TP52 World Championships in Valencia - day 1
by TP52 World Championship 2010 5 Oct 2010 20:50 BST
5-9 October 2010
Two back to back wins sees the Russian boat Synergy leading the TP52 World Championships after three excellent races in a building sea breeze off Valencia today.
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.
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 now 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 is there 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 taking it 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".
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 points
3. Artemis (SWE) - Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE), 3+5+2= 10 points
4. Matador (ARG) - Alberto Roemmers (ARG), 4+2+5= 11 points
5. Cristabella (GBR) - John Cutler (NZL), 6+4+4= 14 points
6. Bigamist 7 (POR) - Afonso Domingos (POR), 7+6+6= 19 points
7. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER) - Jochen Schuemann (GER), 2+10(DSQ)+8= 20 points
8. Pace (GBR) - Johnny Vincent (GBR), 9+8+7= 24 points
9. Weapon of Choice (GBR) - Tony Langley (GBR), 8+7+9= 24 points
Event website: www.tp52worldchampionship.org