Audi TP52 World Championship at Porto Cervo, Sardinia - Day 1
by 52 Super Series 10 Jun 2014 19:50 BST
10-14 June 2014
Day 1 of the Audi TP52 World Championship off Porto Cervo, Sardinia © Nico Martinez / MartinezStudio
Day one of the Audi TP52 World Championship 2014, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda from 10th to 14th June, brought a coastal race and a hard-fought battle between Quantum Racing (USA) and Azzurra (ITA) for first place while Rán (SWE) and Phoenix (BRA) tussled for third. At the conclusion of a 15 mile course winding through the granite islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago it was the American team aboard Quantum that held the lead to cross the finish closely followed by Azzurra, owned by Alberto Roemmers. Rán, owned by Niklas Zennstrom also held on to her advantage over Phoenix to claim third place in Race 1.
The nine competing teams had a long wait in the starting area as the Race Committee waited for a shifty easterly breeze to fill in and stabilize. Their patience paid off and at 14.40 the fleet took off towwards the Secca Tre Monti rock. Rán and Azzurra both had a good start on the pin end but it was Quantum that took the lead from the off. After heading north and rounding the island of Monaci the fleet went on a long reach back towards Porto Cervo and the finish line.
Azzurra, flying the YCCS burgee and with Guillermo Parada at the helm, tailed Quantum for the duration but never managed to get past the America boat skippered by Ed Baird. Likewise Phoenix stayed hot on the heels of current World Champion Rán but was unable to overtake the Swedish team with British sailor Adrian Stead calling tactics.
Vasco Vascotto, Azzurra's tactician, was pleased with the day's result nonetheless: "Quantum Racing had a great start, they took the lead immediately and although we had a good start too we were just a little behind them. They had enough of an advantage to round the first mark ahead of the fleet and from there we didn't really have many opportunities to get past them. We concentrated on defending our second place, which is still a good result. Now we have another two coastal races, where anything can happen, anyone can win."
Terry Hutchinson, calling tactics aboard Quantum Racing, was cautious despite his team's opening bullet: "It was a very good race today, the Race Committee did a great job of being patient and waiting for the breeze to fill and from there Ed and Juan and Greg got in a great start for Quantum. Tomorrow we have another coastal and the day after as well, so our mentality is to take it one day at a time and survive these first few days with a chance to win.
Provisional Results after Day 1:
1. Quantum Racing (USA) - 1
2. Azzurra (ITA) - 2
3. Ràn (SWE) - 3
4. Phoenix (BRA) - 4
5. Gladiator (GBR) - 5
6. Provezza (TK) - 6
7. Hurakan (ITA) - 7
8. Paprec Recyclage (FRA) - 8
9. B2 (ITA) - 9
Racing is scheduled to continue tomorrow, Wednesday 11th June, at 12 midday. A light easterly breeze is forecast.
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Quotes from the teams:
Terry Hutchinson (USA) tactician Quantum Racing (USA): "It was a very interesting coastal race. Hats off to the race committee for persevering and waiting and waiting and waiting to make sure we did not have a bogus coastal race. And it paid off. There was a time when it did not look very promising and they continued to patience it out and here we are with one race under our belt. Ed and Foxy and Juan did some really nice work on our time and distance. We went upwind and just at five minutes and changed our game plan from wanting to be the left most boat to starting exactly where we did. It was a balance between pressure on the left hand side and the beat being short enough that we could control from that windward position.
As you would imagine we were all quite critical of our performance in Capri. And to be quite honest one race does not justify the six that we did not do very well in in Capri. A win is a great start to the regatta, but there things we can do better boat handling wise and some things we can do better tactically. Without question we are going to keep forging ahead.
When Azzurra's breathing down your neck on their own home waters you know it is never over. And right up to that last mark when we went from a 95 deg wind reaching across to a 130 true wind, you are just thinking 'well Vasco has one more rabbit in his bag of tricks there'. The mistake would have been to think it was over. It was a bit of a procession after we got around the leeward mark in 'bomb alley' down there so we had a straight upwind reach and a six miles reach to the last mark, Azzurra were right there and always ready to capitalise on any mistake."
Rod Davis (NZL) coach Azzurra (ITA): "The course was a bit of a soldier's course. Passing was very difficult to do. But we are happy to take our second from it. That was kind of in our game plan in the first race, to finish in the top three. After a decent start you don't want to double bogey the first race. There were not really any opportunities after the top mark. You could have forced something, but it was too big a risk. So after the first mark it just stayed in that order.
It adds a little bit of pressure on the guys to be here on home waters, really. But, that is OK, we are just going to keep sailing the boat the way we do. We sailed a good regatta in Capri. We need to keep that momentum going here. We made some changes to our sail programme in Capri, a change in philosophy in mainsails and stuff. That was definitely an improvement since Key West and Miami. We feel like we have come a long way since then. Things are rumbling along."
Niklas Zennström (SWE) owner-driver Rán Racing (SWE): "The race was to the bottom mark and then really there was no passing lanes. Third is OK. We almost crossed Quantum Racing at the top mark and then had to duck both them and Azzurra as a result and then it was pretty hard to get around them. A third in the first race is OK. We are here to win but you don't need to win every race."