Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup at Monte Real Club de Yates - Day 2
by 52 Super Series 4 Jun 20:24 BST
2-7 June 2025
American Magic Quantum Racing extend their lead after challenging light winds day
Patience, concentration, risk management and perhaps a highly developed sixth sense of the subtle changes in the light breezes, were among the key assets shared by the crews which did best today, the second racing day of the GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP off Baiona.
Over Races 3 and 4 of the series, the outstanding team was American Magic Quantum Racing which posted a fourth and a victory. Such top drawer consistency so far - no score worse than fourth - sees Doug DeVos' crew opening up an eight points lead over Andrea Lacorte's Italian flagged crew on Alkedo Vitamina who are now on 17 points. The French team of Jean Luc-Petithuguenin's Paprec lie third after a good second place in Race 4, following American Magic across the finish line.
SW'ly breezes were light through both contests, especially the second one when Race Officer Maria Torrijo reduced the leg length to just one mile to beat the fading breeze and achieve fair, equable results through the 11 boat fleet.
After starting well and gaining on the early right of the course, Eric de Turckheim's Teasing Machine capitalized on a good windshift to the left on the final approach to the windward mark to lead Shawn and Tina Kang's Alpha + round the turn. Teasing Machine, racing at their first 52 SUPER SERIES regatta this season, took the win ahead of Alpha + - whilst Tina and Hasso Plattner's Phoenix held on for third.
But it was American Magic's patience and risk management which seemed to be key on the second race which they won reasonably comfortably. They started well but just managed to stay in the best pressure without being at all extreme on any leg. Leaders at the top mark they were not challenged again whilst Paprec held on to the right of the final run, whilst Alpha + and Alkedo erred left, and were rewarded with a valued second place.
Terry Hutchinson, American Magic Quantum Racing's tactician reported, "Those were some hard earned points today. It is very unclear which way to go, the subtleties of the race course, we are trying all the time to put ourselves in spots where we are going to lose big. We were lucky in the first race as we got a penalty at about one minute 10 seconds to go in the pre start, but the fleet was so early we were able to sneak our way through. The second race we had a good start and maybe 65 per cent of the way up the beat I would have picked Alegre to win the race pretty big, but they tacked and the breeze just kind of evaporated where they were and we stayed with the breeze. But overall it is exciting to see the potential where we are but at the same time we are just scratching the surface."
Loïck Peyron, tactician on Paprec admitted, "It was pretty tricky today, a nice place to race, you have to be very concentrated and a bit lucky. You need to be fast which should make you smart and at some stages we were smart! But it is a very interesting place, that second race I was so focused, the way you have to be always improving your game and be so concentrated all the time, I love it, I love this. In this game the part I don't really like yet is the downwind, when you have to defend, especially when it is light."
Results after Day 2:
1. American Magic Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos, 2+2+4+1 = 9pts
2. Alkedo Vitamina, ITA, Andrea Lacorte, 5+1+8+3 = 17pts
3. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 7+3+7+2 = 19pts
4. Vayu, THA, Whitcraft Family, 6+6+6+6 = 24pts
5. Alegre, GBR, Andy Soriano, 1+4+11+9 = 25pts
6. Alpha+, HKG, Shawn & Tina Kang, 11+8+2+5 = 26pts
7. Platoon Aviation, GER, Harm Müller-Spreer, 4+10+9+4 = 27pts
8. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 3+5+10+10 = 28pts
9. Phoenix, RSA, Tina & Hasso Plattner, 9+9+3+8 = 29pts
10. Sled, USA, Takashi Okura, 10+7+5+7 = 29pts
11. Teasing Machine, FRA, Eric de Turckheim, 8+11+1+11 = 31pts