52 Super Series Valencia: Azzurra fights to hold off her rivals

52 Super Series Valencia: Azzurra fights to hold off her rivals

52 Super Series Valencia: Azzurra fights to hold off her rivals

Sport

By Azzurra
21/09/2018 - 20:23

Azzurra sails well, fights back from the pack, losses and recovers. After today's three races she is in third place overall in the provisional results at the 52 Super Series Valencia Sailing Week and is just five points behind the event's leader.

With breeze from the southeast between 8 to 12 knots that kicked in in the late afternoon, the Race Committee managed to get in three races, making up for one of the ones skipped yesterday. Azzurra's 3 – 5 – 7 finishes only tell part of the story of a hard day. Excellent moments such as the close finish in a tightly packed fleet in the first race- where she put on a very good show and finished third- alternated with times of bad luck, such as the penalty she got in the third race for reasons that still aren't clear. Her seventh place in that race is the fruit of some excellent sailing and the recovery of four positions along the second beat where she sailed on the right. Along the run she almost recovered to sixth place, but couldn't edge out Sled.
It was a tough day with the fleet compact at the upwind marks, displaying their best bag of clever tactics and strategies: the best of competitive sailing.

Today was Onda's big day. With Robert Scheidt tactician their and 2 – 1 – 3 finishes, the team has jumped up to fifth place overall. Luna Rossa (1 – 3 – 4) is in the lead followed by Platoon (4 – 8 – 1) who was very fast today, enough to recover from an OCS in the first race and finish fourth. Azzurra is in third place, five points from the leader, and could well recover in the next few days of the event. But the fight for the season's podium finishes is more intense than ever with Platoon just three points behind Azzurra and Luna Rossa eight.

Guillermo Parada, skipper: “It was a complicated day in very unstable conditions. All things considered I think we sailed well, but the penalty we got in the third race I'm really not so sure was deserved. We're going to talk with the Judges and ask to see the video. But we have to keep our heads on tomorrow, the games are still open and we have to push as hard as we can."

Tomorrow races will begin at 1 PM in conditions that are predicted to be similar to today's. Live coverage can be followed on the 52 Super Series YouTube channel and on the website www.azzurra.it.

52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week
Regatta standings after 5 races
1. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (6,1,1,3,4) 15 p
2. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (1,4,4,8,1) 18 p.
3. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto/Pablo Roemmers) (2,3,3,5,7) 20 p.
4. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (4,5,5,4,5) 23 p.
5. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (10,8,2,1,3) 24 p.
6. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (8,2,6,6,2) 24 p.
7. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (5,10,8,10,6) 39 p.
8. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (9,11+ 2 penalti,7,2,9) 40 p.
9. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (3,6,9,12RET+2 penalty. 11) 43 p.
10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (7,9,11,7,10) 44 p.
11. Paprec (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) (11,7,10,9,8) 45 p.

52 SUPER SERIES 2018

Sibenik 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week
May 23rd - 27th, Sibenik, Croatia

52 SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup
June 20th - 24th, Zadar, Croatia

ROLEX TP52 World Championship Cascais 2018
July 17th - 21st, Cascais, Portugal

Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week
August 21st - 25th, Mallorca, Spain

52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week
September 18th - 22nd, Valencia, Spain

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