Azzurra Wins second place at the 52 World Championship

Azzurra Wins second place at the 52 World Championship

 

Port Mahon, Minorca, September 18, 2016

Today was the final day of racing at the 52 World Championship, held at Port Mahon, Minorca, an event that also counts as the fourth in the 2016 52 Super Series.  After yesterday's two wins, Azzurra came to the starting line nine points behind the event's leader. In swells that were almost 2 mt long and northerly breezes at about 15 knots, Azzurra got an excellent start and went on to win the race handily, while her rival, Quantum, finished fifth. The difference between the two boats was down to just four points and it looked like Azzurra could have a chance at retaining her title as world champion.

Azzurra got a good start in the second race despite winds that were increasingly shifty, but soon got stuck between other boats on the wrong side of the course when winds turned 40 degrees along the first upwind leg. She recovered positions up to 5th place along the downwind leg, but got a penalty at the gate and dropped to the back of the fleet. Despite the bad luck, Azzurra won second place in the 52 World Championship and is also currently in second place in the 52 Super Series that will end after October's event in Cascais, Portugal.

The Cascais event will begin October 11th and will be the first event in the Series to be held in the open ocean.

Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the YCCS had these words: “I want to congratulate the Roemmers family and everyone on team Azzurra for their podium finish in this event, just behind a team that has seemed invincible all season. Our team has worked hard and has never given in as the five victories out of ten races total at this event show. Too bad that this excellent performance wasn't enough to confirm Azzurra as world champion. Big Azzurra fan that I am, I still want to congratulate Quantum Racing and at the same time, as Commodore of the YCCS, I'm happy because  Doug deVos, the owner of the winning boat, is also a member of our yacht club”.

Alberto Roemmers, owner: "I think it has been a good week for us. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it in the last race and we tried possibly too hard to go for Quantum; maybe if we had been a bit more conservative the result would have been better. But it was a good event, we won five races so I'm happy and the team's spirit is good. The whole team has been great over the whole week."

Guillermo Parada, skipper: "It was good that we were able to win the first race of the day and stay in the competition to the final race. In the final race we chose to start on the pin and we did, but the pin was not where it should have been according to my computer and from then on it was an uphill battle. Quantum is very good and they controlled the race even in shifty conditions. Then in the last run the breeze dropped and we tried to gain ground but couldn't and in the end lost vital points. But it is what it is, in the end you have to be happy with second. I think Quantum deserved to win but we are close, we won five races in this event and are recovering speed, so that's all good for the future. We want to keep our second place in the Series too and at the same time and keep the wind in our sails. After Cascais the boat has to be shipped to Key West. We have maintenance to do around Christmas and New Years and before we know it we'll be sailing in the US. So we have to be smart in Cascais, stay in second place and maybe even win and arrive in Key West as well prepared as we can be. We have enjoyed our time here very much and have enjoyed the challenging conditions. Hopefully we'll race here again next year".

 

52 SUPER SERIES – 52 World Championship

Final Standings

1. Quantum Racing, USA (Doug DeVos USA) (2,1,1,2,1,3,2,BFG13,5,5) 35pts

2. Azzurra, ITA (Pablo/Alberto Roemmers ARG) (1,10,7,1,6,7,1,1,1,10) 45pts

3. Provezza, TUR (Ergin Imre TUR) (6,7,3,6,4,1,3,7,10,3) 50pts

4. Rán Racing, SWE (Niklas Zennström SWE) (9,2,2,10,2,2,10,6,2,6) 51pts

5. Bronenosec, RUS (Vladimir Liubomirov RUS) (8,8,9,11,3,4,7,4,8) 65pts

6. Platoon, GER (Harm Müller-Spreer GER) (5,3,5,7,12,8,4,9,7,7) 67pts

7. Alegre, GBR (Andrés Soriano USA) (7,5,6,8,9,12,6,5,8,2) 68pts

8. Gladiator, GBR (Tony Langley GBR) (4,4,10,4,8,11,9,11,12,4) 77pts

9. Phoenix, USA (Richard Cohen USA) (10,9,11,5,10,10,BFG13,3,6,1) 78pts

10. Sled, USA (Takashi Okura USA) (11,11,12,3,7,9,8,2,4,12) 79pts

11. Paprec FRA (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin FRA) (3,DNF/13,8,9,5,5,11,10,9,9) 82pts

12. Sorcha GBR (Peter Harrison GBR) (12,6,4,12,11,6,5,8,11,11) 86pts

 

52 SUPER SERIES – Overall Standings

After 4 regattas:

1. Quantum Racing, 113 pts

2. Azzurra, 180 pts

3. Rán Racing, 191 pts

4. Provezza, 196 pts

5. Platoon, 207 pts

6. Bronenosec Gazprom, 210 pts

7. Alegre, 225 pts

8. Sled, 232 pts.

9. Gladiator, 283 pts

10. XIO Hurakan, 362 pts

11. Paprec Recyclage, 364.2 pts

 

AZZURRA

Pablo and Alberto Roemmers - Owners

Guillermo Parada - Skipper, Helm

Vasco Vascotto - Tactician

Bruno Zirilli - Navigator

Giovanni Cassinari - Mainsail

Mariano Caputo - Bowman

Juan Pablo Marcos -  Midbow

David Vera - Pitman

Maciel Cichetti - Trimmer

Grant Loretz - Trimmer

Mariano Parada - Trimmer

Gabriel Marino - Grinder

Alejandro Colla – Grinder

Nicola Pilastro- Grinder

 

Boat Captain: Pedro Rossi

Coach: Guillermo Baquerizas

Coach: Marco Capitani

 

52 SUPER SERIES 2016

24 - 29 May - Scarlino 52 Super Series Cup Scarlino (Italy)

27 June  2 July - Audi Settimana delle Bocche - 52 Super Series Porto Cervo (Italy)

24 - 29 July - 52 Super Series Trophy Puerto Portals (Spain)

13 - 18 September - Menorca TP52 World Championship Mahon (Spain)

10 - 15 October - Cascais 52 Super Series Cup Cascais (Portugal)