Quantum Racing takes the victory of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

 

· The first visit of the 52 SUPER SERIES to Galicia closed with a last day of show in the waters of the Vigo estuary that brought together a large crowd of people

· American Quantum Racing took the final victory after four excellent days of racing and claimed its first title since 2019

· The TP52 fleet leaves Baiona with a great taste in the mouth due to a perfect combination of conditions, surroundings and the excellent reception of the Monte Real Club de Yates

After five days of testing and one of training, this Saturday the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · BAIONA SAILING WEEK, the great nautical event of the year in Galicia that the Monte Real Club de Yates organized with the sponsorship of ABANCA and Tourism, ended this Saturday of Galicia through the Xacobeo.

The TP52s said goodbye to Galicia with eight partials out of ten possible in the boxes of the nine teams that were able to sail every day and start the season testing their boats in a wide range of winds: from light breezes of 8-9 knots, at intensities well above 20 knots.

The combination of a magnificent regatta course located in front of the majestic Cíes Islands, with extraordinary weather and the warm welcome from the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona, venue of the event, convinced the 52 SUPER SERIES on their historic first visit to the Rías Baixas.
On the last day played this Saturday, the nine teams in contention went out on the water with a program of two tests on the agenda and a forecast of good conditions in the regatta field.

The TP52s once again gave a show in the Rías Baixas – Photo Nico Martínez

A hundred boats of spectators came to enjoy the choreography of the TP52 manned by a selection of the best sailors in the world, a historical image for sailing in Galicia.

After four days of northerly component winds, the fleet said goodbye to the Rías Baixas with a southwest breeze and intensities that varied between 17 knots in the first outing of the day and nine in the second, which had to be canceled by a radical wind roll.

Three teams went out on the water with mathematical chances of a title challenge, with Quantum Racing the strongest contender thanks to a four-point lead over Platoon and seven over Phoenix.

The eighth test of the week (after all, the last) presented excellent conditions for the sailing competition. Britain’s Gladiator, Turkey’s Provezza and Thailand’s Vayu all crossed the line early and had to re-start, reducing traffic for their six rivals in the opening stages of the event.

The last departure of the Baiona Sailing Week – Photo Nico Martinez

Once again, the tacticians were forced to resort to all their magic to read a field full of nuances and with no clear path. After an intense exchange of positions, the Alegre of the owner and helmsman Andy Soriano rounded the first buoy of the course in the lead, leading the rest of the race until scoring his first partial victory of the season.

After suffering for a good part of the route, Quantum Racing got a creditable second place that served to extend its advantage at the head of the provisional thanks to the third of the Phoenix and the fifth of Platoon, the only ones who could jeopardize their Galician victory.

Quantum Racing entered the final with a seven-point lead on the provisional table, a comfortable lead but not enough in such a competitive fleet, and an off-line made things very exciting.

With Phoenix leading the charge and Quantum Racing closing the field, at times the Baiona title seemed to go to the South African team, but a radical role of the wind in the middle of the course forced the main race official, María Torrijo, to cancel the test and send the fleet back to the pontoons of the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona.

Quantum Racing collecting the prizes for the winners of the Baiona Sailing Week – Photo Nico Martínez

Quantum Racing was officially proclaimed the first champion of the 52 SUPER SERIES in Galicia. The team led by the setter and helmsman Doug DeVos, the tactician Terry Hutchinson (patron of the American Magic team of the America’s Cup) and the strategist Luca Calabrese (bronze of 470 in London 2012) won their first title since June 2019 in Baiona.

The Quantum Racing crew celebrating victory in the water – Photo Nico Martínez

This is an important first step for the American team in its goal of achieving its fifth crown of circuit champions, after those achieved in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018. In Baiona they have been able to verify that their rivals will not make it easy for them.

The awards ceremony for this first appointment with the SUPER SERIES was held at the Monte Real Club de Yates with a large audience. The president of the club, José Luis Álvarez; the general director of the 52 SUPER SERIES, Agustín Zulueta; the director of Private Banking of ABANCA, Francisco Javier Rivero; the mayor of Baiona, Carlos Gómez; the Deputy for Sports of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, Gorka Gómez; and the delegate of the Xunta de Galicia in Vigo, Marta Fernández-Tapias. Awards were also presented by TP52 class manager Rob Weiland.

The next event of the 52 SUPER SERIES 2022 will be held in the Portuguese town of Cascais. Meanwhile, at the Monte Real Club de Yates they will continue with their usual sports program, which includes the celebration of the Galician Two-handed Championship, on June 11; the Rías Baixas Route, from July 4 to 9; and the Conde de Gondomar Trophy, from July 22 to 25. In September, the other two major events of the club will arrive in 2022, the Prince of Asturias Trophy, from September 2 to 4, with the usual delivery of the National Sailing Awards; and the Spanish J80 Championship, from September 15 to 18.

Rain of champagne to celebrate the victory – Photo Nico Martínez

Final Classification ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

1- QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+5+1+2+3+1+1+2 = 19
2- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller Spreer, 5+1+2+4+4+2+3+5= 26
3- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso and Tina Plattner, 1+3+3+1+8+6+2+3 = 27
4- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin and Gwen Fragomen, 6+4+4+6+2+9+4+4 = 39
5- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 9+7+6+3+9+3+5+1 = 43
6- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 3+6+5+7+7+4+4.5+7 = 43.5
7- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 2+2+8+5+5+7+7+9 = 45
8- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 7+8+7+8+1+8+10 (DSQ)+8+3 (PEN) = 60
9- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10 (DNF)+10 (DNS)+10 (DNS)+6+5+6+6 = 61

 

Statements of the day

José Luis Álvarez, president of the Monte Real Yacht Club of Baiona:

“The event has been a complete success and I am very happy because it is the award that deserves the work and commitment of each and every one of the members of the Monte Real Club de Yates. From the first moment we understood the importance of this appointment for the international projection of our club, Baiona and the Rías Baixas, and I think we have fulfilled it. We have returned to the international circuits and have made it clear that Galicia is an ideal setting for holding this type of top-level events. In fact, next year we will host the J80 World Cup”

Agustín Zulueta (ESP), general director of the 52 SUPER SERIES:

“A magnificent event. I would tell you that for the first time we have come to Baiona, and on top of that at the beginning of the season, outstanding. Outstanding for the club and outstanding for all the people who have been part of this great team, both in the water and on land. If they give us the opportunity, we will return, of course”

Terry Hutchinson (USA), Tactician for Quantum Racing (USA):

“Our first experience in Baiona has been spectacular. The race course is impressive, being new to all the teams, it presented new challenges and opportunities, and you come ashore and everyone in the club and in the area welcomes us with open arms. I am looking forward to returning. It has been an excellent test, very difficult, quite a challenge for all the teams due to the subtleties of the route. We are very, very happy. For me this victory is super important, it reflects the work done by the team during the winter, but we still have a lot of room for improvement. There is a lot to compete this season, and the fleet is really competitive.”

Víctor Mariño (ESP), Platoon trimmer (GER):

“The week has exceeded expectations, and by far. The organization has been incredible, the Real Club de Yates de Baiona has surpassed itself. People have been delighted. The conditions have been exquisite, despite having been able to do only one regatta each of the last two days, I think the ones done have been perfect. Very open conditions. It has been shown that we have a great place to sail here, we have to try to bring level fleets, because they enjoy it. It was a great test for all the teams. The third day, with more than 25 knots, was impressive, the perfect day: what foreigners call ‘champagne sailing’”

María Torrijo (ESP), Principal Regatta Officer:

“Today I was left with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. We had a weather report that said we were going to have a spectacular day with the southwest, and yes, it came in strong. We did the first very nice test, but then, it must be because of the heat, with so many islands and so much land, that as soon as you got a little closer to land, the wind killed it. It was very difficult. I moved, I tried to get away from one land, and I came close to another, I had a stable wind and it killed me. I had to cancel the last race because the wind had dropped completely and had changed more than a hundred degrees” / “The week has been spectacular: super fun regattas in which it was not clear who could win, whether the one on the right or the one on the the left. It wasn’t like in other places, where you know that whoever wins the start, wins the race; here, each test was different, even on the same day the conditions changed. All the sailors have told me that they have been super fun regattas”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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