slow in the second part of the Audi MedCup and so we had to do something. We felt we did not move forward. We were fed up and so we changed the whole set up, the rig and trim and we are sailing the boat really different now, a bit like Team New Zealand in the past. We are re-cutting some of our sails overnight, hopefully we will get into in the next couple of days. We were very frustrated these last two events. We were getting slower and slower, or boats got faster and faster and we did not step forwards. We said let us see for the next event, the worlds, and we are sailing with three Kiwis and wanted to get one of the best guys. And Don came in this morning, just in time, and so we are using this week to see how we are to try and improve for next year. Every race is important and the owner always expects us to do as well as possible. We need to to be moving forwards, advancing and getting rid of our problems.”

Chris Larson (USA) tactician Gladiator (GBR):
“I am sailing pretty well right now. I have sailed here a lot. This is one of my special places and I love it here with lots of good memories from the Maxi Worlds, Farr 40’s, Sardinia Cup-  we have won a couple of Sardinia Cups here – and so it is good to be back.
“It all went well today for me today with a new boat and new team. We are just trying to get off the start line well and have a good first beat. There are a couple of things for us with our owner-driver competing, and compared to some of the other boats what makes it difficult is the (steering) wheels. We have to deal with that and so try to deal with that and stay out of real tight situations.
We are just here to try and have a good regatta, to try and post some good finishes. We are pretty realistic and so if we are not on the bottom of the list at the end of the regatta we will be really happy. We want to out and get some podium finishes.”

Ado Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“ It is great here. Everyone has a clean slate and I think everyone has a chance of winning it. And we are sailing at Porto Cervo at the end of the year, it feels very Autumnal and anything can happen. It was a weak breeze today, but it will be a great regatta. If you look around all the boats there are a lot of very experienced sailors who have sailed here a lot, one designs, maxis, the whole lot. The local boat is very strong. The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week. Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.
We left Barcelona with a list of things to do. We have modified the mainsail and modified some spinnakers, there are few things we have been pushing along. With Francesco (Mongelli, new navigator) he is very used to sailing our sister-ship but just getting the communication going now, it is just as it is with anyone new joining a team.”

Morgan Larson (USA) tactician RÁN (SWE/GBR):
“It will be a challenge this week with so many good teams but it will be difficult in this smaller fleet, I prefer sailing percentages in bigger fleets and trying to make the top half of the fleet and make that work over the series. Here there will be a lot of pressure to take some flyers.”
“I think winning in Barcelona gives the team a lot of confidence here, but it will be a lot harder for use here with Quantum not trying to tack on Bribon and things like that, and on Azzurra and that will be a challenge. I love it here and hopefully we are going to get to sail up through the islands in among the rocks a bit and make the navigators work.”

Ignatio Triay (ESP) project manager-trimmer ESP 7552/TBA (ESP):
“It was a very difficult race track today, the wind was very light, sometimes getting up to 10 knots but most of the time under eight, very shifty and with some areas of not much pressure, big holes.”
“ It was a very tight practice race between all the boats, changing positions all the time. I think all the boats had very similar speeds but probably anyone who caught the right side of the race track was a little ahead.”
Expectations for the week: “We know it’s going to be light which is very good for our boat and then there will be Mistral at the end of the week which is not so good for our boat. We’ll see but we are optimistic.”

Jochen Schümann (GER), helm-skipper Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER):
“We are all obviously looking forward to this World Championship here in Porto Cervo. The race course here is very famous, we know it very well from the Maxi Worlds and a lot of other races organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This is our chance to do well as we had a bad start to the Audi Medcup in Cascais and Marseille hopefully we will use this chance well.”

Niklas Zennstrom (SWE) owner-helm RAN (SWE/GBR):
“The forecast looks like the first two days we’ll have relatively light wind with more Mistral coming in towards the end of the week. I think we sailed well today. There was a lot of changing places today, you can see that all the boats are very similar in terms of speed and all the teams are very good so there is no favourite, anyone can win so everyone is going into this regatta thinking that they have the potential to win. It’s going to be a good week.

content@tp52worldchampionship.org

Their record which speaks for itself - on the podium at four of the season’s five regattas - the ‘local’ team recently finished third overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit but the iconic Azzurra team was still the only TP52 team to have contested the full season and not won a 2011 Trophy regatta.
“Do I look stressed?” shrugged Vascotto after today’s light winds Audi TP52 World Championship practice race, “Look, that is the answer. Tomorrow we will again have light winds but later in the week we have better conditions for us. All that we can try to do we have tried and so we stay calm and focused and will just have to see how it goes.”

Vascotto is undoubtedly on his game, taking second place at the recent Melges 32 World Championships in Palma, but in the benign NW’ly breeze which scarcely made seven knots for today’s practice race, the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team struggled today with their powerful boat in what are known to be their weakest conditions.

According to current forecasts this fourth edition of the TP52 World Championship looks likely to be a regatta of very different winds – very light for the early races and very strong by Friday and Saturday.

“The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week.” Says Ado Stead (GBR), who guided Quantum Racing to the world title in Valencia last year, “ Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.”

Defending champions Quantum Racing won last year under Terry Hutchinson. Today, with helm Ed Baird (USA) at the controls the recently crowned Audi MedCup Circuit champions won the Practice Race with new Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli as a replacement for Kevin Hall (USA).

In the light winds  it was Container (GER) and Gladiator (GBR)which were successive leaders on the water. Container jumped the start gun and were latterly disqualified, but the German team had decided it was more valuable to line up against the fleet rather than re-start.

After a lacklustre finish to their MedCup season, in their quest to improve speed they have brought the vastly experienced, twice Audi MedCup winning Kiwi mainsail trimmer Don Cowie on board.

Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) has two key changes and only lost out on the final run today Chris Larson (USA), recent Melges 32 winning tactician, stepped into the team as tactician and Nacho Postigo (ESP) is a late substitute for injured navigator Graham Sunderland (GBR).

Costa Smeralda has been a happy hunting ground for Niklas Zennstrom’s RÁN, winning back to back Mini Maxi world titles with their 72 footer, but this will be an acid test for the team which stood clear of the title scrapping to win last month in Barcelona.

Five days of racing are planned including Thursday’s 1.5 points premium coastal race into the beautiful islands to the north.

Quotes:
Vasco Vascotto (ITA) tactician Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“ Do I look stressed? No, and that is the answer. Today was a perfect day to try to some different things in light winds. We came back to the dock staistfied with some aspects and not others but we spent our day in a good way.  Tomorrow we will again have light winds but let us hope we have better conditions for us later in the week. But we are calm and focused. All we can try we have tried and so we will just have to see how it goes.”

Markus Wieser (GER) skipper-helm Container (GER):
“We had a good race, we were over the start line but did not want to go back because we have Don Cowie sailing with us now and so we wanted to see how we lined up with the boats. We were just slow in the second part of the Audi MedCup and so we had to do something. We felt we did not move forward. We were fed up and so we changed the whole set up, the rig and trim and we are sailing the boat really different now, a bit like Team New Zealand in the past. We are re-cutting some of our sails overnight, hopefully we will get into in the next couple of days. We were very frustrated these last two events. We were getting slower and slower, or boats got faster and faster and we did not step forwards. We said let us see for the next event, the worlds, and we are sailing with three Kiwis and wanted to get one of the best guys. And Don came in this morning, just in time, and so we are using this week to see how we are to try and improve for next year. Every race is important and the owner always expects us to do as well as possible. We need to to be moving forwards, advancing and getting rid of our problems.”

Chris Larson (USA) tactician Gladiator (GBR):
“I am sailing pretty well right now. I have sailed here a lot. This is one of my special places and I love it here with lots of good memories from the Maxi Worlds, Farr 40’s, Sardinia Cup-  we have won a couple of Sardinia Cups here – and so it is good to be back.
“It all went well today for me today with a new boat and new team. We are just trying to get off the start line well and have a good first beat. There are a couple of things for us with our owner-driver competing, and compared to some of the other boats what makes it difficult is the (steering) wheels. We have to deal with that and so try to deal with that and stay out of real tight situations.
We are just here to try and have a good regatta, to try and post some good finishes. We are pretty realistic and so if we are not on the bottom of the list at the end of the regatta we will be really happy. We want to out and get some podium finishes.”

Ado Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“ It is great here. Everyone has a clean slate and I think everyone has a chance of winning it. And we are sailing at Porto Cervo at the end of the year, it feels very Autumnal and anything can happen. It was a weak breeze today, but it will be a great regatta. If you look around all the boats there are a lot of very experienced sailors who have sailed here a lot, one designs, maxis, the whole lot. The local boat is very strong. The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week. Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.
We left Barcelona with a list of things to do. We have modified the mainsail and modified some spinnakers, there are few things we have been pushing along. With Francesco (Mongelli, new navigator) he is very used to sailing our sister-ship but just getting the communication going now, it is just as it is with anyone new joining a team.”

Morgan Larson (USA) tactician RÁN (SWE/GBR):
“It will be a challenge this week with so many good teams but it will be difficult in this smaller fleet, I prefer sailing percentages in bigger fleets and trying to make the top half of the fleet and make that work over the series. Here there will be a lot of pressure to take some flyers.”
“I think winning in Barcelona gives the team a lot of confidence here, but it will be a lot harder for use here with Quantum not trying to tack on Bribon and things like that, and on Azzurra and that will be a challenge. I love it here and hopefully we are going to get to sail up through the islands in among the rocks a bit and make the navigators work.”

Ignatio Triay (ESP) project manager-trimmer ESP 7552/TBA (ESP):
“It was a very difficult race track today, the wind was very light, sometimes getting up to 10 knots but most of the time under eight, very shifty and with some areas of not much pressure, big holes.”
“ It was a very tight practice race between all the boats, changing positions all the time. I think all the boats had very similar speeds but probably anyone who caught the right side of the race track was a little ahead.”
Expectations for the week: “We know it’s going to be light which is very good for our boat and then there will be Mistral at the end of the week which is not so good for our boat. We’ll see but we are optimistic.”

Jochen Schümann (GER), helm-skipper Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER):
“We are all obviously looking forward to this World Championship here in Porto Cervo. The race course here is very famous, we know it very well from the Maxi Worlds and a lot of other races organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This is our chance to do well as we had a bad start to the Audi Medcup in Cascais and Marseille hopefully we will use this chance well.”

Niklas Zennstrom (SWE) owner-helm RAN (SWE/GBR):
“The forecast looks like the first two days we’ll have relatively light wind with more Mistral coming in towards the end of the week. I think we sailed well today. There was a lot of changing places today, you can see that all the boats are very similar in terms of speed and all the teams are very good so there is no favourite, anyone can win so everyone is going into this regatta thinking that they have the potential to win. It’s going to be a good week.

content@tp52worldchampionship.org

Their record speaks for itself: on the podium at four of the season’s five regattas. The ‘local’ team recently finished third overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit, however the iconic Azzurra team was still the only TP52 team to have contested the full season and not won a 2011 Trophy regatta.
“Do I look stressed?” shrugged Vascotto after today’s light winds Audi TP52 World Championship practice race, “Look, that is the answer. Tomorrow we will again have light winds but later in the week we have better conditions for us. All that we can try to do we have tried and so we stay calm and focused and will just have to see how it goes.”

Vascotto is undoubtedly on his game, taking second place at the recent Melges 32 World Championships in Palma, but in the benign NW’ly breeze which scarcely made seven knots for today’s practice race, the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team struggled today with their powerful boat in what are known to be their weakest conditions.

According to current forecasts this fourth edition of the TP52 World Championship looks likely to be a regatta of very different winds – very light for the early races and very strong by Friday and Saturday.

“The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week.” Says Ado Stead (GBR), who guided Quantum Racing to the world title in Valencia last year, “ Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.”

Defending champions Quantum Racing won last year under Terry Hutchinson. Today, with helm Ed Baird (USA) at the controls, the recently crowned Audi MedCup Circuit champions won the Practice Race with new Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli as a replacement for Kevin Hall (USA).

In the light winds it was Container (GER) and Gladiator (GBR) who were successive leaders on the water. Container jumped the start gun and were latterly disqualified, but the German team had decided it was more valuable to line up against the fleet rather than re-start.

After a lacklustre finish to their MedCup season, in their quest to improve speed they have brought the vastly experienced, twice Audi MedCup winning Kiwi mainsail trimmer Don Cowie on board.

Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) has two key changes and only lost out on the final run today. Chris Larson (USA), recent Melges 32 winning tactician, stepped into the team as tactician and Nacho Postigo (ESP) is a late substitute for injured navigator Graham Sunderland (GBR).

Costa Smeralda has been a happy hunting ground for Niklas Zennstrom’s RÁN, winning back to back Mini Maxi world titles with their 72 footer, but this will be an acid test for the team which stood clear of the title scrapping to win last month in Barcelona.

Five days of racing are planned including Thursday’s 1.5 points premium coastal race into the beautiful islands to the north.

Quotes:
Vasco Vascotto (ITA) tactician Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“Do I look stressed? No, and that is the answer. Today was a perfect day to try to do some different things in light winds. We came back to the dock satisfied with some aspects and not others, but we spent our day in a good way.  Tomorrow we will again have light winds but let us hope we have better conditions for us later in the week. We are calm and focused. All we can try we have tried and so we will just have to see how it goes.”

Markus Wieser (GER) skipper-helm Container (GER):
“We had a good race, we were over the start line but did not want to go back because we have Don Cowie sailing with us now and so we wanted to see how we lined up with the boats. We were just slow in the second part of the Audi MedCup and so we had to do something. We felt we did not move forward. We were fed up and so we changed the whole set up, the rig and trim and we are sailing the boat really different now, a bit like Team New Zealand in the past. We are re-cutting some of our sails overnight, hopefully we will get into in the next couple of days. We were very frustrated these last two events. We were getting slower and slower, or boats got faster and faster and we did not step forwards. We said let us see for the next event, the Worlds, and we are sailing with three Kiwis and wanted to get one of the best guys. And Don came in this morning, just in time, and so we are using this week to see how we are to try and improve for next year. Every race is important and the owner always expects us to do as well as possible. We need to to be moving forwards, advancing and getting rid of our problems.”

Chris Larson (USA) tactician Gladiator (GBR):
“I am sailing pretty well right now. I have sailed here a lot. This is one of my special places and I love it here with lots of good memories from the Maxi Worlds, Farr 40’s, Sardinia Cup - we have won a couple of Sardinia Cups here – and so it is good to be back.
“It all went well today for me with a new boat and new team. We are just trying to get off the start line well and have a good first beat. There are a couple of things for us with our owner-driver competing, and compared to some of the other boats what makes it difficult is the (steering) wheels. We have to deal with that and stay out of real tight situations.
We are just here to try and have a good regatta, to try and post some good finishes. We are pretty realistic and so if we are not on the bottom of the list at the end of the regatta we will be really happy. We want to out and get some podium finishes.”

Ado Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“ It is great here. Everyone has a clean slate and I think everyone has a chance of winning it. And we are sailing at Porto Cervo at the end of the year, it feels very Autumnal and anything can happen. It was a weak breeze today, but it will be a great regatta. If you look around all the boats there are a lot of very experienced sailors who have sailed here a lot, one designs, maxis, the whole lot. The local boat is very strong. The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week. Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.
We left Barcelona with a list of things to do. We have modified the mainsail and modified some spinnakers, there are few things we have been pushing along. With Francesco (Mongelli, new navigator) he is very used to sailing our sister-ship but just getting the communication going now, it is just as it is with anyone new joining a team.”

Morgan Larson (USA) tactician RÁN (SWE/GBR):
“It will be a challenge this week with so many good teams but it will be difficult in this smaller fleet, I prefer sailing percentages in bigger fleets and trying to make the top half of the fleet and make that work over the series. Here there will be a lot of pressure to take some flyers.”
“I think winning in Barcelona gives the team a lot of confidence here, but it will be a lot harder for use here with Quantum not trying to tack on Bribon and things like that, and on Azzurra and that will be a challenge. I love it here and hopefully we are going to get to sail up through the islands in among the rocks a bit and make the navigators work.”

Ignacio Triay (ESP) project manager-trimmer ESP 7552/TBA (ESP):
“It was a very difficult race track today, the wind was very light, sometimes getting up to 10 knots but most of the time under eight, very shifty and with some areas of not much pressure, big holes.”
“ It was a very tight practice race between all the boats, changing positions all the time. I think all the boats had very similar speeds but probably anyone who caught the right side of the race track was a little ahead.”
Expectations for the week: “We know it’s going to be light which is very good for our boat and then there will be Mistral at the end of the week which is not so good for our boat. We’ll see but we are optimistic.”

Jochen Schümann (GER), helm-skipper Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER):
“We are all obviously looking forward to this World Championship here in Porto Cervo. The race course here is very famous, we know it very well from the Maxi Worlds and a lot of other races organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This is our chance to do well as we had a bad start to the Audi Medcup in Cascais and Marseille hopefully we will use this chance well.”

Niklas Zennstrom (SWE) owner-helm RAN (SWE/GBR):
“The forecast looks like the first two days we’ll have relatively light wind with more Mistral coming in towards the end of the week. I think we sailed well today. There was a lot of changing places today, you can see that all the boats are very similar in terms of speed and all the teams are very good so there is no favourite, anyone can win so everyone is going into this regatta thinking that they have the potential to win. It’s going to be a good week.

Their record which speaks for itself - on the podium at four of the season’s five regattas - the ‘local’ team recently finished third overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit but the iconic Azzurra team was still the only TP52 team to have contested the full season and not won a 2011 Trophy regatta.
“Do I look stressed?” shrugged Vascotto after today’s light winds Audi TP52 World Championship practice race, “Look, that is the answer. Tomorrow we will again have light winds but later in the week we have better conditions for us. All that we can try to do we have tried and so we stay calm and focused and will just have to see how it goes.”

Vascotto is undoubtedly on his game, taking second place at the recent Melges 32 World Championships in Palma, but in the benign NW’ly breeze which scarcely made seven knots for today’s practice race, the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team struggled today with their powerful boat in what are known to be their weakest conditions.

According to current forecasts this fourth edition of the TP52 World Championship looks likely to be a regatta of very different winds – very light for the early races and very strong by Friday and Saturday.

“The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week.” Says Ado Stead (GBR), who guided Quantum Racing to the world title in Valencia last year, “ Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.”

Defending champions Quantum Racing won last year under Terry Hutchinson. Today, with helm Ed Baird (USA) at the controls the recently crowned Audi MedCup Circuit champions won the Practice Race with new Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli as a replacement for Kevin Hall (USA).

In the light winds  it was Container (GER) and Gladiator (GBR)which were successive leaders on the water. Container jumped the start gun and were latterly disqualified, but the German team had decided it was more valuable to line up against the fleet rather than re-start.

After a lacklustre finish to their MedCup season, in their quest to improve speed they have brought the vastly experienced, twice Audi MedCup winning Kiwi mainsail trimmer Don Cowie on board.

Tony Langley’s Gladiator (GBR) has two key changes and only lost out on the final run today Chris Larson (USA), recent Melges 32 winning tactician, stepped into the team as tactician and Nacho Postigo (ESP) is a late substitute for injured navigator Graham Sunderland (GBR).

Costa Smeralda has been a happy hunting ground for Niklas Zennstrom’s RÁN, winning back to back Mini Maxi world titles with their 72 footer, but this will be an acid test for the team which stood clear of the title scrapping to win last month in Barcelona.

Five days of racing are planned including Thursday’s 1.5 points premium coastal race into the beautiful islands to the north.

Quotes:
Vasco Vascotto (ITA) tactician Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA):
“ Do I look stressed? No, and that is the answer. Today was a perfect day to try to some different things in light winds. We came back to the dock staistfied with some aspects and not others but we spent our day in a good way.  Tomorrow we will again have light winds but let us hope we have better conditions for us later in the week. But we are calm and focused. All we can try we have tried and so we will just have to see how it goes.”

Markus Wieser (GER) skipper-helm Container (GER):
“We had a good race, we were over the start line but did not want to go back because we have Don Cowie sailing with us now and so we wanted to see how we lined up with the boats. We were just slow in the second part of the Audi MedCup and so we had to do something. We felt we did not move forward. We were fed up and so we changed the whole set up, the rig and trim and we are sailing the boat really different now, a bit like Team New Zealand in the past. We are re-cutting some of our sails overnight, hopefully we will get into in the next couple of days. We were very frustrated these last two events. We were getting slower and slower, or boats got faster and faster and we did not step forwards. We said let us see for the next event, the worlds, and we are sailing with three Kiwis and wanted to get one of the best guys. And Don came in this morning, just in time, and so we are using this week to see how we are to try and improve for next year. Every race is important and the owner always expects us to do as well as possible. We need to to be moving forwards, advancing and getting rid of our problems.”

Chris Larson (USA) tactician Gladiator (GBR):
“I am sailing pretty well right now. I have sailed here a lot. This is one of my special places and I love it here with lots of good memories from the Maxi Worlds, Farr 40’s, Sardinia Cup-  we have won a couple of Sardinia Cups here – and so it is good to be back.
“It all went well today for me today with a new boat and new team. We are just trying to get off the start line well and have a good first beat. There are a couple of things for us with our owner-driver competing, and compared to some of the other boats what makes it difficult is the (steering) wheels. We have to deal with that and so try to deal with that and stay out of real tight situations.
We are just here to try and have a good regatta, to try and post some good finishes. We are pretty realistic and so if we are not on the bottom of the list at the end of the regatta we will be really happy. We want to out and get some podium finishes.”

Ado Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“ It is great here. Everyone has a clean slate and I think everyone has a chance of winning it. And we are sailing at Porto Cervo at the end of the year, it feels very Autumnal and anything can happen. It was a weak breeze today, but it will be a great regatta. If you look around all the boats there are a lot of very experienced sailors who have sailed here a lot, one designs, maxis, the whole lot. The local boat is very strong. The big thing is looking to the outlook for the week. Potentially it will be very breezy Friday-Saturday so people know you have to be in the lead or very close to it in the first couple of days because Day 4 and 5 might not even happen.
We left Barcelona with a list of things to do. We have modified the mainsail and modified some spinnakers, there are few things we have been pushing along. With Francesco (Mongelli, new navigator) he is very used to sailing our sister-ship but just getting the communication going now, it is just as it is with anyone new joining a team.”

Morgan Larson (USA) tactician RÁN (SWE/GBR):
“It will be a challenge this week with so many good teams but it will be difficult in this smaller fleet, I prefer sailing percentages in bigger fleets and trying to make the top half of the fleet and make that work over the series. Here there will be a lot of pressure to take some flyers.”
“I think winning in Barcelona gives the team a lot of confidence here, but it will be a lot harder for use here with Quantum not trying to tack on Bribon and things like that, and on Azzurra and that will be a challenge. I love it here and hopefully we are going to get to sail up through the islands in among the rocks a bit and make the navigators work.”

Ignatio Triay (ESP) project manager-trimmer ESP 7552/TBA (ESP):
“It was a very difficult race track today, the wind was very light, sometimes getting up to 10 knots but most of the time under eight, very shifty and with some areas of not much pressure, big holes.”
“ It was a very tight practice race between all the boats, changing positions all the time. I think all the boats had very similar speeds but probably anyone who caught the right side of the race track was a little ahead.”
Expectations for the week: “We know it’s going to be light which is very good for our boat and then there will be Mistral at the end of the week which is not so good for our boat. We’ll see but we are optimistic.”

Jochen Schümann (GER), helm-skipper Audi Sailing Team powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER):
“We are all obviously looking forward to this World Championship here in Porto Cervo. The race course here is very famous, we know it very well from the Maxi Worlds and a lot of other races organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This is our chance to do well as we had a bad start to the Audi Medcup in Cascais and Marseille hopefully we will use this chance well.”

Niklas Zennstrom (SWE) owner-helm RAN (SWE/GBR):
“The forecast looks like the first two days we’ll have relatively light wind with more Mistral coming in towards the end of the week. I think we sailed well today. There was a lot of changing places today, you can see that all the boats are very similar in terms of speed and all the teams are very good so there is no favourite, anyone can win so everyone is going into this regatta thinking that they have the potential to win. It’s going to be a good week.

Il team battente bandiera americana sbarca a Porto Cervo forte di due certezze: aver vinto il mondiale nel 2010 nelle acque di Valencia, e il Circuito Audi MedCup 2011 a Barcellona, meno di 2 settimane fa. Ma come in tutta la stagione, troveranno anche al World Championship una concorrenza molto agguerrita, che ha dato vita, con 5 diversi vincitori in altrettante tappe, a una delle stagioni più combattute di sempre.

Le regate dell’Audi TP52 World Championship, organizzate dalla Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, avranno inizio martedì 4 ottobre, per concludersi sabato 8. In programma quattro giornate di regate a bastone, con la costiera prevista per martedì 6 ottobre.

"Questo – dice Ed Reynolds, project manager di Quantum Racing – sarà uno degli eventi più combattuti da quando siamo alla MedCup. Sarà un Mondiale unico, visto che tutti i team hanno le potenzialità per vincere. In passato c’erano solo uno o due team su cui concentrarsi, quest’anno sarà totalmente diverso. Nel Circuito non abbiamo mai dato troppa importanza alle vittorie di tappa, per noi era importante guardare sempre alla classifica overall, e spesso abbiamo pagato questa tattica conservativa. Ma al mondiale, le cose cambiano. Bisognerà essere più aggressivi. Per noi poi sarà emozionante avere il nostro armatore, Doug De Vos, che si unirà per gli ultimi tre giorni di regate.”

A bordo di Quantum Racing ci sarà un cambio importante nell’equipaggio, con il navigatore Kevin Hall che non potrà essere presente a causa di impegni già in programma. Al suo posto arriva il navigatore italiano Francesco Mongelli, per tre anni a bordo di Synergy. 

“Kevin ovviamente lascia un grande vuoto – conclude Reynolds - ma Francesco è stato coinvolto a lungo in tutto il processo di evoluzione fra noi e Synergy (le due barche sorelle, ndr), lavorando a contatto con Kevin e con Botins. Da quel punto di vista conosce benissimo la barca, e sono sicuro che se la caverà benissimo.”

Principale avversario di Quantum Racing, sarà ovviamente Audi Azzurra Sailing Team dell’armatore Alberto Roemmers, con il team italiano che regata proprio sotto il  guidone dello Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Paradossalmente, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, timonato dallo skipper Guillermo Parada, sarà uno dei due team a non aver vinto neanche una tappa nella stagione 2011, ma come equipaggio (l’ex Matador) può vantare già una vittoria nel mondiale 2009 di Palma e un secondo posto nel 2010.

Rispetto alla crew list che ha chiuso al terzo posto il Circuito Audi MedCup, il team non potrà contare sulla presenza di Francesco Bruni alla tattica (a causa di un evento nel circuito match race in cui è impegnato il velista siciliano), con il ruolo che sarà ricoperto dallo stratega Vasco Vascotto.

“Per noi – dice Simon Fry, trimmer di Azzurra-, un mondiale perfetto sarebbe con 20 nodi d’aria e mare piatto, le condizioni ideali per noi. Ma il finale di stagione in Sardegna potrebbe voler dire avere sempre un forte maestrale. Per noi è comunque l’occasione per rimediare a certi errori fatti nella stagione, per chiudere con una vittoria.”

Il britannico Gladiator, dell’owner driver Tony Langley, torna a competere nella flotta dei TP52 per cercare di conquistare il titolo mondiale, forte di un nuovo set di vele e dell’arrivo dell’americano Chris Larson alla tattica. Per Larson sarà l’occasione per puntare al secondo titolo mondiale in due settimane, dopo la recente vittoria nei Melges 32 a Palma di Maiorca.

La Spagna sarà rappresentata da ESP 7552, dello skipper Gonzalo Araujo e del project manager Ignacio Triay. La barca regaterà sotto i colori di un nuovo sponsor che sarà svelato solo alla partenza dell’mondiale.

Racing starts for the 2011 Audi TP52 World Championships from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda on Tuesday October 4th and finishes on Saturday 8th October. A full diet of windward-leeward races is planned with the coastal race scheduled on Thursday October 6th.

“This has to be one of the most exciting and open events since we have been involved in the MedCup.” Says Ed Reynolds (USA), project manager of Quantum Racing. “ It is going to be a unique worlds since really any boat could get on a hot streak and go out and win. In this one regatta format it will be the most competitive worlds we have known to this point. In the past there have been one or two boats to focus on, this time it could be any one.”

“We have never put a big importance on winning regattas on the Circuit where we target a top three at each regatta, and for sure there were times where we paid dearly for that conservatism, but at the worlds it is all full out to win races and win the regatta. That brings out the carnivores, nice and steady is in the past, you have to be more aggressive and be able to live through some tougher positions.”

“It will be really, really intriguing. And also it will be very exciting for us to have owner Doug De Vos joining us for the final three days of the regatta.”

Quantum Racing make one significant crew change losing navigator Kevin Hall to previously scheduled (USA) personal commitments. In his place will be young Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli who served for three years as navigator on Synergy.

“It is of course a big void that Kevin leaves but Francesco has been involved all along with the data collection and processing shared between Synergy and ourselves, working very closely with Kevin and with Botins, and so from the point of view of the physical properties of the boat I am sure we won’t miss a beat.”

Among Quantum Racing’s toughest rivals will be the home team on Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), Alberto Roemmers’ crew which flies the burgee of the event hosts, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Ironically Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, which is skippered by Guillermo Parada (ARG) is one of the two teams that will race on these Sardinian waters which has not won an Audi MedCup Circuit regatta this season. But as Matador, the core crew won the 2009 world title in Palma, Mallorca and finished close runners up in 2010.

The team’s line up is adjusted slightly from that which finished third overall on the Audi MedCup Circuit. Due to a match race commitment in Bermuda, Francesco Bruni will not sail on Audi Azzurra Sailing Team. Instead Vasco Vascotto (ITA) flies ‘solo’ as tactician.

Britain’s Gladiator, owned and steered by Tony Langley (GBR) return to challenge for the world title again having added a number of sails to their inventory and expect to race with American Chris Larson as tactician. Larson will be bidding for a second world title in three weeks after recently winning the Melges 32 Worlds in Palma Mallorca.

Spain will be represented by ESP 7552 which will be skippered and steered by Gonzalo Araujo and project managed by Ignacio Triay (ESP) sailing under the colours of a sponsorship which will be unveiled at the start of the championship.

Quotes

Simon Fry (GBR) trimmer Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA): “In a perfect world we would be happy with 20 knots and flat water, that would be ideal for us, but the reality is that it is Sardinia, late season and that can mean Mistral – too much wind to sail – or very light thermal breezes – and pretty much everything in between. But for us it is a great opportunity to make up for some of our shortfalls over the season and finish off with a win.”

Graham Sunderland (GBR) navigator Gladiator (GBR): “ We are really looking forwards to it. We have made a few small crew changes and have some new sails. If the conditions are similar to those in Barcelona then we can be competitive. We are honing in on finding the ideal tactician to work with Tony, that is a big issue and we are making progress.”

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The world renowned waters of Sardinia’s Porto Cervo will be the venue for the 2011 Audi TP52 World Championships as the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) hosts to the regatta from the 4th to the 8th of October.

The last time that the TP52 World Championships were hosted on these waters was the 2007 edition, won by Sweden’s Torbjorn Tornqvist 's Artemis. Once again the event is expected to attract a high level of sailors including the defending champions Quantum Racing (USA) who won the title in Valencia last year.

And for the Audi Azzurra Sailing Team, the crew which together won the 2009 world title in Palma ahead of Quantum Racing, will be racing on home waters under the flag of the host club.The racing will comprise five days of windward-leeward racing including one coastal race.

Nacho Postigo, Technical Director of the Audi MedCup Circuit, says “this year the worlds will take place at Azzurra's home club and those guys know those waters very well. But I think that we have seen in recent years that the result will stay open till the very end. And the difference with the worlds is that we start from zero, the Audi MedCup will be just finished. As Americans say, it will be a “one shot” week, winner takes the title. In my opinion anything’s possible”.

The long delay, waiting for enough of a settled breeze to allow competition to take place, only one race was possible, starting at 1517hrs.

With a points cushion which meant that only one of these two could win the title, and Quantum Racing holding a three points cushion, the last race proved to be a tough head-to-head, match race as fully befits the America’s Cup waters.

While their title duel certainly warranted top billing, so too there were a set of supporting matches in the flukey 5-7 knots breeze - private battles and tussles to settle final results throughout the nine boat fleet.

The other key match was for third. Russia’s Synergy were seeking revenge over Artemis (SWE) with whom they tied for third on points in Palma last year. This time it was Synergy who prevailed, countback for third on the podium favouring their two race wins.

Matador were forced on to the back foot off the line when they jumped the gun, forced to re start. Though they did so swiftly and efficiently, Quantum Racing were immediately in a position to work them left, all the way the port tack lay line.

Whilst Bigamist (POR) went on to finish their season in style, winning the last TP52 race of the season, the title fighters rounded the first turn with Quantum Racing in eighth and Matador ninth.

Whilst Quantum Racing did good work herding Matador back into the darker depths of the fleet, the biggest threat arose when the duels ahead of them slowed, offering Matador half a chance of escaping back into the fleet.

But they crossed the finish with Alberto Roemmers’ team eighth and Doug DeVos’ Quantum Racing in ninth, enough to the give the title to the American flagged team by two points.

For Quantum Racing it completes an unmatched record of two world titles in three years, and a second, only losing out last year on countback to Matador, and adds the perfect final flourish in their final race with the Botin Carkeek designed boat in which they won the Audi MedCup title in 2008 and finished runners-up in 2009 and this season.

Finishing in fourth place, just ahead of their arch-rivals was enough for the Russian team to take third, but illustrating just how close it was also in the body of the fleet, only one point separated Synergy from sixth placed Cristabella, with Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE) fourth, and Audi A1 powered by All4ONE (FRA/GER) fifth.

TP52 World Championship 2010
Final Results

1. Quantum Racing (USA) - Terry Hutchinson (USA), 1 3 3 1 4 7,5 2 19= 31,5 points
2. Matador (ARG) - Alberto Roemmers (ARG), 4 2 5 3 5 1,5 3 2 8= 33,5

3. Synergy (RUS) - Eugeni Neugodnikov (RUS), 5 1 1 2 7 6 10(DSQ) 4 5= 41
4. Artemis (SWE) - Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), 3 5 2 4 1 9 7 6 4= 41
5. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) - Jochen Schuemann (GER), 2 10(DSQ) 8 6 2 4,5 4 3 2= 41,5

6. Cristabella (GBR) - John Cutler (NZL), 6 4 4 7 9 3 1 5 3= 42
7. Bigamist 7 (POR) - Afonso Domingos (POR), 7 6 6 5 3 10,5 5 8 1= 51,5
8. Pace (GBR) - Johnny Vincent (GBR), 9 8 7 10(DSQ) 6 12 6 7 7= 72
9. Weapon of Choice (GBR) - Tom Wilson (GBR), 8 7 9 8 8 13,5 8 9 6= 76,5

Quotes of the day

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA):
“ It is an overwhelming sense of relief. We had a big task ahead of us today and this was one of those regattas which kept on going well and then we would retract a little bit, Matador had such a great coastal race, and that was always going to be a big race. And so we did really good work getting back to fifth in that race.”

“But today is tricky and dicey and that is a fast boat that we are racing against. Our boat is a fast boat but there are certain moments when they just go fast like. And so it was amazing how quickly they got back into it after their OCS.”

“What a great culmination to the end of the season. There is so much effort and work goes into these projects, and so to put a world championship under our belt is really, really special.”

On the start:

“ There was a big gap which opened up with a right shear to leeward of where we were and we just quickly got the grip on them and tried to drive them back.”

“We both turned up towards the middle of the course and drove them into Audi A1 to leeward of us. Our call was is if we have to split sides then we want to keep the right, so they tacked at a good time, and so they tacked at a good time. We were racing to the committee boat and two boats were stalled and locked outside the committee boat and we slid through.”

“They were over (the start line) of their own volition. Our influence was us tacking to start with, but all along just wanted to keep the pressure on them and we just did that.

“Through the rest of the race we kept on driving them back, but the problem became that we kept on gaining on the fleet. It was an anomaly. The worst case scenario was at the leeward gate, we did a couple of really nice down speed manoeuvres against them, and the strength of the Quantum boat against the Matador boat showed in the tacking duels, but when we got into open course, that is a nice, efficient orientated blade boat.

It is awesome for us to have won two of the last three world championships and to have tied with Matador for the last one on countback.”

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“As the breeze was a bit fickle we were fairly confident we were only going to have one race, to be honest. Our goal was to contain Matador, keep them back as far as we could so that no boats could get in between her and us. It was going OK but there were a few other little private match races going on, and so that was not easy. It was hard work.

"For me, personally, I am really pleased. To have missed out on Marseille (where Quantum Racing won the Marseille Trophy regatta), I am pleased to feel like I have delivered. And to win the world championships and finish second on the Audi MedCup Circuit is just great.”

Guillermo Parada (ARG), skipper Matador (ARG):
“We won the position we wanted on Quantum in the last tack before the start gun, but we were over the line by three meters. These things happen.”
After that we were always pushing, pushing to the end, and by the finish we were able to pass them.”

“We are very proud because we wanted to get to the final day with a chance to win. This is our last race with this boat because in the final half of the season, since Copa del Rey we have won twice and had two second places, so we finish up with this boat with a good record.”

Eugeniy Neugodnikov (RUS), helmsman Synergy (RUS):
“ It was really tough today. We did a really good job from start to finish. Of course we needed to be in front, but it was enough to take third place. On the finish line it was hard because if Artemis were one place higher they would have beaten us to the podium. So we are happy. This result is very good for Synergy, a boat which was often seems to be in fourth place, but never on the podium. And if you remember last year they finished fourth, right behind Artemis and on the same points so that's changed today.”

“We all hope to be here next year, this has been a great school for me, and I want to thank our sponsors, team and fans”.

TV footage, available for download on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/tv

Quotes of the day

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA):
“ It is an overwhelming sense of relief. We had a big task ahead of us today and this was one of those regattas which kept on going well and then we would retract a little bit, Matador had such a great coastal race, and that was always going to be a big race. And so we did really good work getting back to fifth in that race.”

“But today is tricky and dicey and that is a fast boat that we are racing against. Our boat is a fast boat but there are certain moments when they just go fast like. And so it was amazing how quickly they got back into it after their OCS.”

“What a great culmination to the end of the season. There is so much effort and work goes into these projects, and so to put a world championship under our belt is really, really special.”

On the start:

“ There was a big gap which opened up with a right shear to leeward of where we were and we just quickly got the grip on them and tried to drive them back.”

“We both turned up towards the middle of the course and drove them into Audi A1 to leeward of us. Our call was is if we have to split sides then we want to keep the right, so they tacked at a good time, and so they tacked at a good time. We were racing to the committee boat and two boats were stalled and locked outside the committee boat and we slid through.”

“They were over (the start line) of their own volition. Our influence was us tacking to start with, but all along just wanted to keep the pressure on them and we just did that.

“Through the rest of the race we kept on driving them back, but the problem became that we kept on gaining on the fleet. It was an anomaly. The worst case scenario was at the leeward gate, we did a couple of really nice down speed manoeuvres against them, and the strength of the Quantum boat against the Matador boat showed in the tacking duels, but when we got into open course, that is a nice, efficient orientated blade boat.

It is awesome for us to have won two of the last three world championships and to have tied with Matador for the last one on countback.”

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“As the breeze was a bit fickle we were fairly confident we were only going to have one race, to be honest. Our goal was to contain Matador, keep them back as far as we could so that no boats could get in between her and us. It was going OK but there were a few other little private match races going on, and so that was not easy. It was hard work.

"For me, personally, I am really pleased. To have missed out on Marseille (where Quantum Racing won the Marseille Trophy regatta), I am pleased to feel like I have delivered. And to win the world championships and finish second on the Audi MedCup Circuit is just great.”

Guillermo Parada (ARG), skipper Matador (ARG):
“We won the position we wanted on Quantum in the last tack before the start gun, but we were over the line by three meters. These things happen.”
After that we were always pushing, pushing to the end, and by the finish we were able to pass them.”

“We are very proud because we wanted to get to the final day with a chance to win. This is our last race with this boat because in the final half of the season, since Copa del Rey we have won twice and had two second places, so we finish up with this boat with a good record.”

Eugeniy Neugodnikov (RUS), helmsman Synergy (RUS):
“ It was really tough today. We did a really good job from start to finish. Of course we needed to be in front, but it was enough to take third place. On the finish line it was hard because if Artemis were one place higher they would have beaten us to the podium. So we are happy. This result is very good for Synergy, a boat which was often seems to be in fourth place, but never on the podium. And if you remember last year they finished fourth, right behind Artemis and on the same points so that's changed today.”

“We all hope to be here next year, this has been a great school for me, and I want to thank our sponsors, team and fans”.

Such was their points cushion this morning that only one of these two boats could win the world title. Quantum Racing had three points margin on Matador.

After a long delay waiting for enough of a settled breeze to allow racing, Matador were immediately set on the back foot when they were over the start line. The Americans did a good job herding and covering their rival out to the port tack layline, and Quantum Racing rounded WW1 in eighth with Matador ninth.

At the leeward gate Quantum Racing went to the right hand gate mark and Matador to the left. Alberto Roemmers Jr team managed to get first into a sharp left hand shift that got them right back to the Americans, but while they split at times down the final run, there was nothing else Matador could do and Quantum Racing crossed the line to take the title.

Resultados completos y pasos por boya, en www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Of course there are other variables which can come into play to upset the fine balance on this last day of the TP52 term, but on form shown this week is should a battle between the current champions Matador (ARG) and the 2008 champions Quantum Racing (USA).

The American crew hold a small advantage, three points, as they set sail, looking to end 2010 on a high note. Last year finished with a measure of disappointment on the last day when a changed protest decision brought Matador back into contention for the last races and they did just enough to close out Quantum Racing. Today both crews are firmly in the zone and ready to do battle for the title. Many of the key afterguard members are former team-mates as well as long time adversaries. Quantum Racing’s Adrian Stead and Terry Hutchinson and Matador’s Francesco Bruni (ITA) and Vasco Vascotto (ITA) are all regular adversaries on the Farr40 Circuit, and Vascotto and Stead were in the same team in the 33rd America’s Cup on Mascalzone Latino. So all of them know each other’s strengths, weaknesses and styles pretty well.

Two races are likely, given the current forecast which promises Around start time, 1300hrs CET, there should be between four and eight knots, settling around 070-090 degrees, building and backing slightly left to around 060-080 degrees, with eight to 12 knots by late afternoon.

The evening’s prize giving is set for 1800hrs.

Adrian Stead (GBR) tactician Quantum Racing (USA):
“It is the world championship, definitely we need to win and it is great season closer, the best way to finish off, so we need to win. For me this is no different to the finish to any regatta this season. We are right up for it.”

“We just stick to our game plan that we have been working to all week. We made a bit tough for ourselves on the coastal race. A lot of people I am sure were expected it to go left on that first beat, but we put ourselves a little bit on the back foot then, but when we look back over the other races we have been pretty happy with what we have achieved. We have modified our plans a little bit over the course of the first beats. We have not been in a real corner yet, on the basis that we can chip our way through, or prepare for most surprises. I think we should have two good ones today.”

“I think there is a great deal of respect between myself, Terry, Bruni and Vasco who have all sailed against each other over the years in the Farr 40’s, for long enough, knowing what we are all capable of.”

“I worked with Vasco in Mascalzone and there is a lot of respect both ways. To be honest this is the end of a very good regatta and we need to finish it off with two results. It is as simple as that.”

Quantum Racing took two small, but very positive steps closer to a second TP52 world championship title today off Valencia as their second and first place finishes in light, hazy sea breeze conditions allowed them to increase their lead over defending title holders Matador to three points.

The American team, who won their 2008 world title in breezy Lanzarote and tied on overall points with winners Matador in Palma last Autumn, just got the better of their rivals to win the key second race today.

After a nail-biting opening beat Matador had only just lead around the windward mark but Quantum split away on the run and were able to just squeeze in front of Matador when they converged on the approach to the first leeward gate.

“It is just great racing against them.” Said Quantum Racing’s tactician Adrian Stead (GBR) of the second, cliffhanger race: “ We have of course been racing against them all season and so we know them pretty well and they know us.”

Their 2,1 for the day against Matador’s 3,2 sees Quantum Racing go into the regatta’s final day with a small cushion, their reward for now once finished outside the top three over the seven windward leeward races to date.

In third place overall remain Russia’s Synergy team, who finished fourth last year, losing their claim to Artemis’ third on countback. This time the Russian crew, with Kiwi Rod Dawson doing sterling work as tactician, lead Artemis into the final day by a margin of just one point. But their day’s work today was marred by disqualification from Race 7 after a protest against them by Audi A1 powered by All4ONE (FRA/GER).

Noticeably today the pairs of duelling protagonists often stayed within the same stretch of water as the regatta nears its conclusion, with more protective rather than attacking tactics evident.

Racing concludes tomorrow with two scheduled windward-leeward races

Race 7
It was John Cook’s Cristabella (GBR) which triumphed in the first race, the fifth boat to win a race at these 2010 World Championship. They started with speed off the pin end of the line and were able to gain leverage on the fleet out on the left side of the course. Quantum Racing finished second with Matador containing Audi A1 powered by All4ONE for third.

Race 8
In 6-8 kts of sea later afternoon sea breeze Quantum Racing started mid-line and Matador at the committee boat end of the start line the duo tussled for the lead on the approach to the windward mark. Matador got round just a boat length ahead.

They went to the left down the run and made an initial gain but Quantum Racing found slightly more pressure and a small favourable shift in the dying breeze went slightly right and only just crossed ahead of their rivals.

As they rounded the leeward gate, Quantum Racing rounded the right hand gate mark and gained a small jump as the new breeze built more from the right, while Matador suffered a little.

TP52 World Championship 2010

Day 4
1. Quantum Racing (USA) - Terry Hutchinson (USA), 1 3 3 1 4 7,5 2 1= 22,5 points
2. Matador (ARG) - Alberto Roemmers (ARG), 4 2 5 3 5 1,5 3 2= 25,5

3. Synergy (RUS) - Eugeni Neugodnikov (RUS), 5 1 1 2 7 6 10(DSQ) 4= 36

4. Artemis (SWE) - Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), 3 5 2 4 1 9 7 6= 37

5. Cristabella (GBR) - John Cutler (NZL), 6 4 4 7 9 3 1 5= 39

6. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) - Jochen Schuemann (GER), 2 10(DSQ) 8 6 2 4,5 4 3= 39,5

7. Bigamist 7 (POR) - Afonso Domingos (POR), 7 6 6 5 3 10,5 5 8= 50,5

8. Pace (GBR) - Johnny Vincent (GBR), 9 8 7 10(DSQ) 6 12 6 7= 65

9. Weapon of Choice (GBR) - Tom Wilson (GBR), 8 7 9 8 8 13,5 8 9= 70,5

Quotes of the day:

Adrian Stead (GBR), tactician Quantum Racing (GBR):
'Its going to go down to the last race I think. Matador sailed a very good day today and we sailed slightly better, we got some good starts we sailed the boat fast and I think the key was in the second race today getting past matador on the first downwind and that sort of made a little difference to the day.”

“But we were really pleased we got two races today, Maria and the team did great. Great team effort today, it was good to bounce back after a disappointing race yesterday. We are really pleased”.
On the key second race against Matador (ARG):
“At best we were even. (on the first beat) In terms of bearing there was not much in it. It was one of those where we could have closed them down, but in the end they got their tack in with a boat length to spare. They forced the decision on whether we go behind them and we then got them down the run.”
“ We were happy to split with them. They did well to start with but then they had to come back against the shift which just got us across. But it just goes to show how incredibly tight the racing is. That was probably decided by the result in that race which was effectively a two pointer, decided by a one degree shift. It could have gone either way, so it is great stuff.”

John Cutler (GBR/NZL), skipper Cristabella (GBR):
“It was surprinsingly good for us. We got a great start and we didn't go for very far and then the breeze went left and we tacked and we had more pressure than the fleet,  so we went back across and were comfortable.
So it was quite exciting. We had a nice race, sailed on our own, so we are happy about that. Normally our races are really close and it was nice to just sail round five or six lengths in front. We were relaxed. I've sailed with Nacho Braquehais on this TP52 when it was Desafío and it's really helpful to have a local strategist, someone I know as well.
So there's a lot of talk about what's going to happen next so he's helping a lot and making our lives much easier”.

Rod Dawson (NZL), tactician Synergy (RUS):
“You have now got a few boats at the top of the fleet who are all very close, so everyone is tacking on each other, and trying to defend not only their place in the race but their position in the overall regatta so you can actually see people going to the side of the course more with their opposition, than where they think the wind is going to come from. In the end I think the top boats have come to the top and obviously Quantum and Matador are very fast boats in the light air and those two showed their ability.
But we are pretty happy with were we are. The light air we had today, 7 to 9 knots is not quite our optimum conditions for the boat so to come away from a day like that with two fours we are really happy”.

Francesco Bruni (ITA), tactician Matador (ITA):
“It was a good day today cause we made just an average start in the first race but managed to pass several boats thus finishing third, just one point behind Quantum, so we are really happy with that. In the next race Alberto did a great start, it was really the best of the championship up to now, the boat was going fast and we were first at the top mark and then we went for a jibe set but on the run there was a right shift of around 20º and Quantum passed us, it was a pitty, but it was a decision we made with the head, ans sometimes your are right and some you are not, and you have to live with that. Because the distance to Quantum was so small, we had to make a decision, we just couldn't keep chasing him”.

Adrian Stead (GBR), tactician Quantum Racing (GBR):
'Its going to go down to the last race I think. Matador sailed a very good day today and we sailed slightly better, we got some good starts we sailed the boat fast and I think the key was in the second race today getting past matador on the first downwind and that sort of made a little difference to the day.”

“But we were really pleased we got two races today, Maria and the team did great. Great team effort today, it was good to bounce back after a disappointing race yesterday. We are really pleased”.

On the key second race against Matador (ARG):
“At best we were even. (on the first beat) In terms of bearing there was not much in it. It was one of those where we could have closed them down, but in the end they got their tack in with a boat length to spare. They forced the decision on whether we go behind them and we then got them down the run.”
“ We were happy to split with them. They did well to start with but then they had to come back against the shift which just got us across. But it just goes to show how incredibly tight the racing is. That was probably decided by the result in that race which was effectively a two pointer, decided by a one degree shift. It could have gone either way, so it is great stuff.”

John Cutler (GBR/NZL), skipper Cristabella (GBR):
“It was surprinsingly good for us. We got a great start and we didn't go for very far and then the breeze went left and we tacked and we had more pressure than the fleet,  so we went back across and were comfortable.
So it was quite exciting. We had a nice race, sailed on our own, so we are happy about that. Normally our races are really close and it was nice to just sail round five or six lengths in front. We were relaxed. I've sailed with Nacho Braquehais on this TP52 when it was Desafío and it's really helpful to have a local strategist, someone I know as well.
So there's a lot of talk about what's going to happen next so he's helping a lot and making our lives much easier”.

Rod Dawson (NZL), tactician Synergy (RUS):
“You have now got a few boats at the top of the fleet who are all very close, so everyone is tacking on each other, and trying to defend not only their place in the race but their position in the overall regatta so you can actually see people going to the side of the course more with their opposition, than where they think the wind is going to come from. In the end I think the top boats have come to the top and obviously Quantum and Matador are very fast boats in the light air and those two showed their ability.
But we are pretty happy with were we are. The light air we had today, 7 to 9 knots is not quite our optimum conditions for the boat so to come away from a day like that with two fours we are really happy”.

Francesco Bruni (ITA), tactician Matador (ITA):
“It was a good day today cause we made just an average start in the first race but managed to pass several boats thus finishing third, just one point behind Quantum, so we are really happy with that. In the next race Alberto did a great start, it was really the best of the championship up to now, the boat was going fast and we were first at the top mark and then we went for a jibe set but on the run there was a right shift of around 20º and Quantum passed us, it was a pitty, but it was a decision we made with the head, ans sometimes your are right and some you are not, and you have to live with that. Because the distance to Quantum was so small, we had to make a decision, we just couldn't keep chasing him”.

Matador (ARG) lead narrowly around the first windward mark of the second race just ahead of Quantum Racing (GBR)but the pair split, with the American boat going further to the right on the run, and when they converged just before the leeward gate the 2008 champions were ahead.

The breeze died a little at the leeward gate and filled back from the right which tactician Adrian Stead (GBR) had spotted and they were able to extend from their rounding of the right hand buoy, while Matador had gone to the left mark, suffering with less breeze.

Synergy (RUS) went 4-4 for the day to stay solid in third overall, while Cristabella's (GBR) 1-5 for the day promotes them to fifth, only half a point ahead of Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER).

Complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Cristabella (GBR) close out their win with a good final run, a solid second eases Quantum Racing (USA) two points clear at the top of the standings with Matador (ARG) third.

Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) will be disappointed to have slipped from third to fight Synergy (RUS) and Bigamist (POR) for fourth on the line with nothing between the three of them.

Cristabella step up a place overall, to 5th overall and Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE slide to sixth

Complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

The world champions Matador are right back in the frame now after winning yesterday’s ‘coastal’ race, only one point off the lead of the TP52 World Championship off Valencia.
And only two and a half points separate regatta leaders Quantum Racing from third placed Synergy.

Last year's championship went to the final day and was decided on countback, this time it is shaping up to be just as close, but maybe there will a breakaway today.

Two races are scheduled for today, with a scheduled start time around 1300hrs CET, but winds are very, very light around the Marina Real Juan Carlos I this morning and the forecast.

The prediction is that the sea breeze will not start to build to a sailable strength until early afternoon, between 1300hrs and 1400hrs. By mid afternoon the light sea breeze is expected to be around 5-9 knots, strengthening to 9-13kts by 1600hrs.

The AP flag has been up already, but with only two races planned and the forecast showing better breeze later in the afternoon, then organisers and teams will be content to wait for optimum conditions.

Artemis, the 2007 champions now need a good day today to haul themselves into contention, slipping to fourth yesterday after their fifth place, but with four races still to be sailed, weather permitting, there is still no clear favourite and the battle looks like going to the wire.

Both came to big boat racing recently, both owned TP52’s after owning and racing the same 49 foot cruiser racer for a year and Vincent owns Zennstrom’s former Rán, now Pace which he and his crew are competing on at these TP52 World Championship.

Now, having had his first taste of fleet racing in the TP52 class, Vincent admits that he is now determined to join the Audi MedCup Circuit, the only question being ‘when?’.

He is certainly realistic and objective about the results so far with Pace, and has loved the experience:
“ The plan was to come down here, see how the whole set up works. It has been a good opportunity to bring the boat down, we are off to do the Middle Sea Race.”
“ Ultimately, yes, I have aspirations to do the Circuit, but the question is more ‘when?’
“The whole idea was to come down here and get a feel for it and then make a plan over the next month or so and see how we go for next year.”

And it has been a very positive experience:
“ Here it is quite difficult not to get carried away with the whole thing. It is very unforgiving. It makes it a challenge and I hate losing, just hate it.”
“It is frustrating here. But it is very early days. We have only had the TP52 since April, and so it is a new part of my sailing.”
“ We were based in the Solent and did the races there, the IRC championships, the Vice Admiral’s Cup, we won Cork Week which was great, Cowes Week and now here we are down here.”
“ It is all part of climbing that hill.”

He has sailed and messed about in dinghies since he was young, but the big boat racing bug has bitten only recently, but it has bitten hard, and at the moment he can see no limits.

“I had a Marten 49 which we did more cruiser-racer type stuff, but we did the Solent events, St Tropez, we did the Giraglia which we won last year.”
“But it is quite an addictive pastime, but there are no boundaries – just what you set yourself. But I don’t think there are boundaries, in all things in life having an attitude of there are no limits is a good attitude. You don’t have to be brilliant you just have to be better than the next guy.”

And not finishing in the top half of the fleet has not been anything other than a positive experience:
“ It has been terrific. The first day was rather humbling. Personally I have not done any sailing since Cowes and so we should have been down a few days earlier. One of the practice days here was pretty breezy, we had a little gear failure and so we did not spend as much time on the water as we would have liked. But that happens.
I think as we have gone through the week, we have a slightly different team for this event, or one or two new guys – George Skuodas and Andy Hemmings – with more TP52 sailing experience, and that is good for the team. We are here as a learning experience, not with any particular target.”
“ We are realistic as to what the overall result will look like, but I came off the water yesterday and Wednesday feeling that we had sailed the boat well. The first day we made some silly errors. So we look at our performance and how we sailed, not the result.
The boat is not as competitive as the new generation boats, especially downwind she is not as good. The tactical side do have to work very hard.”
“I don’t have a long sailing CV, I have really only been racing over the last two years. It is a difficult balance,  work-wise I am very committed and I have a big family and am very committed there, and so finding a balance is difficult.”

“The venues are fantastic. I’d certainly rather be here rather than the Solent. The Solent in April in woolly hats seems a long time go.”
“I am sure that moving into what is effectively an IRC configuration for the rule from next year is good and had a big appeal to me. We can start obviously doing a bit of both (IRC and MedCup). But are my aspirations to do a full programme in the MedCup Circuit, the answer is yes, but the question is which year. We need the right boat to do it on.”

Victory came when they needed it today for the defending world champions Matador. A big win in the 1.5 points multiplier 28 miles ‘coastal’ race brings Alberto Roemmers’ team to within one point of Quantum Racing (USA), the 2008 champions.
With owner Roemmers on the helm, Matador were the first to break to the right off the start line, along with Bigamist (POR) and Cristabella (GBR) and they formed the leading trio at the first windward gate.

From there on through a circuit of windward-leeward, triangle, windward-leeward loops in 11 to 16 knots of NE’ly breeze on choppy waters, on to to a spectacular finish in front of the iconic Veles et Vents building, in the heart of the America’s Cup Marina Real Juan Carolos 1, Matador extended their lead, finishing 1 minute and 24 seconds ahead of Cristabella.

If it was a day to savour for the current world champions, their second big coastal race success in 14 days after winning the coastal at the final event of the Audi MedCup Circuit in Sardinia, bringing them sharply back into contention for this year’s title.

For the regatta leaders Quantum Racing it proved a much more frustrating day, spending their coastal contest chipping away through the fleet to a gain fifth place after they had rounded the windward gate in eighth. Other than rescuing three valuable points, Terry Hutchinson and crew would also have a small measure of satisfaction that it was Artemis (SWE), who were their main challenge going out this morning, who finished on their tail pipe.

Both Quantum Racing and Artemis were on the wrong side of the right shift on the first beat and were the only two who stood on to the right hand buoy at the windward gate and so were forced to play catch up from there on in.  

In many respects the die was set on that first two miles upwind leg. Bigamist lost out on the first downwind first to Cristabella and then Audi A1 powered by All4ONE.
Audi A1 had made the best start and came round the first gate as the best of the group which went left.

The British Cristabella crew – with Roberto Bermudez (ESP) steering and John Cutler (GBR/NZL) calling tactics -  had a spirited joust all the way through the ensuing legs, containing the Franco-Germans, surging in to the spectacular finish line with the red and white Audi logo’d boat hard on their heels.

Tomorrow’s schedule is for two more windward-leeward races from 1300hrs CET.

TP52 World Championship 2010
Day 3 - Coastal Race

1. Quantum Racing (USA) - Terry Hutchinson (USA), 1 3 3 1 4 7,5= 19,5 points
2. Matador (ARG) - Alberto Roemmers (ARG), 4 2 5 3 5 1,5= 20,5
3. Synergy (RUS) - Eugeni Neugodnikov (RUS), 5 1 1 2 7 6= 22
4. Artemis (SWE) - Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), 3 5 2 4 1 9= 24
5. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) - Jochen Schuemann (GER), 2 10(DSQ) 8 6 2 4,5= 32,5
6. Cristabella (GBR) - John Cutler (NZL), 6 4 4 7 9 3= 33
7. Bigamist 7 (POR) - Afonso Domingos (POR), 7 6 6 5 3 10,5= 37,5
8. Pace (GBR) - Johnny Vincent (GBR), 9 8 7 10(DSQ) 6 12= 52
9. Weapon of Choice (GBR) - Tom Wilson (GBR), 8 7 9 8 8 13,5= 53,5

Francesco Bruni (ITA), tactician onboard Matador (ITA)
“Today it wa special because we've made an almost perfect race, and the coastal races this year are now being good for us, we've broken a record never achieved in the TP52 class. So I'm very happy because the coastal races were a bit our weak point. We're sailing them much better. The 1,5 mutiplier for the coastal makes it more important than the rest of races, and so here we are taking advantage of that”.

Nacho Braquehais (ESP), strategist Cristabella (ESP):
“Just before the start it was pretty clear to all of us that the left was going to pay, and everyone was trying to start on that side. We tacked right after the start and got a clear lane in the middle of the pack. We got ourselves in a nice position, got more pressure on the right and that has helped us reach the mark in a comfortable third position, and right after rounding we were able to gybe and pass Bigamist which was second, and from then on the run was very good, we've stretched out.”
“And then on the second beat Audi A1 was coming back strong from behind and for the rest of the triangle, as well as the second beat and the run, we were fighting with them just four boat lengths ahead, and that's kept us busy. The fourth boat was further back and in the fourth beat we decided to cover our position. After the first half of the race we broke the starboard hand guard lines when we were about to finish the reach, and from then on we couldn't hike.”

Sebastien Col (FRA), tactician Audi A1 powered for All4One (GER/FRA):
“It was a choppy day, quite a lot of shifts, and a very long long race. It doesn't happen really often that we are doing all that, with those many runs and beats, so it was very interesting. We learned a few things today, specially how to sail the boat downwind, we were a litle bit slow at the beginning, so it was a good day for us. A very long race, downwind we had to pump and the guys did a great job pumping all the time, so it pays finishing third here, and finishing in the harbour was great. I thought it would be a little bit shiftier inside the harbour, but at the end it wasn't. Coming in with the spinnakers up, fighting for the second place was fun”.

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA):
"It would have been good if the windward gate was square to the wind. It's over with. To get a fifth out of that was actually really good work. We came off the line with a nice start, the breeze went 13 degrees right. From there it was about the parade. We managed it as best as we could, making a little bit of something out of nothing. It was good."

Matador (ARG) was the best today in Valencian waters winning the coastal race of the 2010 TP52 World Championship.

This is the second coastal race win for the Argentinian team in just two weeks, after their victory in the last coastal of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit past Thursday September 23. This time it was owner Alberto Roemmers on the helm.

The big win for Matador in today’s coastal race, which took place in 11-16 kts of NE'ly breeze, takes the current world champions to within one point of series leader Quantum Racing who finished fifth in today’s 25 miles race, but only 3.5 points covers the top three boats after Synergy took fourth on the water.

Quantum Racing struggled on the wrong side of the first wind shift when the breeze went right and had to spend the race fighting back, earning a fourth place for their hard work. Artemis finished just behind them.

Matador, Bigamist and Cristabella were the first to break right off the line and rounded the first mark as the top three, Audi A1 fourth had made the best start off the line.
Quantum Racing and Artemis went to the right hand mark at the top of the first beat and rounded eighth and ninth, requiring them to fight their way back through the fleet.

Complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Alberto Roemmers Jr's team leads the coastal race, one minute ahead of Cristabella (GBR). The Argentinian team won the last coastal race of the Audi MedCup Circuit just two weeks ago in Cagliari, Italy, and is showing good performance today in Valencia.

Quantum Racing (USA), provisional leader after five races, is currently in seventh place at this stage. Artemis trails at the back of the fleet. 

Mark roundigs, available on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Valencia has many positive assets on and off the water but there are not many islands to sail around, or spectacular cliff backdrops out there. So the coastal course opens with an upwind leg of two miles to a windward gate, four miles run with the fleet converging midway back through the start line. After the leeward gate it is a four miles beat followed by a reach out to a gybe mark, another upwind-downwind and then to the finish.

The most exciting stage could be that final leg into the finish which is planned to be right in the Marina Real Juan Carlos I, with the line formed between the Alinghi base and the Desafio base. Now that could be interesting with pretty much a downwind leg through the channel.

There are many America’s Cup sailors in the fleet who have come back in that channel having experiencing the absolute highs and lows of Cup sailing. On Quantum Racing, Terry Hutchinson and Kevin Hall were both on the Emirates Team New Zealand team which won the Louis Vuitton Cup here and then went on to lose the 32nd America’s Cup, but it’s a fair bet that this will be the first time the crews will have raced back into the marina!

The winds are expected to be up to about 16 knots, from the NE, with some more wind offshore. It is a little cloudier today.

Kevin Hall (USA), navigator Quantum Racing (USA):
“ We have downgraded a little. There was some talk yesterday of it being pretty windy today….20 knots sort of thing? But I don’t know if we will see more than 16 knots, offshore maybe there will be more as the coast slows it down where we are.”
On the course format:
“ There are not a lot of islands to go around, it is a longer course and the long beats are sometimes interesting, but I am not so sure about this one because there will probably be more pressure offshore. The reaches will be interesting because there are a few different A3’s around.”
If familiarity with the Valencia winds helps?
“ Well, we were pretty strong on starting on the pin yesterday and half way up we looked famous, then it was not so good, so it is yes and no. Certainly there is a familiarity here which makes it a little more comfortable.”

Staying within their target points budget for the day’s two races, the 2008 champions’ fourth and first was joint best score of the day, and leaves them three points clear of 2007 title holder Artemis, whose day was the mirror image of Quantum Racing’s.

The start of the second race of the day proved the most telling, as Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE) jumped off the line to an early lead which they extended to nearly one minute, whilst overnight leader Synergy (RUS) made their poorest start of the regatta so far and had to work hard to recover to a seventh.

The America’s Cup waters off Valencia have so far spoiled the TP52 championship crews for choice.
Monday’s building sea-breeze was replaced by an altogether more benign, but equally testing 7-8 knots of NE’ly today, and Thursday’s scheduled 25 miles coastal race is presently expecting at least 20 knots, maybe more.
That the sun has not stopped shining, boosting the daytime temperatures into the mid 20’s Celsius only is the double bonus payout.  

Quantum Racing’s tactician Adrian Stead (GBR) returned to the Real Marina Juan Carlos dock pleased not only with their Race 4 victory, but of equal importance was that they recovered two places in the next race when the breeze offered more advantage to the right with a small right hand shift. They had started smartly off the pin, never felt the same benefit and were forced on to the back foot from there.
But they stuck with it, gaining two places on the second beat and one at the death of the final run, to lead Artemis overall by three points after five races,  the theoretical half way point of the regatta. Stead and Hutchinson both started the regatta in the belief a race average of 3pts could be good enough to clinch the title, and they kept to their target average again today.

Race 4 started in the gentle SE’ly and the early tussle was between Quantum Racing and Synergy, but Quantum closed them out in the top third of the beat and they rounded first and second, with Terry Hutchinson’s crew going on to win by 37 seconds.

Artemis’ broke the Quantum and Synergy race winning run when they made the best start to Race 5 and were able to gain from a small increase in wind pressure and shift as it moved across from the right of the course.
With owner Tornqvist steering they were able to lead comfortably around the first turn, while Audi A1 powered by All4ONE (GER/FRA) and Bigamist (POR) who both went right early were able to round second and third, their final finishing positions.
Quantum Racing were starved of this initial advantage, rescuing a good fourth, but Synergy were not so good off the line and rounded the first mark in eighth and gained to seventh.

Tomorrow’s 25 miles coastal race will be a variation on a traditional Olympic triangle type course, with an opening two miles beat followed by a four miles downwind leg.

TP52 World Championship 2010
Day 2

1 Quantum Racing (USA) - Terry Hutchinson (USA), 1 3 3 1 4= 12 points
2. Artemis (SWE) - Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), 3 5 2 4 1= 15
3. Synergy (RUS) - Eugeni Neugodnikov (RUS), 5 1 1 2 7= 16
4. Matador (ARG) - Alberto Roemmers (ARG), 4 2 5 3 5= 19
5. Bigamist 7 (POR) - Afonso Domingos (POR), 7 6 6 5 3= 27
6. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) - Jochen Schuemann (GER), 2 10(DSQ) 8 6 2= 28
7. Cristabella (GBR) - John Cutler (NZL), 6 4 4 7 9= 30
8. Pace (GBR) - Johnny Vincent (GBR), 9 8 7 10(DSQ) 6= 40
9. Weapon of Choice (GBR) - Tom Wilson (GBR), 8 7 9 8 8= 40

Quotes of the day:

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper Quantum Racing (USA):
“We had another good day, two solid starts and a 1,4. We got a little bit unlucky in the second race, we had a nice start at the pin and we were really happy with everything, but then everybody started to fall in on us and Artemis picked up a little right shear that just didn't get to us. So that set us up for a hard race, but getting a fourth out of that race feels better than the first race because we were eighth or ninth around the top mark and that's a good indication of how the boat's going and how the guys are sailing.
The shifts were happening very quickly”.

Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), skipper and skipper Artemis (SWE):
“Overall everything went very well today. We were a bit unlucky in the first race, we had a decent start but were forced to tack in a position we didn't want, and then we struggled a little bit, we were down but we came back and we finished fourth. It could have been third, given where we were at the beginning of the race, we had a good race.”
“We nailed the start in the second race, it was perfect timewise and we crossed the line in full speed and it was very clear I think that we were on to something good, we were on the right side and we controlled the race from the beginning to the end, so it was a good feeling, one of those races where everything seems to work our way”.

Francesco Mongelli (ITA), navigator Synergy (RUS):
“We've had two very good days, out of the five races we've run, three were very good, one was average and the fifth wasn't that good. But we are happy, we've done some importante changes onboard which are working out and we are happy cause we know we are able to sail this way. In the last race our start wasn't good, and we couldn't make it to the left hand side which was paying, and from then on we've been bounced by the others, you just can't do your own regatta. But thanks to a good call in the last run were able to gain a couple of points thus not finishing last”.

Complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

TV footage available for download on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/tv

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper Quantum (USA):
“We had another good day, two solid starts and a 1,4. We got a little bit unlucky in the second race, we had a nice start at the pin and we were really happy with everything, but then everybody started to fall in on us and Artemis picked up a little right shear that just didn't get to us. So that set us up for a hard race, but getting a fourth out of that race feels better than the first race because we were eighth or ninth around the top mark and that's a good indication of how the boat's going and how the guys are sailing. The shifts were happening very quickly”.


Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), skipper and skipper Artemis (SWE):
“Overall everything went very well today. We were a bit unlucky in the first race, we had a decent start but were forced to tack in a position we didn't want, and then we struggled a little bit, we were down but we came back and we finished fourth. It could have been third, given where we were at the beginning of the race, we had a good race.”
“We nailed the start in the second race, it was perfect timewise and we crossed the line in full speed and it was very clear I think that we were on to something good, we were on the right side and we controlled the race from the beginning to the end, so it was a good feeling, one of those races where everything seems to work our way”.

Francesco Mongelli (ITA), navigator Synergy (RUS):
“We've had two very good days, out of the five races we've run, three were very good, one was average and the fifth wasn't that good. But we are happy, we've done some importante changes onboard which are working out and we are happy cause we know we are able to sail this way. In the last race our start wasn't good, and we couldn't make it to the left hand side which was paying, and from then on we've been bounced by the others, you just can't do your own regatta. But thanks to a good call in the last run were able to gain a couple of points thus not finishing last”.

The second race of today was contested in the same light 7 to 8 kts sea breeze conditions, though this time the right side of the course offered a small advantage on the first beat.

But it was Artemis' (SWE) start which was the foundation to build on, they started mid line with speed, while Quantum Racing (USA) was slightly slower at the pin. Key for the American team off the line was that affected Synergy (RUS) - thieir nearest rival - and the Russian boat was forced off to take sterns.

Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) and Bigamist (POR) both went right early and went on to finsih second and third respectively.

The 2008 title winners took control of Synergy (RUS) near the top end of the first beat and were able to steadily increase their lead to about 36 seconds while Matador (ARG) squeezed out Bigamist (POR) near the finish to take third.

Race 4 complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Today is the second day of scheduled racing for the TP52 World Championship off Valencia where the very first TP52 class races in the Mediterranean took place back in 2005.

The weather forecast for the day is for light winds from the south east, although the sea breeze is expected to be lighter and less reliable than yesterday’s opening blast.
Yesterday proved to be a great introduction to the class for Eugeniy Nuegodnikov, the Russian match racer who made his big league debut on the helm of Synergy and steered the fleet’s sole Reichel Pugh design to two consecutive wins to lead the regatta.

Synergy (RUS) will head out today, when the breeze builds, knowing they are under pressure from the 2008 world champions Quantum Racing who they are tied on points with.

While Synergy went 5,1,1 yesterday, Terry Hutchinson’s team were 1,3,3 for the day and Artemis, with owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) on the helm.

The sea breeze is anticipated to build to only six or seven knots and be a little more left than yesterday, and so the race committee are anticipating two races today.

Racing today as guest on Cristabella (GBR) will be Niklas Zennstrom (SWE), owner-driver of a a series of different grand prix yachts RÁN including the JV 72 which he and his crew won the MiniMaxi world championships on last month

Results and mark roundings, buoy by buoy on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

The crew are no strangers to winning races on the Audi MedCup Circuit and were podium challengers ten days ago in Sardinia, but today was the first time they had ever won two consecutive races at this level. They did so with a new helmsman, top Russian match racer Eugeniy Neugodnikov steering his first ever top level TP52 Series races, having only had a couple of days practice.

In a near perfect sea breeze which built from an early eight to 11 knots for the first race and peaked during an exciting third windward-leeward contest at 22 knots, the Russian crew which has a cosmopolitan afterguard in the shape of Kiwi regular tactician Rod Dawson and Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli opened with a modest fifth in the first race before their back to back bullets.

Terry Hutchinson and the Quantum Racing crew, with Farr 40 world championship winning owner Jim Richardson riding shotgun, won the first race and then posted a pair of third places, leaving the 2008 World Champions locked on the same points aggregate as the Russian regatta leaders.

Quantum Racing won the first race leading from the first windward mark to extend on each leg to cross ahead of Jochen Schuemann's Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) took second in the perfect sea breeze conditions of 8-10 kts.

Quantum Racing (USA) started well mid line and were well placed to steal the early jump on the fleet when they first gained with extra wind pressure and a small left shift early in the first beat. Defending world champions Matador (ARG) were not so fortunate starting off the pin end of the start line and had a little less breeze over the early part of the first beat, losing out on third to Artemis (SWE).

Synergy won the second race of the day in the brisker 15 to 18 kts sea breeze.
Although Quantum Racing lead at the first windward mark Synergy took the right side down the first run with a bear away set at the first top mark. The Russian team showing the good downwind speed that the Reichel Pugh design has often shown, leading at the leeward gate and were not challenged again. Matador took second with Quantum Racing third.

Synergy’s second win of the day, with the breeze built more, was almost a carbon copy of their previous victory, again starting mid line alongside and under Quantum Racing. This time it was Artemis which lead comfortably around the top mark, but Synergy were matching them through the leeward gate and went on to win, with Artemis second and Quantum Racing third.

TP52 World Championship
After Day 1
1. Synergy (RUS) - Eugeni Neugodnikov (RUS), 5 1 1= 7 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA) – Terry Hutchinson (USA), 1 3 3= 7
3. Artemis (SWE) – Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), 3 5 2= 10
4. Matador (ARG) – Alberto Roemmers (ARG), 4 2 5= 11
5. Cristabella (GBR) – John Cutler (NZL), 6 4 4= 14
6. Bigamist 7 (POR) – Afonso Domingos (POR), 7 6 6= 19
7. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) – Jochen Schuemann (GER), 2 10(DSQ) 8= 20
8. Pace (GBR) – Johnny Vincent (GBR), 9 8 7= 24
9. Weapon of Choice (GBR) – Tony Langley (GBR), 8 7 9= 24

Francesco Mongelli (ITA) navigator Synergy (RUS):
" There was more breeze than expected in the end, we know that in flat water with a good breeze the boat is very fast, we know how to manage the boat and I think we did a really great job on the speed, and deciding where to go.
It was never obvious where to go through any of the races but I think Rod Dawson made a good interpretation of what was really happening and because the speed was good it helped. Flat water the boat speed when you are clean of other boats is still very good.
The breeze was increasing but not so shifting. We started mid line because the helmsman is good but new to the class, so the risk to stay close to the others on the line was one way wanted to manage, it was too high. So we went for less risk off the start lines – maybe giving a little away."

Eugeniy Neugodnikov (RUS) helmsman Synergy (RUS):
“It was the first races for me on the TP52, and this was my fourth day on the boat. Everything is different with such a big team. Before the biggest crew I sailed with was six or eight people, match racing at the Congressional Cup, Long Beach in California. But around me there are such professional people and all the time we had good speed, because we have a very good main trimmer in Chris Main, and all the time he was helping me. Our tactics were good and on the downwind all the maneuvers were clear which all helps. Maximum before this was 40 feet, I sailed a little bit on the older boat like Synergy but it was a long way from here in 2006.”

Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) owner-helm Artemis (SWE):
“I am quite pleased with the day, a nice sea breeze but it got a little more difficult with the chop later in the day. Cagliari was for me to get back into it, and I could feel I am much more prepared and we have been looking forward to this and we feel good about this.
This means a lot to me. The season did not end as we wanted it to. This is a way to show that the quality and where we feel we should be.”

Rod Dawson (NZL), tactician Synergy (RUS):
“We're over the moon, that's obviously the best day we've had this season and guys have been improving all year So it's nice to come together in the last regatta of the year. We certainly didn't expect this result, but we take it, we're happy about it. The second and third race we had a reasonable start and we managed to get good speed and go over the side that we wanted and because we got off the start line we got a clear lane, we were able to use our speed and had a few shifts and once you are in the front  that's a little bit “the rich get richer” and it's easy to extend away”.

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper Quantum Racing (USA):
“Today was a great day, we went one three three but we lead two of the three top marks boat was sailing nicely and we were pretty conservative on the start line and I was kind of ticking along. Obviously Synergy had a very good day, they are all good sailors. Conditions were spectacular, the RC44 regatta that we did here back in July was the same kind of conditions, and was perfect, just like today”.

The Russian crew with Rod Dawson calling tactics for first time TP52 helm Eugeniy Neugodnikov (RUS). sailed a great first run and were ahead of Artemis (SWE) by the bottom turn.

Finishing in third, Quantum Racing keep up the challenge lying second on equal points to Synergy.

Complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Although Quantum Racing (USA) lead at the first windward mark, Synergy (RUS) took the right side down the first run with a bear away set at the first top mark.

The Russian team lead at the leeward gate and were not challenged again. Matador (ARG) took second with Quantum Racing third. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) staged a small  recovery, rising from eighth to sixth while Cristabella (GBR) atoned with a solid fourth place after being over the start line and having to re start in Race 1.

With a first and third Quantum Racing lead the title charge.

Complete results and mark roundings for Race 2, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

Jochen Schuemann's Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) took second in the perfect sea breeze conditions of 8-10 kts.

Quantum Racing (USA) started well mid line and were well placed to steal the early jump on the fleet when they first gained with extra pressure and a small left shift in the middle lane of the first beat.

World champions Matador (ARG) were not so fortunate starting off the pin and had a little less breeze over the early part of the first beat, losing third to Artemis (SWE).

Complete results and mark roundings, on www.tp52worldchampionship.org/results

A sunny morning and the mood around the Marina Real Juan Carlos is quietly relaxed very much in keeping with the weather which is bright, sunny, warm with just a very light wind to lift the flags.

While there has been an early AP flag to hold the fleet on shore, the forecast anticipates the transition to the sea-breeze to start around midday which would be ideal for the 1300hrs start time.

Through the early afternoon the wind should be around 120-140 degrees at 6-10kts, building possibly to 12-13kts and moving slightly more left to around 110-130 degrees up to 15 knots in the late afternoon.

Three races are scheduled today and, if the forecast holds true, then that should be a reasonable target to achieve.

Stuart Childerley (GBR), tactician Weapon of Choice (GBR):
“ I am new to this team. We have had a day and a bit practicing and that has gone really well. And we are a very keen team who want to do well. They are reasonably honest about their expectations. I think we would like to have one or two good races. If we can put a smart, consistent series together that is going to be a thing which will put us up the board us a little.”
“ So that means keeping it simple, making good starts and just keeping the risk down. Don’t go in their fighting for  the sake of it, there are some big differences between the boats. We don’t have drop lines, we don’t. So you wont see us fighting for overlaps at the leeward marks, the small subtle things like that.”
“ We have quite an old sail programme. But if it is lighter airs, we have seen older sail programmes do well in lighter airs.”
“ I have been sailing at home on Rio with Charles Dunstone this year and did some coaching in Cartagena with Cristabella. I learned a lot there about the level of campaigning, the overall general level of the campaigns was good to see.”
“ For us we know where are, we can sit here and worry about it, or we can make the most of what we have and use our assets to the best of our ability. And then if we can show a gradual and steady improvement through the regatta, then we will be very happy.”

Cameron Appleton (NZL) strategist Artemis (SWE):
“This absolutely one we can win and that is the mindset that we want to close out our TP52 season with a result we are pleased with, and it is not out of the question that a win is possible. We have eight other boats to get by first. We have had some ups and downs this season. We have to concentrate on consistency. There has been a lot going on. There have been regattas where Torbjorn has been able to make it and some he couldn’t. So we are really looking forward to having him with us for two events in a row and we have real good confidence, united as a group with no changes for these last events. We have a great team on board, we just have to get the best out of all of us, and more than capable. Now we are just looking at how the conditions will play to the strengths of each of the teams, if you were to pick our conditions it would be towards the lighter end, the Vrolijk boats are quite suited to the lighter stuff, the Botin boats are a little more powerful in the breeze. We certainly feel like our boat goes pretty well.”

Matador (ARG) have been the outstanding performer of the second half of the Audi MedCup Circuit and arrived on the Valencian waters which hosted the 32nd and 33rd America's Cup buoyed up, by having just won the Region of Sardinia Trophy and doubly motivated to do all they can to ensure that owner Alberto Roemmers retains the title they won last year in Palma  with him steering.

With the Audi MedCup Circuit only just finished the World Championships' programme of up to ten races with no discard are a new opportunity which requires a very different approach, as 2008 world champion Quantum Racing's Terry Hutchinson noted: " It is probably a lower scoring average needed than you see in the MedCup, you take a four or five in the MedCup, but here it is probably a two or a three which wins you the event."

But balanced against that requirement the no-discard series means teams have to sail clean as well as smart.

Quantum Racing stick with the same team as has just finished second on the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit and are determined to avenge their second place on countback last season.

Two British TP52's join the Audi MedCup regulars to complete the World Championships line up of nine TP52's from eight different nations.

Tony Langley's Weapon of Choice (ex Matador) finished ninth in Palma  last year and has double Etchells world champion and Olympian Stuart Childerley as tactician for owner-driver Langley, whilst Jonny Vincent's Pace (ex Patches ex RAN) starts their first TP52 class racing with a strong crew including TeamOrigin 1851's Kelvin Harrap (NZL) in the afterguard alongside tactician Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) and trimmer Andy Hemmings (GBR) and mastman George Skuodas (GBR) all with recent Audi MedCup TP52 Series form.

Racing starts Tuesday scheduled for 1300hrs (CET) with up to three races on the first day, and finishes Saturday. The Coastal Race is scheduled for Thursday, with finish line set inside the Marina Real Juan Carlos I harbour.

Quotes of the day:

Guillermo Parada (ARG), skipper Matador (ARG):
"It is good opportunity to finish the season on a high note. We are very happy to have Alberto sailing with us in order to defend his world title, and it is a good opportunity to say goodbye to our boat which is sold.
It has been great partner over the last two seasons and we have spent a lot of time and effort and work with the boat, and so at the end you have a relationship with a boat and it's nice to look to finish that on a high."

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA):
"We have been looking at sails today and had 26-27 knots of windspeed today. But we had the owner of the Farr 40 Barking Mad Jim Richardson out with is today and he will be our guest for the next couple of days and he got a little bit of time on the helm. He was cruising along at 22 knots with a big smile on his face so we had a good day."
"We have a few conversations about what is the right approach here. It is probably a lower scoring average needed than you see in the MedCup, you take a 4 or 5 in the MedCup, but here it is probably a two or a three which wins you the event."
"We did nice work staying out of the protest room in Palma and we are going to try and to the same here. We just want to try and sail good, consistent races. The fleet has anew dynamic here with a couple of boats we have not raced against and that warrants a little more conservatism around the corners and in situations because you don't know those competitors as well. The easy thing for us to do here would be just to get complacent here and follow the same routine that we have all season, so we will guard against that."

Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) tactician Pace (GBR):
"We are excited to be here. Obviously it was very windy today we only arrived yesterday afternoon, so we have only done an hour or an hour and half of sailing. But we have a good team. It is a matter of going out there enjoying ourselves and having some good races."
"We don't have high aspirations but then we are not here to come last. We will do as well as we can and of that means putting a few good races in and not necessarily having a good series then we will see how it goes. I think we have a good team and if we sail well we can do OK."
"How competitive we will be boatspeed-wise is an unknown. The boat has been out of TP52 class trim for a couple of years and so an old keel has gone on and been modified with a different bulb weight, we have not lined up with anyone yet and so there will be a lot of unknown there."

TP52 Worlds Entries
- Weapon of Choice (GBR)
- Cristabella (GBR)
- Synergy (RUS)
- Artemis (SWE)
- Bigamist (POR)
- Pace (GBR)
- Quantum Racing (USA)
- Matador (ARG)
- Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)

Final training and tuning proved an enjoyable routine with breezes up to 25-26 knots allowing sustained surfing, a very different Valencia to spring and summer and America’s Cup sea-breezes.

Racing starts Tuesday with three races, first start at 1300hrs.

Quantum Racing (USA), Artemis (SWE), Cristabella (GBR), Matador (ARG), Bigamist (POR), Synergy (RUS), Pace (GBR), Weapon of Choice (GBR) and Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) are in Valencia where they will be competing on the TP52 2010 edition in Valencia from next Tuesday

A number of teams went out to train on the race course area yesterday and today 9 TP52s stand tall moored to the docks under shade provided by the Veles e Vents building.  Considering the bustle on the pontoons, it is likely most of the teams will use the afternoon to train some more.

The official TP52 World Championship was presented by Cristóbal Grau, Sports Council for Valencia Town Hall; Jorge Gisbert, Director General of the Consorcio Valencia 2007; Rafael Chirivella, sports coordinator for the Real Club Náutico de Valencia; and Nacho Postigo, Technical Director of World Sailing Management.

Nine boats from eight countries have confirmed their entry for this 2010 edition which will comprise a maximum of 10 races, including a coastal race on Thursday 7th which will finish right in the central harbour of the Marina Real Juan Carlos I.

The competing teams have already started to muster in the iconic venue lining up in the pontoons where they will remain until the 9th of October, just at the foot of the famous Veles e Vents building.  

Among the participating teams are the last three world champions: Argentina’s Matador (2009), the American team on Quantum Racing (2008) and the Swedish Artemis (2007).  

The 2010 TP52 World Championship will take place from 5th to 9th of October in Valencia and is organised by World Sailing Management, Valencia Town Hall, Consorcio Valencia 2007, the Real Club Náutico de Valencia, the TP52 Class, the Real Federación Española de Vela and the Federación Valenciana de Vela.

Quotes:

Cristobal Grau, Sport Councillor for Valencia Town Hall:
“We are all jointly responsible for hosting here in Valencia the TP52 World Championship and I must give special thanks to Nacho Postigo who has chosen the Valencian coastline and to everyone for the effort that has been put into making the event happen.  All are aware of the position Valencia has built as a host venue for international sailing events, renowned all over the world.  I invite you all to come and enjoy the show next week."

Jorge Gisbert, Director General of Consorcio Valencia 2007:
“We come to the close of a very busy season with the TP52 World Championships in the Marina Real Juan Carlos I that has also hosted the 33rd America’s Cup and an RC44 Circuit event."

Rafael Chirivella, Sport Coordinator for the Real Club Náutico de Valencia:
“We are really pleased to be able to collaborate with an event like the TP52 World Championship because it is being held in Valencia. Five years ago the TP52 Class was first launched in this Port where we first began 107 years ago on board the boat Maria Dariao just beneath the Edificio del Reloj.”

Nacho Postigo, director técnico de World Sailing Management:
“It is very special for many of the sailors to be able to return to Valencia and this is due to two particular reasons; firstly for the quality of the racing area and secondly for the special welcome we all received from the host institutions.  Valencia Town Hall, the Consorcio Valencia 2007 and Marina Real Juan Carlos I, the RCN of Valencia and out official sponsors who have made it possible for the TP52 World Championships to take place in Valencia.”

Nacho Braquehais, Valencian sailor racing on Cristabella:
“This is a truly competitive championships and it is going to be a fight to get even the slighest edge.  This is a spectacular and dynamic class and the fact that we sail close to the Malvarossa and Patacona beaches will give spectators a show.  It is no coincidence that the sailors and owners come here, together with the institutions they will be able to sail on what is familiar waters for many.”

Provisional Entry List:

- Weapon of Choice (GBR)
- Cristabella (GBR)
- Synergy (RUS)
- Artemis (SWE)
- Bigamist (POR)
- Pace (GBR)
- Quantum Racing (USA)
- Matador (ARG)
- Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)

The TP52 World Championship have a very different flavour, a unique atmosphere. That is not to say that any team drops their guard or relaxes any more when they are on the Worlds race course.

But ashore the mood is a little more relaxed than through the high octane five months long Audi MedCup season; there is a chance to reflect and to look forward, but also for some crews the World Championship present a great opportunity for the owner to come and step in to the hot seat and enjoy steering his own boat. The world championships offer a special owner-driver trophy.

The short transition time may fall in the favour of the current world champions. Matador (ARG) won a fiercely contested title in Palma a year ago. With owner Alberto Roemmers Jr. on the helm, they squeezed out the 2008 TP52 world title winners Quantum Racing (USA) but it went to countback, the two finishing on the same points tally.

This time it is Matador who arrive in Valencia with a winning momentum. They conclusively triumphed at the final event of the Audi MedCup Circuit season, the Region of Sardinia Trophy, the outstanding performer over the latter stages of the season, also finishing second in Cartagena, Murcia.

Quantum Racing (USA), world title winners in 2008, will be among their main rivals as will 2007 world title winners Artemis (SWE). Owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) was back steering Artemis in Cagliari and the Artemis team will be out to help deliver a trophy after missing out on an Audi MedCup season podium finish.

Up to ten races are scheduled with racing due to start Tuesday 5th October. Up to three races may be sailed each day with a coastal race on Thursday October 7th. While the race arena will be well known to many sailors who participated in the lead up to the 32nd America’s Cup, the winds in early October can be more complicated than the Cup diet of sea breezes. Typically over the week we might see some of a very strong, offshore breeze, some light sea breezes and/or a very strong NE’ly breeze which kicks up a nasty choppy swell.

One key contender which will miss out is Jose Cusí’s Bribón (ESP), which was damaged in a collision in Cagliari. This is a bitter blow not least because Bribón lead into the final day in Palma last year.  

Two British TP52’s join the fleet Pace (ex Patches) which will have Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) as tactician with TeamOrigin’s Kelvin Harrap (NZL) as strategist, and Weapon of Choice ex Matador 2007 which raced in Palma last year.

The TP52 World Championship will benefit from the excellent America’s Cup standard facilities.  The regatta will be based in the Marina Real Juan Carlos I, run from the Veles e Vents Building.

Quotes:
Simon Fry (GBR), trimmer Matador (ARG):
“As a crew we are really looking forward to the worlds. Junior (Alberto Roemmers Jr) did a great job last season when we won, and is up for it again. The way we have been sailing I am pretty sure we can be in there, in the mix. The boat is certainly going very well in the nine to 12.5 knots range which we might see in Valencia. We certainly aim to retain the title but Quantum and Artemis will be tough to beat for sure. Our key will be trying to keep it very clean. That may be stating the obvious but we had to do a penalty in Cagliari, so it will be key not to get into unnecessary situations..”

Nacho Postigo (ESP), Technical Director of World Sailing Management:
“Personally I think that many sailors are looking forward to being back in Valencia when so many of them lived there through the America’s Cup. It will be good to be in familiar surroundings but with the prospect of some very challenging conditions. And as a Spanish sailor, it makes me proud to be having the world championships in Spain.”

Jorge Gisbert, General Director of Consorcio Valencia 2007:
"The Marina Real Juan Carlos I prepares to welcome the TP52 World Championship. Again a top level sailing event has chosen our waters and our infrastructure to host their regatta. From the Valencia Town Hall, the Consorcio Valencia 2007, the Real Club Náutico de Valencia and World Sailing Management, we will try to organise the best possible world championship which will take place in the Marina and which we hope Valencians will enjoy. This brings to a close what has been an exceptional year in terms of sports for the Marina Real Juan Carlos I, which has included the organisation of the America's Cup, an RC44 event, an RSX Master Series regatta and a Spanish Team Championship."

Entries
- Weapon of Choice (GBR)
- Cristabella (GBR)
- Synergy (RUS)
- Artemis (SWE)
- Bigamist (POR)
- Pace (GBR)
- Quantum Racing (USA)
- Matador (ARG)
- Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)

Alberto Roemmers’ crew on Matador (ARG) will be seeking to defend the world title that they won last year in Palma, Mallorca. But they will face tough competition from a fleet which includes past world championship winning owners or skippers, Quantum Racing (USA) - which completed the double in 2008, winning both the Audi MedCup title and the worlds - and Swedish owner Torbjorn Tornqvist who steered his Artemis (SWE) crew to both titles in 2007.

Two British teams, which are not Audi MedCup regulars, Jonny Vincent’s Pace (ex RAN/2007 Patches) and Tony Langley’s Weapon of Choice (ex 2008 Matador), join the World Championships fleet. While Weapon of Choice enjoyed racing at the Palma Worlds last year, this is Vincent’s first season with the Reichel Pugh designed former Patches.

Rob Weiland (NED), TP52 Class Manager comments:
“Considering the economic climate and what has been happening in other elite areas of the sport, it is great to be looking forward to welcoming the same number of TP52’s to Valencia as we had in Palma. It’s a great reason to think of joining the class full time for 2011. The reputation of Valencia needs no further introduction and will surely allow many of the teams to feel ‘at home.’ "

There are several teams that are still considering taking part in this battle for the TP52 world crown, which keeps the entry list still open. “There are potential charter opportunities, not least TeamOrigin which could be available directly from their Valencia base,” Weiland concludes.

The 2010 edition of the TP52 World Championship will be held off Valencia from Tuesday October 5 to Saturday October 9, and will be organised by World Sailing Management, the City of Valencia, Consorcio Valencia 2007, the Real Club Náutico de Valencia, the TP52 Class, the Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV) and the Valencian Sailing Federation (FVV).

The base for the 2010 TP52 World Championship will be the Marina Real Juan Carlos I at the heart of the port of Valencia, and the competing TP52 fleet will be docked in front of the iconic Veles e Vents building.

2010 TP52 World Championship entries:

- Weapon of Choice (GBR)
- Cristabella (GBR)
- Synergy (RUS)
- Artemis (SWE)
- Bigamist (POR)
- Pace (GBR)
- Bribón (ESP)
- Quantum Racing (USA)
- Matador (ARG)
- Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)

The 2010 edition of the TP52 World Championship will be held off Valencia from Tuesday October 5 to Saturday October 9. This was confirmed today by World Sailing Management, organizer of the event along with the City of Valencia, Consorcio Valencia 2007 and the Real Club Náutico de Valencia, with the support of the TP52 Class, the Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV) and the Valencian Sailing Federation (FVV).

The base for the 2010 TP52 Worlds will be the Marina Real Juan Carlos I at the heart of the port of Valencia, and the competing TP52 fleet will be docked in front of the iconic Veles e Vents building.

The competition program will consist of a maximum of ten races, including up to nine windward/leewards and one Coastal Race of between 20 and 30 miles scheduled for Thursday, October 7. The Coastal Race will have a coefficient of 1.25.

A maximum of three races are scheduled for each windward-leeward day and the Championship becomes valid after minimum of three races have been sailed. The programme starts on the Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th of October for measurement, inspection and registration.

The social programme of the 2010 TP52 World Championship will include a welcome cocktail on Tuesday 5th October, a team dinner on October the 7th, the TP52 Class annual meeting on Friday 8th October and the final prizegiving at 1800h on Saturday October 9th.

The 2009 TP52 World Championship was held in Palma de Mallorca in October last year, involving 10 teams from nine countries and the winner was Alberto Roemmers’ Matador (ARG).

Quotes:

Nacho Postigo, Technical Director of World Sailing Management:
"Even after two previous editions in Spanish waters, the TP52 Class wanted to organize the 2010 Worlds outside of Spain, but the desires of the city of Valencia to hold the event was too strong an appeal. The sailors who compete in the TP52 Class are among the best in the world, and many have lived in Valencia at least two years of their lives during the 32nd America's Cup, so for the final decision was carried by both the great sailing conditions of Valencia and the desire of the sailors for a ‘homecoming to Valencia."

Jorge Gisbert, General Director Consorcio Valencia 2007:
“We want to promote the destination of Valencia for top-level international events through the Consorcio 2007.  We are therefore very pleased to be hosting the TP52 World Championship, one of the most prestigious classes in the world of high-level competitive sailing.  We have already proven our organisational capacity in Valencia over the past two editions of the America's Cup and we would like that the good profile the city has projected continue to remain a focus for the aficionados and professionals the world over.  The Consorcio Valencia 2007 thank the Ayuntamiento de Valencia (town hall), the Real Club Náutico de Valencia and the Spanish and Valencian sailing federations for their support in this project and would like to thank World Sailing Management and the TP52 Class for choosing Valencia as host city for the 2010 TP52 World Championship.”

Manuel Pons, president of the Real Club Náutico de Valencia:
"We are delighted be able to contirbute to holding the championship of one of the most outstanding professional world sailing classes here in Valencia Without any doubt, this event will have very positive effects for both the development of high-level water sports in the Marina Real Juan Carlos I and the city of Valencia in general. At the Real Club Náutico de Valencia, we feel honoured and proud to serve the city, the City Hall and other institutions to ensure that Valencia will become home for the sailing competitions of the highest level. "

It could not have been much closer when the Argentine crew on Matador lifted the TP52 World Championship on the waters they call home in Europe, the Bay of Palma, this afternoon.
They lift the title on countback ahead of the 2008 world champions Quantum Racing (USA) who also finished on 23 points after seven races.

Matador won the final race to match Quantum Racing’s pair of race victories this week, but their three third places trump the American crew's final hand which included two thirds and a fifth.

The Roemmers’ team maintain their perfect record in major regattas on these waters. Their triumph at Palma Vela in April with their new boat was the springboard for their season. With owner Alberto Roemmers Jr steering – as he did this week – they won the TP52 class at Copa del Rey in August, as the perfect build up to clinching the class world title today.

The Matador crew had to dig deep into their gaucho spirit and sustain a fight back from a protest from a windward mark incident on the first round of Race 2 which saw them disqualified. But on Saturday they were re-instated and today they let their sailing speak for itself as they posted a third and a first to win overall.

“We are happy.” Skipper Guillermo Parada (ARG) confirmed, “ It is a good lesson learned, not in sailing but in life. No matter what happens you need to keep pushing as hard as you can, right to the very last time. That is what we have done with the protest, pushing. The team have stuck together, and we have the reward.”

“At the very beginning we were sure we should not have been disqualified and that at the time we had no options.”

“We have tried to push as hard as we can on the land. And we have had to push hard on the water, which is not easy to do.”

Quantum Racing (USA) may rue missed opportunities, and in effect the 2008 title holders came within a few metres of defending. In Race 5 it was down to just one second on the finish line, when the eye-blink judgement for third went in favour of Matador, and in today’s final race the blackand green hulled 2008 Audi MedCup champions were just 12 seconds shy of passing Valars 3 as they ran out of runway at the line with extra pace.

But, as Quantum Racing’s skipper Terry Hutchinson (USA) noted

"That is sailboat racing. 'A day late and a dollar short.’ In the end we were a length and a half from winning the regatta.

"This one is disappointing because we let it get away from us.”

If the Quantum Racing crew leave Palma with some regrets, it was a tough final day for the local favourites on Bribón (ESP). Jose Cusi’s crew started the day with a four points lead on their home waters, but they started modestly twice – both times in the shadow of other boats.

In the second race the Spanish crew were forced on to the wrong side of the first beat and made ninth, while their anguish was heightened after racing when they were subsequently disqualified on a protest from today’s first race after gybing too close to Artemis (SWE) on the finish line.

Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist’s crew with Paul Cayard (USA) calling tactics finished third overall after a pair of fourth places today, ending up on equal points with the Russian crew on Synergy who take fourth.

The next event for the TP52 fleet will be the first Audi MedCup 2010 regatta on the 10th of May. For more information, visit www.medcup.org

TP52 World Championship 2009
Palma de Mallorca
Final

1. Matador (ARG, Alberto Roemmers), 3 4 8 1 3 3 1= 23 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5 1 3 6 4 1 3= 23 points
3. Artemis (SWE, Torbjorn Tornqvist), 8 3 1 2 8 4 4 = 30 points
4. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichugin), 2 5 7 7 2 2 5= 30 points
5. Bribón (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7 2 2 3 1 11(DSQ) 9= 35 points

Guillermo Parada (ARG), skipper Matador (ARG):
“Palma is a special place for us. Our style of sailing and the strength of our team matches with Palma. This has been a long season with many ups and downs. Unfortunately we did not finish the Audi MedCup season as we wanted to, but we took the opportunity to take the Worlds as a chance to finish on a high note and start building for there for next
season.”

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm (USA):
“ We are all feeling a little bit disappointed. That is our fault for leaving it in the Jury’s hands, but if you let things out of your control then you pay the price for it. And we did.
I am incredibly proud of the effort that the team put forward today. The team went out sailed strong in the first race. Bribón presented an opportunity to force them into trouble and we took it and won the race, and so the set up was perfect.”
“ The second race was a little tricky and we were not 100% sure. You could see the funnel clouds and the stuff that was going on over there. But it was risk/reward, we did not want to go hard right off the start line. The breeze went hard right, but then on the run we got a right shift and came back but we did not quite get there. That’s sailboat racing
‘A day late and a dollar short.’ In the end we were a length and a half from winning the regatta “
“This one is disappointing because we let it get away from us.”

Paul Cayard (USA), skipper Artemis (SWE):
“ It's a little bit unfortunate so much happened in the jury room, I'm sure nobody likes that, but that's part of our game too, it happens. But I have to say Bribón was very...Ross Macdonald (tactician Bribón), represented Bribón in the room, we are both long time friends, both Star world champions, as bad as it was it was a good protest, because there was no disputing the facts, everybody agreed on the facts and the jury decided and it was not an ugly situation. I have always respected Ross and I probably I have even more now because of the way he handled this. So I told it to the whole crew because I think it's a good lesson in life, your reputation as a person is very valuable. It was a difficult week in Palma, tricky for everybody, jury, competitors...but in the end the TP52 is one of the most enjoyable classes, so we enjoyed it”

Alberto Roemmers (ARG), boat owner Matador (ARG):
“It's been quite a stressful week on the one hand, but the key was not to give up. After today's first race things didn't look that good, but we managed to make a good start and we won by a very small advantage.”
“We are very happy. The strategy was just not giving up. They've taught me how to sail, and I'm proud and very thankful for that. And I think the town hall should sponsor us, we've won the Palma Vela, Copa del Rey, and now the worlds, all in Palma!”

The planned early start looks to be in vain as the morning has the complexion of a sea-breeze day rather than what some were predicting last night, a north easterly gradient wind.

And so, meantime, that means the teams for the TP52 World Championship are held ashore at the Real Club Nautico de Palma.

As time goes on then perhaps that four points lead which Bribón (ESP) have becomes a little more significant, but, as the team’s navigator, Marcel Van Triest (NED), explains:

“You get what you get. It only needs a little bit of breeze to get one race in, four points in one race is just nothing, and so there is a false sense of safety if anything. There is a long way to go.”

And, explaining the weather situation, the island based Marcel adds:

“ There is a Mistral breeze out to the east, which is only just slightly touching the edge of the island, that is producing a northerly flow.”

“ It is nice and sunny which is good for sea breeze conditions and the mistral is going right through the day, so I think that is three breezes, and there will be fighting between these three different breezes and which one will win out…that is the question.”

A frustrating attempt at a coastal race in very unsettled wind conditions was abandoned after seven miles and one hour and ten minutes of often heart-stopping racing to leave Bribón’s four points lead at the top of the ten boat TP52 World Championship fleet going into the final day of racing.

While Bribón’s leading margin remains unchanged after today’s ‘non-race’, the day’s big move is that Matador (ARG) are now in second place overall after their fourth place from Race 2 was re-instated today by the International Jury. The protest which concerned the first windward mark of Race 2 of the series, has now been dismissed.

This puts the Copa del Rey champions, Matador, on equal on points with Quantum Racing (USA) who dropped to third only on tie break.

For the record it was Quantum Racing, the current world champions, who stayed just one step ahead of both the small changes and the very big wind shifts to earn a lead of more than one minute during today’s abandoned effort.

The 10 knots NE’ly breeze which the fleet started in was summarily replaced half way down the first run by a breeze from the exact opposite direction. By the time Quantum Racing reached a windward mark off Enterrocat, on the east side of Palma Bay, the race committee decided that the race needed to be abandoned because the breeze on the next leg had dropped to 2-3 knots.

A new schedule has been drawn for the final day, bringing forward the scheduled start of the first race to 1100hrs (local), to try and maximise the number of races completed before the 1530hrs time limit after which no sequence can start.

Now, the local favourites Bribón have two contenders, Matador and Quantum Racing chasing them just four points behind, and Artemis (SWE) – the 2007 world title winners only seven points, and Synergy (RUS) only eight points behind going into a finale which could see three races.

And while the Bribón team, which is the championship’s only one sailing under Spanish colours, have been within their three year old boat’s preferred sub 10 knots conditions and flat water thus far, more breeze, from the northerly quadrant – blowing offshore – is predicted.

So, as Bribón’s trimmer Ignasi Triay (ESP) noted, sagely, after racing today: “Let’s face it, anything could happen.”

Triay continues:
“The offshore breeze is unstable and shifty.”
“Everything is open. The difference between the boats is nothing. So we will just try to carry on doing what we have been, and sail properly, don’t do anything silly and make silly mistakes and keep it constant. That is all we can try to do.”
“In fact with two boats behind us now on the same points in one way it makes it more difficult, but maybe too they will mess each other up, but as I say, anything can happen.”
“What I keep getting back to as an example here is Artemis, a very good boat. Sixth after the first day, then leading after the first day, then third, and now fourth."

“You can’t take anything for granted and it can be all up and down.”

TP52 World Championship 2009
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Overall standings after Day 4

1. Bribón (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7 2 2 3 1= 15 points
2. Matador (ARG, Alberto Roemmers), 3 4 8 1 3= 19 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5 1 3 6 4= 19 points
4. Artemis (SWE, Torbjorn Tornqvist), 8 3 1 2 8 = 22 points
5. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichugin), 2 4 7 7 2= 22 points

Manuel dos Santos Silva (POR) Chairman of the International Jury:
“Since the first decision which we made at the moment, on everything that we found out, we were not very comfortable with the decision. And as we were not very happy with the decision we still maintained a discussion about it and the Jury in this discussions came to a point that we had made a mistake on the conclusion, on the decision.”
“ We are allowed under Rule 66 to, without changing the facts, to change to decision.
“ We used the rules but at the same time we had the feeling that something was not right. And with the discussion of the situation with other boats, looking at the rules and other cases, we did not change the fact, it was on the rules and on the interpretation of the rules that we found that our decision was not correct.”
“ We are going to put at least one or two Q & A’s to ISAF because we found that the Rule (Rule 20) is not very clear, and so we want to clarify that with ISAF.”

Alberto Roemmers (ARG), owner-helm Matador (ARG):
“I've just been told that we've won the protest and I really thank the jury for their disposition. This was a very difficult case, where each one interpreted the rule and thought they had done the right thing, and nobody understood, in case they had to be penalized, why. The jury wasn't even able to tell us which rule we had infringed. We are really happy since this is a very important championship. This puts us in the second place with possibilities, and on the water we'll keep on fighting. I think, after what happened, they will have to change the rules.”

Maria Torrijo (ESP), race officer:
“We've abandoned the race because the wind dropped. Eveen if the boats still had 5 to 6 knots where they were, ahead of them there were just 2 or 3. So we've decided to abandon because we believed the race would not be fair. The boats would stop at some point...Besides there weren't many hours of daylight left, because we've started late cause there was no wind, and it hasn't settled. Tomorrow's forecast is pretty good, we've decided to start at 11, and will try to hold three legs”

Gonzalo Araujo (ESP) helmsman Bribón (ESP):
“ During this whole week we've sailed five races and tomorrow they want to do three, so that the championship is not decided yet. Besides, there are four boats within eight points of us, so tomorrow everything can change. Our goal, as always, is trying to do things well, because nothing is decided yet."

A short, triangle course of only about 20 miles seems the most likely option for today’s planned coastal race. Given the forecast, which seems to offer no more than a small window of five or six knots, then the possibilities do seem quite limited.

With the points multiplier at 1.5 points, the race organisers will take great care not to compromise the outcome of the event and wait for suitable conditions

“There is a northerly component early on but very light, just four to five knots. And then there will be rain come in on top of that which will likely kill it all, so we really are not very hopeful at all.” suggests the Race Committee’s spokeswoman Ariane Mainmare.

Meantime around the TP52 World Championships dock at the RCNP it is very quiet and still, high humidity.  The fleet is held ashore.

As 2007 champions Artemis (SWE) made a lacklustre start and could only salvage an eighth in the light, sticky conditions today Bribón moved four points at the top, clear of the current champions Quantum Racing (USA) who scored a useful fourth.

After making a strong start double Olympic Star class medallist, tactician Ross MacDonald along with navigator Marcel van Triest (NED) read the shifting breeze at the top end of the first beat precisely, calling a good layline which allowed them to ease away around the windward mark ahead of Matador (ARG) which over-stood slightly.

In 6-7 knots of breeze Bribón were able to extend on the downwind leg to build themselves a comfortable margin, winning by 1 minute and 24 seconds, well clear of a dramatic finish behind them as Synergy (RUS) gained more than half a minute on the last run. Their hitch out to the left brought them extra wind pressure which allowed them to steal across the bows of Quantum Racing and Matador to wrest second palce.

Second at the final windward mark, the Argentinian boat just made third, getting the better of Quantum in a heart-stopping finish.

Only one second was judged to be the difference between the two.

Highlighting once again how tight this TP52 fleet is, and how much one error can cost, the overnight leaders Artemis (SWE) were forced right early after a modest start and could do no better than eighth around the course to the finish, dropping to third overall.

On their home waters, with possibly the best known race boat to fly the Real Club Náutico de Palma colours, there is no doubt that the crew of Bribón have redoubled their efforts since the end of the Audi MedCup season to ensure they give their best here.

They have kept several key sails fresh for these world championships and recruited Gonzalo Araujo (ESP), who has just raced round the world on Spanish entry Telefonica Black, and was previously skipper-helm of Balearia on the MedCup Circuit before, to take the steering wheels here. Seeking to streamline their languages and communications, there is also a downside in that Araujo had only sailed a couple of days on the boat prior to Tuesday’s start of the regatta.

Talk of a home waters advantage is cheap and easy. The reality is that the breezes have been very different to the ‘usual’ Bay of Palma fayre.

“ Some of the guys have specific knowledge here, but we really are not putting too much into that, it just becomes a little too risky doing that.” Cautions MacDonald,
“Being in the best pressure was the most important thing today. Under 10 knots of breeze the pressure makes such a big difference in these boats, especially in the tacking angles.”
“ We never had high expectations here, we just wanted to operate at a better level here than we have this season and that has been our main goal.
“ Before we were maybe speaking four or five different languages on the boat, now its down to two or three….and I’m the outsider, for sure!” grins the Canadian.

Bribón’s project manager and trimmer Ignasi Triaiy (ESP) adds:

“Like I have been saying all season, these are the conditions for this boat, flat water, light winds, and finally I think we are sailing it much closer to 100% than we have been than before.

“This proves to us that we are sailing the boat well, to have a three years old boat and be where we are, but to be at the top is difficult. I am happy but we are not reading too much into it, there are two days to go.”

Tomorrow’s re-scheduled coastal race carries a 1.5 points multiplier.
 
TP52 World Championship 2009
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Overall Standings after Day 3, 5 races.

1. Bribón (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7 2 2 3 1= 15 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5 1 3 6 4= 19 points
3. Artemis (SWE, Torbjorn Tornqvist), 8 3 1 2 8 = 22 points
4. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichugin), 2 4 7 7 2= 22 points
5. Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 (ITA, Riccardo Simoneschi), 4 6 5 4 5= 24 points

Cameron Dunn (NZL), tactician Synergy (RUS):
" It was a surprisingly steady wind race for these conditions. We were almost expecting no race today. The first beat was important. We didn't get in close contact with any boat so we could just sail free and fast and could manage fourth at the first mark.
We stayed close with the boats in front of us and had a nice gap behind us that made it easy, and in the last downwind just got a little more pressure than Matador and Quantum, and we had a few nice gybes at the bottom. The guys did really some nice crew work and we managed to sneak across and get them by a two boats length or something, so it was a very nice day specially after yesterday. We have not had a good coastal races this season so we hope we can turn that around".

Alberto Roemmers (ARG), owner-helm Matador (ARG):
"We made a mistake that cost us a lot. We went to the right, there was little wind there, and we wanted to go straight to the mark and the tactician has asked for a boat length to the layline but we got seven boat lengths away. So we were coming back and we caught Bribón, and they tacked two and a half boat lengths behind us and we were sailing along Quantum, otherwise we could have been first. Tomorrow we have the coastal race, we did a good one in Copa del Rey, and we hope we can do it again tomorrow".

It’s all even at the top of the leaderboard but the winner today may be the weather. The situation is still quite complex and the prospects for the weekend are not looking a lot better. Hence the reason for delaying the coastal race to try and get more windward-leeward races, making the best of what wind there is.

“Yesterday was quite tricky not just because of the wind but because of the cloud cover which made it really difficult to see the breeze.” Comments Francesco Mongelli (ITA) the Synergy (RUS) navigator,
“It is really hard to see what will happen today. The sea breeze is likely to be even less strong than normal and it’s usually light at this time of year anyway. And there is a lot of mess around. Most likely it will be late this afternoon, probably with less than eight knots of breeze, maybe enough for one race.”
The race committee have examined three or four different forecasts in search of a common theme:
“We have seen three or four different forecasts and they are all different. It should start with a south wind and then it will keep going right for the whole day. There is rain in the north of the island. We should not see that, but at the moment we can’t really see what is going to happen.” Says Arianne Mainemare, PRO.

A first and a second from two difficult races today on the Bay of Palma sees the 2007 world champions Artemis (SWE) emerge with only the slimmest possible lead after four races have now been sailed at the 2009 TP52 World Championship.

The Swedish flagged team are tied on points with local favourites Bribón (ESP). José Cusí’s crew from the host club, with round the world racer Gonzalo Araujo (ESP) on the helm, also erred on the conservative, safe side where possible and posted a second and a third..

In the flat water, short beats and modest wind-speeds it was day for clear thinking and concise decision making, especially at the busy, often frenetic first windward mark roundings.

When they made strong start off the pin end of the line in Race 4, overnight leaders Quantum Racing (USA) looked to be well set to at least consolidate on the two points lead that they held.

But at the first windward mark approach, while Artemis squeezed only away a few metres ahead, they were suddenly trapped on their port tack approach, as the starboard tack line up lifted and they had to bail out to the back of the queue. .

Choosing prudence and dipping hard, Quantum Racing the current champions managed to come back from tenth round that first buoy to rescue a sixth place finish, but they slid to third overall, still only two points off the leading pair’s aggregate.

“It was all created by a bit of miscommunication about what we were going to do, but that was set up from four minutes out. We made the wrong decision. But instead of sticking it in there and fouling everybody we made the proper decision, and we got on with it and got back into the race.” Grimaced Quantum Racing’s skipper-helm Terry Hutchinson,  “But the fact that we did not take ourselves completely out of it today is good.”

While the champions snared themselves only once, Artemis’ ability to sail clean and fast was outstanding among their virtues today, while Bribón – sailing on their home patch – are clearly quick enough in these 10 knots average breezes and flat water

With Paul Cayard (USA) calling tactics for Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), backed up by Hamish Pepper (NZL) and Chris Nicholson (AUS), Artemis sailed smart in the difficult, unsettled breezes. With small changes in wind pressure and direction through both races - the SSW’ly breeze at between 9 and 12 knots - there were ample opportunities to make gains, and losses

“It was a matter of metres if you could cross people or not, because they were short beats and very smooth water. And so I guess we just got clean, we were able to cross most of the people and approach the mark from the starboard side, which is great because you avoid all the ducking, yelling and screaming behind you.  So we kind of played it to the conservative side.” Noted Artemis’ tactician Cayard.

Matador, who were disqualified from Race 2 after a protest, to some extent bounced back today. Though they lead at the windward mark in the first race they could only make an eighth but then went on to win the second race today. They are seeking to have the protest re-opened.

The regatta schedule has been altered to allow more windward-leeward racing Friday with the 1.5 points coastal race scheduled for Saturday.

TP52 World Championship 2009
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Overall Standings after Day 2

1. Artemis (SWE, Torbjorn Tornqvist), 8 3 1 2 = 14 points
2. Bribón (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7 2 2 3= 14 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5 1 3 6= 15 points
4. Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 (ITA, Riccardo Simoneschi), 4 6 5 4= 19 points  
5. Cristabella (GBR, John Cook), 1 8 6 5= 20 points  

Quotes:

 Paul Cayard (USA), tactician Artemis (SWE):
“I think in the first race we got a little lucky really. We gybe set and Valars looked like they were quite a bit ahead of us, but the wind was all on the shore side and we went right around them. Generally the breeze was right at the top, and left at the bottom. It was not quite as simple as that…because there were oscillations and so you really had to pick and choose your moments. I think what was most important was to have a clear start at full speed and then just get in a lane, any lane where you could sail your boat at full speed, then near the top of the beat, maybe try a couple of shifts depending where you were. Early in the beat it was just about sailing at full speed.”

Ross McDonald (Can), tactician Bribón (ESP)
“ We had a really good day,alltough there aren't many oportunities. This is the first time Gonzalo races with us, we've only sailed with him on Saturday and the day before the event. It's good for us to have him. But also we’ve worked hard all season on learning what makes the boat go well, so it makes it easy for him too. We've saved the new sails for this event. We've tried not to use them before because this is Bribon's home. We want to do it as well as we can. Gonzalo has just raced around the world so he knows how to keep the boat going fast.”

Johan Barne (SWE), navigator Matador (ARG):
" We were leading at the top mark in both races but it was very tricky in the downwind in the first race with big wind holes, We didn't play it out so well in the end of the downwind and there we came round in the middle of the fleet.”

The top of the TP52 World Championships leaderboard has been compressed since the early hours of this morning following the disqualification of the Argentinian boat Matador. With their fourth place from Race 2 scrubbed to an 11^th the current Copa del Rey class champions drop from third overall to eighth.

Matador has been DSQ’d for a Rule 13 infringement which was signalled by the Jury during a series of incidents at the busy first windward mark rounding in the second race. It is alleged that Matador did not keep clear of Valars while tacking. The protest went on until late into the night and according to members of the Matador team, they are still hoping that they can still overturn the decision.

Bribón and Artemis were approaching the mark on starboard as Audi Q8 and Matador arrived on port. Audi Q8 tacked first and took up the position as inside boat on the mark but had slowed. Matador then had to ask Valars for room to tack but the decision of the jury suggests that they asked too late.

The net outcome meantime is that Synergy (RUS) are elevated to six points, equal witth regatta leaders Quantum Racing (USA) while Cristabella (GBR) now move up to third overall.

Looking to today and the weather prospects look quite complex,

Nat Ives, Cristabella’s navigator explains:

“I don’t think much will happen until one o’clock when the land heats up a little bit. We might get a brief period with a small sea breeze from 170-190 degrees, just a small pump, but I don’t think we will race in that, then it will come in from the SW, because we have a low pressure system in the Bay of Biscay. That is our big influence today. There is a cold front approaching, but I don’t think that will get here until later on tonight but that is causing quite a lot of mid level cloud. So, once the breeze comes in from three to five o’clock we will get maybe 10-12 knots from the SW. If we are out there late we might see 250 to 270 degrees, but dropping to eight knots. There is a small possibility we might see as much as 14 knots.”

TP52 World Championship 2009
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Results Day 1

1. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5 1= 6 points  
2. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichugin), 2 4= 6 points  
3. Cristabella (GBR, John Cook), 1 8= 9 points  
4. Bribón (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7 2= 9 points
5. Audi TP52 powered by Q8 (ITA, Riccardo Simoneschi), 4 6 = 10 points
...

The autumn evening sun was already dipping low in the sky as Quantum Racing (USA) took the winning gun for the second of two races today at the TP52 World Championships off Palma, Mallorca. Their win, paired with a fifth from the first heat ensures the current world champions lead overall by a single point.

Even if the sea breeze took its time to build and only peaked with short spells offering 11 knots and mostly averaged around 6-8 knots, it proved a tricky afternoon over which the usual Palma tactical conventions did not always hold true, and consistency in the ten boat fleet across these first two windward-leeward races proved elusive.

After two races Quantum Racing (USA) lead the Russian team on Synergy who took a second and fifth and are matched on the same seven points tally by Alberto Roemmers’ current Copa del Rey champions on Matador (ARG) who took a third and a fourth.

Real Club Nautico de Palma member John Cook on the helm of Cristabella - which last year won the Copa del Rey as Iberdrola with Terry Hutchinson as tactician -  triumphed in the first race. The British crew, with Manchester export John Cutler (NZL) as tactician, recognised the additional wind pressure and small shift to the right  of the course on the first beat, and after a modest start, were able to cross the fleet two thirds of the way up the leg.
They lead at the windward turn by a clear 40 metres from Synergy and went on to win by 22 seconds with Matador third.

It proved a morale boosting opening for the British owner Cook who is current chairman of the TP52 fleet and has been a member of the host club for more than 15 years, where he has based six different Cristabella yachts, three TP52’s since 2005.

Previous to this the Cristabella crew’s most memorable victory was in 2006 when the they won one of the most exciting coastal races ever of the MedCup Circuit, racing around Formentera in 2006. And it is Cristabella’s best World Championships race yet, after a second placing in 2007 in Porto Cervo.

It was after 1800hrs in the early evening when Quantum Racing’s afterguard of Morgan Larson (USA) and Mark Mendelblatt (USA) conspired to read the opening beat of the second race to best effect, calling the favourable left shift on the left of the track ahead of the slight extra pressure on the right. The current champions were ahead at the windward mark to lead local favourites Bribón across the finish.
With Gonzalo Araujo steering, the Spanish boat was well placed off the pin end of the start line and also profited to the left on the first beat, able to hold off the 2007 champions Artemis who took third.

TP52 World Championship 2009
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Overall standings after Day 1

1. Quantum Racing (USA, Terry Hutchinson), 5 1= 6 points
2. Synergy (RUS, Sergey Pichuguin), 2 5= 7 points
3. Matador (ARG, Alberto Roemmers), 3 4= 7 points
4. Bribón (ESP, Gonzalo Araujo), 7 2= 9 points
5. Cristabella (GBR, John Cook), 1 9=10 points

Morgan Larson, tactician, Quantum Racing (USA).
“ It proved to be every bit as challenging today as Palma can be. Sometimes it is like that where the right looks windier but everyone knows about that geographical left shift. I think the race committee did a nice job of making the right hand a little favoured so it was enticing and so Cristabella got it right. We thought it would be about one in ten times when the right paid out big and it happened, they did a nice job.”
“ Second race was great for us. It was still a challenge because we knew the fleet was thinking right and the pressure looked to be on the right, but we were happy to go for the left shift. That made it easy to take the pin and it paid out.”
“ The MedCup you are building points throughout and so you are trying to podium each event and you are always thinking about the overall, this is the world championships and so no one is sailing conservative, everyone is going all out to win.”
“ And it has a nice atmosphere, it is nice to be finally at a yacht club and Palma is always a nice City to come to, and it is also really nice to see a couple of new boats to the fleet, some new faces out there.”
“ We don’t really think of it as being here to defend our title, it’s a world championship. If you can win a world championship you’d be happy, and this was a good way to begin. I am sure there will be some tricky days ahead.”

The following FTP site offers daily highlight footage of the TP52 World Championship:
 
Server: ftp://86.109.96.188
User:  tp52tv09
Password : 1233tp5209

The footage will be uploaded daily from 20:00

Racing for the world title begins today, even if the refrain around the Real Club Nautico de Palma this morning is ‘it will be the same as yesterday.’

Certainly that is the common consensus among the navigators and met specialists.

That means a late arriving, sailable sea breeze which may build to 11 knots.

None of the 10 navigators are more at home on these waters than Bribón’s Marcel van Trieste (NED).

“A late fill to produce a sailable sea breeze of 7 to 11 knots which will hold until six or seven in the evening. I think if they want to do three races that should be possible, but it depends if they want to and the practice race started quite late.”

“It is always nice to do a regatta at home to sleep in your own bed at night. The only advantage I get really is that I live in the middle of the island then I get real time observations and don’t have to go on the internet to look. Apart from that, most of the guys sail here as often as I do.”

Arianne Mainemare (ESP) is presently deputising as Principal Race Officer this week and confirms:

“We are expecting more or less the same as yesterday. The wind will come in late, maybe two or two-thirty, and the forecast is the same as yesterday with 170-180 degrees. The plan is three races but with the breeze coming in late, we will see.”

Patience on the Bay of Palma was rewarded with pleasant 7-10 knots light wind conditions as Quantum Racing (USA), the defending world champions laid down a marker when they won today’s practice race for the TP52 World Championships.

The delay while the sea-breeze built to allow a start just after 1520hrs afforded the ten TP52 crews the chance to make final preparations and to ease gently into the championships enjoying the unique ambience of the Real Club Nautical de Palma.

The wait was well worth it, yielding sea breeze conditions typical of Palma with the top three boats proving to be those which started best.

The champions started slickly off the pin end of the start line, while Matador (ARG), with owner Alberto Roemmers Jr (ARG) steering, launched off the right hand end with excellent speed. Quantum were able to gain the early advantage to the favoured left side of the first upwind leg and by the windward mark were 45 metres ahead of Matador, with Russia’s Synergy in touch in third place. That was the order to the finish.

Artemis (SWE), the 2007 world champions, had to tack to clear their wind shortly after the start gun and were left to scrap over fifth place with José Cusi’s Bribón (ESP). Bribón took the advantage on the first run, passing ahead of Artemis, but the Swedish flagged team were able to come back on the second round to take fifth. With Valars (RUS) fourth the Russians again underlined their improvements this season as they took two of the top four places.

With the wind building to ten knots for the second round of the preliminary windward-leeward, contest conditions could not have offered a better introduction to the TP52 Class in the Mediterranean for Anthony Longley (GBR) and his crew on the British boat Henri Lloyd Weapon of Choice and the French team on Jean-Luc Petitghuguenin’s Paprec Recyclage. The newcomers had a good tussle, in touch early in the race, along with Cristabella (GBR) which has had to fit their older, two spreader rig as a replacement for the mast which they broke the tip off in Cartagena last month.

TP52 World Championship
Palma de Mallorca
Practice Race

1 Quantum Racing (T Hutchinson, USA)
2 Matador (A Roemmers, ARG), 0:21
3 Synergy (S Pichugin, RUS), 0:32
4 Valars III (S Chevstov, RUS), 1:33
5 Artemis (T Tornqvist, SWE), 1:53

Tom Burnham (USA) pit Quantum Racing (USA):
“We are just looking forward to a really good week of sailing here. There are a lot of good boats in this fleet and so I think it will be a tough week for everybody. We’d hope that today is advance warning of how it will be this week, but for sure there are ten boats and the forecast is very strange this week. It could be very light, so it could be a little bit of everything."


Guillermo Parada (ARG) skipper Matador (ARG):
"It was good for us we had a clean start on the right of the fleet and we were able to extend all the way to the left lay line where everybody wanted to go. Only Quantum who started on the pin were able to cross by two lengths. They protected well on the run, we got a little bit of trouble holding Synergy on the first run. From there it was Quantum holding us and us holding Synergy.
"For us this is the perfect chance to finish the season on a high note. The last two regattas of the Audi MedCup were not good for us, so this is a pretty good opportunity to reverse that tendency, and finish on a good one."
"We have Alberto driving and he is doing a great job and enjoying the boat.”

Cameron Dunn, (NZL), tactician Synergy (RUS):
“ I think we are motivated as ever. This is a one of event and a great opportunity and so we are concentrating on making the best result we can here. We have now won races at almost every event, except one I think, so we know we can win races, the key for us is to become more consistent, which we are doing. We won the last race in Cartagena which is good for the confidence coming here. And we had a good race today in very typical Palma conditions, even if the wind came in later than you would expect here. When it did it was a very left sided track, and the three boats which got the best starts and got to the left side earliest were first second and third.”

Tony Longley (GBR) owner-helm of Henri Lloyd - Weapon of Choice (GBR):
“ Our first day was yesterday, but this is a new boat with a team put together from various different quarters, so they have not sailed together a lot. But we were in touch today. It is good. We don’t have any expectations or hopes here. We are just here to get to know the new boat and the best way for us to do that is in a competitive situation. So this is quite opportune for us. We just got the boat a few weeks ago.”

The press were addressed by Javier Sanz (ESP), the RCNP Vice President, by Nacho Postigo (ESP) of World Sailing Management, and by Rob Weiland (NED), the Class Manager for the TP52 Class.

Javier Sanz welcomed everyone: "It's a pleasure and a honour to have here the best TP52 teams and sailors of the world, a class that have been sailing in this waters from it's birth. This is a perfect end for an intense regatta season to have the final event here at the RCNP"

Rob Weiland highlighted: “ This is a club where the class really was founded in Europe and that is why I am really proud that the class is here for the World Championships. The class now has members from more than 10 countries even if the main part of our racing is in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, but of course one of the reasons for that is, as you see, the sun always shines.”
“ We have ten boats here which is a good number, given that the class went from 20 boats to 10 due to the economics, but I think we are the bottom and if we stick together, doing what we do well, then the class is starting to go up again. The club has excellent facilities Nacho Postigo and World Sailing Management operating at a very high level of regatta management and the class supplying the wonderful boats and the owners who are keen to sail, I am sure that if we stick together I bet we will see 20 boats again in a couple of years.”  

Nacho Postigo said: “ It is real pleasure to have the class world championship here. This is the club where the class was decided in Europe, to me it is a double privilege because I am a member of the club and am also very involved with the class which has been very good to me. And if I can just remark that the club does a fantastic job bringing big events to the City, but in some ways I would ask the politicians to make sure we keep bringing more and more and bigger events to the City because they have such a big effect on the economics for the city.”

Meanwhile, 2008 World Champions Quantum Racing’s navigator Ian Moore (IRL) summarises the weather situation, and warns that there is a choice of boats which can do well here:

“ Palma at this time of year does behave generally as it does for most of the rest of the year, but hopefully we will see a mix of different conditions, light sea breezes and then there is a small chance of getting a few windy days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
But the problem here is that when it is windy it is usually blowing off the shore and that makes it very shifty, and not that great to sail in.”
“ There is an ex tropical storm Grace which is tracking across the Atlantic and if that sets up, and gets tucked in behind the mountains and we get a Mistral and it wraps round and we get strong NE’ly winds. But, statistically, there is very strong chance at this time of year of getting strong breeze at some stage out of the NE.”
“ I love sailing in Palma, but everybody knows it well, all the teams. There are a lot of boats out there which are good in these conditions. Some of the older boats, like Bribón who know these waters very, very well and probably have more experience here than anyone else. The boat which was Tau Ceramica is now Paprec and remember they won the first two races in Alicante last year in light conditions, and the Poms on the Henri Lloyd boat have a boat which won the Copa del Rey before, so there are a bunch of boats out there which can do well.”

After the 2009 Audi MedCup season the slate is cleaned and the imminent 2009 TP52 World Championships, which start with tomorrow’s Practice Race, represent a whole new opportunity requiring a completely different strategy.

The absence in Palma of Emirates Team New Zealand, recently crowned Audi MedCup Champions, leaves the field open with any one of three or four boats having shown over this season that they have the boatspeed and the skills to win the title which will be settled over the next few days on the Bay of Palma.

For certain most of the teams are familiar with the host club, the Real Club Nautico de Palma and the venue, not least the three teams for whom the Bay of Palma represents their home waters, José Cusi’s iconic Bribón (ESP), Alberto Roemmers’ Matador (ARG) and John Cook’s Cristabella (GBR). Indeed, this year as well as in 2007 Matador has won the TP52 fleet at the prestigious Copa del Rey raced on these same waters.

But conditions are likely to be very different to summer, as the Russian team Synergy’s navigator Francesco Mongelli (ITA) explains:

“In October the sea is quite hot compared to the land and so, if anything, it is more often you get the breeze at night. And there is high pressure dominating just now as so I think we are looking at light winds, maybe one day of 10-12 knots.” Says Mongelli.

Without doubt two of the title favourites lining up in Palma are the current World Champions, Quantum Racing (USA) which won in 2008 in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote and the 2007 champions Artemis (SWE). While the Quantum Racing team is unchanged from that which clinched second place on the Audi MedCup Circuit last month in Portugal, Artemis, is returned to full strength with owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) back on the helm with tactician Paul Cayard (USA) supported by new dad and 2007 Star world champion Hamish Pepper (NZL) as strategist, aided by round the world racer, past skiff and 505 world champion Chris Nicholson (AUS). Palma is also a happy hunting ground for Cayard who won the Copa del Rey in 1987 with the Maxi Il Moro de Venezia, and was tactician when Siemens Matador won in 2007.

“This is the chance for revenge.” Confirms Matador’s Italian tactician Francesco Bruni, “It is the last race of the season and everyone is hungry for revenge. For sure. Everyone has been hit hard by Emirates Team New Zealand and so everyone wants to have a good chance here.”
“We have a good chance here, we are one of the top teams here and we have been using the practice days here as best we can to give our owner Alberto Roemmers, who will steer, as much of a warm up as possible. He does not steer every day, but he did a fantastic job at the Copa del Rey and we have the same team here so we are confident. We hope to do a good job here.”

After tomorrow’s Practice Race, racing begins Wednesday with up to 11 races to be completed by Sunday, including Friday’s scheduled coastal race.

Quotes
“I think the sea breeze will not be as good as in August, not as strong. Today and yesterday was quite light and unstable, but the left usually pays, but at this time of year it can be very different.” Francesco Bruni (ITA), tactician Matador (ARG).

“We are in good shape. The strategy with the worlds is a completely different event. It has been long season, but now the MedCup is over and done with this is one off event which we approach a little bit differently. We need to sail consistently and do a good  job.” Chris Hosking (AUS) boat captain Artemis (SWE).

“We have had two days of light airs practice. I don’t think it adds to the pressure being champions, we are all pretty relaxed and we are sailing well, but there are a lot of good boats out there, so it would be nice to defend.” Mark Mendelblatt (USA) strategist Quantum Racing (USA), defending champions.

TP52 World Championship 2009 - Entry List
Bow, Boat Name, Sail Number, Country, Owner, Skipper

1, QUANTUM RACING, USA 52011, USA Doug Devos, Terry hutchinson
2, BRIBON, ESP 7552, ESP, José Cusí, Gonzalo Araujo
3, MATADOR, ESP-52, ARG, Alberto Roemmers, Alberto Roemmers
4, CRISTABELLA, GBR 5206L, GBR, John Cook, John Cook
5, ARTEMIS, SWE 11152, SWE, Torbjorn Tornqvist, Jared Henderson
6, AUDI TP52 POWERED BY Q8, ITA 4, ITA, Riccardo Simoneschi, Riccardo Simoneschi
7, VALARS III, RUS 7, RUS, Silver Wave LTD, Serguei Chevtsov
9, PAPREC RECYCLAGE, FRA 11152, FRA
Jean-Luc Petithuguenin / PH Finance, Hugues Destremau
10, HENRI LLOYD – WEAPON OF CHOICE, GBR 5252L, GBR, Antony Langley, Tom Wilson
13, SYNERGY, RUS-13, RUS, Scottsburg Manor LTD, Sergey Pichugin

With two days to go before the official practice race for the TP52 World Championships on the at the Real Club Nautica de Palma in Palma, Mallorca the ten boat TP52 fleet is already assembled and most have today been taking advantage of the very pleasant autumn sunshine and light winds.

The ten boats are at the Club’s dock this evening, with France’s Paprec Recyclage and Britain’s Henri Lloyd Weapon of Choice mooring during the early evening. Racing on the Bay of Palma starts with the practice race on Tuesday, leading in to a diet of up to 11 races which is scheduled to include a coastal race Friday which carries the customary 1.5 times points bounty. Boats for which this regatta is on ‘home’ waters include Bríbon (ESP), Cristabella (GBR) and Matador (ARG) although most of the crews know the waters of the Bay of Palma very well.

Racing for the world championship title in effect starts on Wednesday scheduled for just after 1300hrs local time.

2009 TP52 World Championship Provisional Entry List:
Team (Country), Owner, Helmsman

Quantum Racing (USA), Doug Devos/Fred Howe, Terry Hutchinson
Bribón (ESP), José Cusí, Gonzalo Araujo
Matador (ARG), Alberto Roemmers, Guillermo Parada
Cristabella (GBR), John Cook, John Cook
Artemis (SWE), Torbjorn Tornqvist, Torbjorn Tornqvist
Audi TP52 powered by Q8 (ITA), Riccardo Simoneschi, Riccardo Simoneschi
Valars III (RUS), Kirill Podolsky, Serguei Chevtsov
Paprec Recyclage (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin/PH Finance, Stephane Neve
Henri Lloyd-Weapon of Choice (GBR), Antony Langley, Antony Langley
Synergy (RUS), Gateway Overseas Limiteds

In some senses it will be business as usual aboard eight of the ten which are regulars on the Audi MedCup Circuit, but the Worlds fleet will be welcoming two crews new to TP52 class racing in the shape of France’s Paprec Recyclage (formerly the 2007 launch Judel/Vrolijk design Artemis and most recently Tau Ceramica Andalucia) and Great Britain’s Henri- Lloyd Weapon of Choice (formerly the 2007 launched Judel/Vrolijk Matador).

And while neither team will arrive in Palma with serious hopes of lifting the overall title, they are both very experienced crews equipped with excellent boats.

Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec Recyclage Brittany based crew are mainly amateurs skippered by sailmaker Stephan Neve of Incidences Voiles. The owner is a very well known sailing enthusiast who is founder and chairman of Paprec who also support IMOCA Open 60 skipper Jean-Pierre Dick. Petithuguenin raced for the French team at the final Admiral’s Cup in 2003 and then was part of the winning Commodore’s Cup team in 2004 with Neve on the Sinergia 40 of the same name. Before buying the TP52 they successfully raced an A40RC under IRC.

“At the moment we are just hoping to race correctly and race well. Compared with all the other teams we will be at a different level I’m sure. All of the team are amateurs with jobs, we have physical education teacher, a doctor, a builder…we really are a group of friends who have been together for a long time.” Explains Neve, “But we really want to be there for the experience to learn from these other teams as much as we can.”

“ The crew will really only have sailed together for between 10 and 15 days before we start in Palma, and so we can’t expect too much. But we are coming to learn.”

Henri-Lloyd Weapon of Choice will be steered by owner Tony Longley, a successful English sailor who also currently has a Farr 45 which he and his crew still campaign on the England's Solent. Since taking on the former Matador in the middle of August the crew have not yet sailed in anger, and will only get together on the boat at the end of this weekend.

But they have a composed a talented line up of British sailors including Round the World Race, 18 foot skiff and International 14 winner Rob Greenhalgh, tactician, Jonathan Taylor in the pit has TP52 experience on Cristabella and Stay Calm, Freddy Shanks, bowman sailed on Patches, while North Sails Dave Lenz is mainsail trimmer and Graeme Sunderland is navigator and project manager.

“We are just hoping not to disgrace ourselves.” Laughs boat captain Tom Wilson (GBR), “ Seriously, though we have put together a good crew and we are all fairly realistic in what we expect. It is a great opportunity for us to race at this level because the boat is already in Spain, and the owner has always wanted to race in the fleet.”

Racing at the TP52 World Championships starts with the official practice race on Tuesday 6th October and finishes on Sunday 11th October. The regatta follows the same pattern as the typical Audi MedCup Circuit event with one coastal race set to run on the Friday.

2009 TP52 World Championship Provisional Entry List:
Team (Country), Owner, Helmsman

Quantum Racing (USA), Doug Devos/Fred Howe, Terry Hutchinson
Bribón (ESP), José Cusí, Gonzalo Araujo
Matador (ARG), Alberto Roemmers, Guillermo Parada
Cristabella (GBR), John Cook, John Cook
Artemis (SWE), Torbjorn Tornqvist, Torbjorn Tornqvist
Audi TP52 powered by Q8 (ITA), Riccardo Simoneschi, Riccardo Simoneschi
Valars III (RUS), Kirill Podolsky, Serguei Chevtsov
Paprec Recyclage (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin/PH Finance, Stephane Neve
Henri Lloyd-Weapon of Choice (GBR), Antony Langley, Antony Langley
Synergy (RUS), Gateway Overseas Limiteds

“ Ten entries really is excellent and matches my best hopes.” Explained TP52 Class Secretary, Rob Weiland this morning, confirming the entry for the 2009 TP52 World Championship, which takes place next October in Palma de Mallorca.  The event is organised by World Sailing Management in conjunction with the Real Club Naútico de Palma (RCNP) and the TP52 Class.

The ten teams Weiland makes reference to, who have made their entry or have shown interest in participating the in the World Championship are: Valars (RUS), Synergy (RUS), Artemis (SWE), Matador (ARG), Bribón (ESP), Cristabella (GBR), Audi TP52 powered by Q8 (ITA), Henri Lloyd - Weapon of Choice  (GBR), Paprec Recyclage  (FRA) and Quantum Racing (USA), 2008 World Champions.

Eight of those teams are currently competing on the Caja Meditárraneo Region of Murcia Trophy, however two are not Audi MedCup Circuit particpants.  “We will have the same organisation and some of the teams from the Circuit”, continues the Dutchman, “but so we are also talking about an event which is accessible and comfortable for new teams who want to measure up against the fleet racers from the Circuit”.

“The inclusiong of a French team is excellent news for the TP52 fleet” highlights Ignacio Postigo, Technical Director for the TP52 World Championship.  The TP52 Class Secretary remembers the successful 2008 edition, which also took place in Spain, Lanzarote last October 2008. “The 2008 World Championship was a great event, and I think we can achieve something similar.  There is always a great atmosphere at a World Championship; it is a competition that is loved by both owners and crews.  The idea of being the World Champion of something is liked by all.”

“The fact that Spain will host the TP52 World Championship for the second time is no coincidence” explains Ignacio Postigo.  The venue chosen to host the 2009 World’s is well known and loved by the fleet and crews and that is also a major asset in guaranteeing the success of the event: “Having a base at the Real Club Naútico de Palma guarantees a friendly club atmosphere and this Club in particular is excellent and experienced in organising high level events.  Palma is well known and loved by the owners and sailors.  It is accessible and the climate in October should be very pleasant.” Concludes Postigo.

According to Juan Antonio Samper, Chairman of World Sailing Management, “The TP52 World Championship consolidates the position of World Sailing Management in high level sailing regattas and shows the natural evolution as all round event managers for international yachting events."

The competition format should be identical to that adopted in the TP52 Series on the Audi MedCup Circuit involving an official training day (Tuesday 6th of October), a coastal race (Friday 9th of October) and a series of windward-leeward races for the remainder of the week to make up a total of ten scoring races without discards.”

2009 TP52 World Championship Provisional Entry List:
Team (Country), Owner, Helmsman

Quantum Racing (USA), Doug Devos/Fred Howe, Terry Hutchinson
Bribón (ESP), José Cusí, Thierry Peponnet
Matador (ARG), Alberto Roemmers, Guillermo Parada
Cristabella (GBR), John Cook, John Cook
Artemis (SWE), Torbjorn Tornqvist, Torbjorn Tornqvist
Audi TP52 powered by Q8 (ITA), Riccardo Simoneschi, Riccardo Simoneschi
Valars III (RUS), Kirill Podolsky, Serguei Chevtsov
Paprec Recyclage (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin/PH Finance, Stephane Neve
Henri Lloyd-Weapon of Choice (GBR), Antony Langley, Tom Wilson
Synergy (RUS), Gateway Overseas Limiteds

World Sailing Management is the co-owner together with Santa Monica Sports of the Audi MedCup. The organisers and the class manager expect an entry of 10 to 14 boats and see the stand alone World Championship as the perfect opportunity for potential TP52 owners or programmes to test their skills and to find out how it is to race a TP52 against many of the world’s best sailors. The class manager will help those interested to charter a TP52 for this event in finding a competitive boat.

The regatta format follows the schedule typical of an Audi MedCup event with a practise race on Tuesday, a coastal race on Friday and a diet of windward-leeward races Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday to a total target of ten races.

“Last October the TP52 Class Members decided that for the 2009 Worlds I should try to look for a cost efficient venue without compromising on the qualities that determine good yacht racing and a good social program”, explains Rob Weiland, the TP52 Class Manager. “So I searched for high quality partners to host the event in a location not too far away from the final MedCup event. You need good facilities ashore and on the water, a good yacht club and a town that offers easy access as well as more entertainment than just sailing. So a place you like to bring your family to as well. For me Palma was an obvious choice.”

Palma has long been a popular venue for the TP52 fleet. It offers potentially excellent and reliable wind conditions in October, but it also has a large protected bay which gives shelter and is still sailable in case of strong north westerly or north easterly winds.

“The TP52 Class has signed a two year agreement with WSM for the rights to the TP52 Worlds title for 2009 and 2010”, the class manager continues. “This way we got the Class a dedicated event organiser that we know very well from the MedCup and equally important we got some much appreciated income for the Class out of the deal.
“The TP52 Class and the MedCup are inter-connected with each other. Without the MedCup I think it's fair to say  that TP52 Class would not exist anymore and also the MedCup would not have been where it is right now without the TP52 Class.”

“As long as charterers become members of the Class Association they can charter a boat for the TP52 Worlds and get a great insight into what the TP52 Class offers and already we have a couple of potential teams talking about coming on this basis.” Suggests Nacho Postigo (ESP) of World Sailing Management. “Palma is an excellent venue with a good atmosphere. Both a club based sailing regatta and a full world championship, this will also be big for Palma.”

For Javier Sanz, Vice President of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, this is also very good news: “It is a pleasure for the RCNP to have the chance to host the TP52 World Championships, and we are glad to offer the club's facilities for such an important event.”

“From the very beginning and through recent years, boats and boat owners have participated in the different regattas organized by the RCNP,” Sanz continues. “That's why it is a privilege for us to be able to collaborate in the organization of the championships of such an important and competitive class as the TP52.”

“With the organization of this event, the RCNP is the final highlight of a busy regatta season which started last April and will finish in December. The RCNP will put all its effort and determination to ensure this will be both a social and a sporting success.”