Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

Rolex TP52 World Championship at Cascais, Portugal - Overall

by 52 Super Series 21 Jul 2018 21:55 BST 16-21 July 2018

Ten years after their first world title together in the class' formative years in Lanzarote, Quantum Racing today lifted the Rolex TP52 World Championship crown in Cascais, winning a spirited ding-dong battle with rivals Azzurra in the typically muscular Atlantic breezes that the Portuguese hotspot has long since been renowned for.

With Dean Barker steering and Terry Hutchison leading a concerted, big Quantum team effort, they mastered what proved a challenging, breezy race area, which often favoured the opportunists. With nine boats racing, all brand new this season, and all with an equal chance of winning, there is widespread acknowledgment that Quantum Racing were a step ahead in their execution throughout the five day championship.

Several times over the course of the nine-race world championship regatta Hutchinson and the Quantum Racing afterguard had deftly and doggedly turned modest positions into premium points scoring top three positions, only to then lose those places to rivals' runway downwind gambles.

Several times, searing downwind sleigh rides saw gains and losses of hundreds of metres at times, during what proved a thrilling world championship. There was little scope for precision, percentage sailing and over the last five races Quantum Racing sailed 1,5,1,5,1 to Azzurra's 6,1,5,1,2. The American-flagged team of Doug DeVos won the world title by four points from their Argentine-Italian rivals, whose best result of the season this is.

Quantum Racing's Hutchinson revealed that during their pre-season, they identified these World Championships and the attendant expectation of strong breezes as fundamental to how they optimised and set up their newly launched boat:

"We hedged our boat towards this regatta. A lot of little things inside the yacht and in the rig program were hedged towards this event, so it's nice to see it come to fruition," an emotional and visibly relieved Hutchinson explained.

To bear witness to the Quantum Racing's release, and pleasure, as they crossed the line to clinch the title underlines once again what makes the ultra-competitive Hutchinson tick. But, he cautions: "Of course you're only as good as your last race, and fortunately for us right now that was a win. But you can't say enough about the effort that the entire team did. This isn't an individual win, this is a full team win: the shore guys, our sail program, everything that we've done here is with an eye of continually improving."

Assessing the strength and depth of the fleet right now, as others have pointed out, Hutchinson adds:
"If you had to say as you look across the fleet: Sled is going quite well, Alegre as well, the step up across the fleet compared to last season is quite impressive. It is swings and roundabouts, but there's some really good teams. I think we coughed up 15 points at the last regatta. You are never too far away from having one like that, and the fleet is good enough that if you make a mistake in a race or two they pounce on you really quickly."

For Azzurra, the 2017 52 SUPER SERIES champions, and themselves twice world champions, there was the huge satisfaction of not just coming back from two modest finishes in Croatia – fourth and seventh – and proving they have lost nothing of their free-thinking, hard-driving Argentine Gaucho spirit in the big breeze, but they also moved up the 52 SUPER SERIES leaderboard to third overall.

An exciting, engaging battle between owner-drivers Andy Soriano and Sled's Takashi Okura, saw Soriano and Alegre win out, but only on the last day of what was a great duel. Alegre take third in the world championship – their first podium this season with Sled in fourth.

Quantum Racing lead the 52 SUPER SERIES season standings now by 19 points, having come to Cascais leading by just four. Platoon dropped most, from a share of second along with Sled to now be 33 points adrift of Quantum after three of five regattas. Sled are second for the season now.

Rolex TP52 World Championship Overall Results:

1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (2,1,3,4,1,5,1,5,1) 23pts
2. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers) (1,2,2,7,6,1,5,1,2) 27pts
3. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (4,4,5,1,4,7,7,2,3) 37pts
4. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (8,3,7,2,3,2,3,6,4) 38pts
5. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (10DNF, 6,1,3,5,3,4,7,6) 45pts
6. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (3,5,6,6,9,8,2,3,8) (2 penalti) 52pts
7. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (5,9,4,5,7,4,6,8,5) 53pts
8. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (6,7,8,8,2,6,8,4,7) 56pts
9. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (7,8,9,9,8,10,10,10,10) 81pts

2018 52 SUPER SERIES Overall Standings:

1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) 96pts
2. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) 115pts
3. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers) 125pts
4. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) 126pts
5. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) 129pts
6. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) 133pts
7. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) 147pts
8. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) 163pts
9. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) 184pts
10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) 218pts
11. Paprec (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) 226pts

Quotes:

Dean Barker (NZL) helm Quantum Racing (USA):

On American Magic and the America's Cup program:
"Right now, the focus is on the TP52 the 52 SUPER SERIES. Any racing that we do together is good racing because you put yourself under pressure and deal with the good and the bad. It's great to come out of this event with a win, it's really cool to win a World Champs in this boat with this team, and I think for the future we've got a very defined plan of what we want to do, it's nice to do the racing and I find I'm really enjoying it again. Even though we're three regattas through, two to go, there's still something like 20 races left, so there's a lot still to play out between now and the end. Everyone knows Palma is a difficult venue: it's predictable in some ways, and hard in others, so we need to go there with a good attitude and capitalise as best we can on the racing there, and who knows what Valencia will throw up – it could be anything that time of year! So we need to make sure we go into that event with a chance to still be able to win the season."

Andy Horton (USA), Alegre (GBR):

"It's great for us to podium here, we've been chipping away every day, and every regatta, and I know I keep saying that, and it's pretty boring, but honestly, last regatta we were just a couple places out and it's nice for the processes to work out. We keep tight as a group, and our coach, Fuzz, and our local knowledge guy, Gustavo Lima, told us: 'you're going to have some ups, you're going to go the right way, the wrong way, you're going to have a bad call on a sail or boat handling problems, but just keep chipping away,' so we did that and it was great."

On the new crew onboard:
"We're learning each other, it's people that I've sailed with a lot and they sailed together on Rán: Jon Gunderson and Andy Hemmings. They're fitting in really well, and working with Andy [Soriano] well, and he enjoys having them and their personalities. Noel Drennan has shifted from runner to main, and Kevin George our sail designer has gone from kite trimmer to runner. So four position changes, but two guys on the boat, but in different roles."

On Andy Soriano:
"I hope he's happy! It's tough, it's a physical week, and he did a great job. He must be shattered right now! I'm tired, and I'm 20 years younger than him! He chilled out at the right times and put in everything he had – I guarantee it – on some of those runs, right on the edge, we'd get him on lay line and just sending it! So he must be shattered but hopefully happy!"

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais Day 1
Sled sparkle in Cascais' Atlantic surf to lead After seemingly being starved of boisterous top end conditions for some years now Okura's Sled crew have been relishing a return to big breezes and big waves. Posted on 2 Jul
Admiral's Cup 2025 | Interview with the CYCA Team
A highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta from July 17 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is fielding a highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta that will be run from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the UK, from 17th July 2025. Posted on 1 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais - Practice Day
Will Platoon Aviation's big breeze, big pressure experience prove key to their fourth world title? Of the three past and present world championship winning crews which completed their final practice today in typically muscular 25 knot breezes and big waves out of Cascais, Portugal it was Harm Müller-Spreer's Platoon Aviation which showed best today. Posted on 1 Jul
Introduction to the Admiral's Cup/Fastnet 2025
After a 22 year abscence, the renowned Admiral's Cup is back. After a break of 22 years, the renowned Admiral's Cup is returning to the international yacht racing scene in July 2025. One short ocean race, three days of inshore racing, and then the fabled Fastnet to finish Posted on 29 Jun
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais preview
Eleven teams hoping the Portuguese venue lives up to its reputation Given that it is a long time since the 52 SUPER SERIES fleet raced in big winds and waves, a breezy final few training days before the start of next week's Rolex TP52 World Championship in Cascais would be universally welcomed by the 11 teams. Posted on 23 Jun
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez preview
Looking ahead to the 27th edition The elegance of the Classics, the power of the Moderns, the majesty of the Maxis. This dreamlike combination, a legacy of the Nioulargue, will once again come together in the stunning setting of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez from September 27 to October 5. Posted on 22 Jun
Rolex TP52 World Championship preview
The pinnacle event of the 52 SUPER SERIES will be held at Cascais The annual Rolex TP52 World Championship represents the top tier of monohull grand prix sailing. Held as the pinnacle event of the 52 SUPER SERIES, of which Rolex is also Official Timepiece, the regatta is one of the most revered in the sport. Posted on 19 Jun
Sailing with Matt Cornwell
From youth sailing in Lymington to the America's Cup and TP52 Worlds From youth sailing in Lymington to the America's Cup and TP52 Worlds, Matt's journey has been shaped by resilience, big moments, and life at the bow. We caught up with him to talk favourite races and what he'd be doing if he weren't a sailor. Posted on 13 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup overall
American Magic Quantum Racing are Galician royalty, winning 2nd event of 2025 with a race to spare. Delivering an impressively consistent series across 10 races sailed in broad range of weather conditions Doug DeVos's US flagged crew of American Magic Quantum Racing won the second regatta of the 2025 season to lift the prestigious Royal Cup. Posted on 7 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 4
Hutchinson adding the missing element as American Magic Quantum Racing close in on title Now holding a 13-points lead after today's two races contested at the Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup, American Magic Quantum Racing crew are on the cusp of completing their first 52 SUPER SERIES regatta win since victory in Barcelona in September 2022. Posted on 6 Jun