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52 Super Series - Second Regatta Day | Race 2 - Conde de Godo Regatta, Barcelona

52 Super Series - Second Regatta Day | Race 1 - Conde de Godo Regatta, Barcelona

Azzurra Hold Slim Lead at 52 Super Series - Conde de Godo Regatta, Barcelona - Day 2

While both Tony Langley’s Gladiator and Niklas Zennström’s Rán Racing racked up a bullet apiece in an exciting second day of racing at Barcelona’s Conde de Godo Trophy in the 2013 52 Super Series, Azzurra hung onto their overall lead by just one point.

Azzurra Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

Azzurra suffered on the final run of the first race with a malfunctioning primary winch, losing a potential third race victory to Rán Racing just at the finish line on the final gybe. Quantum Racing kept themselves in contention with a great recovery in an electrifying, breezy, bumpy, second race when they fought back from being over the start line early to cross the finish second behind Gladiator.

Azzurra Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

The second race showcased the 52’s at their sparkling best. Crews arrived ashore wet, chilly and exhausted after fighting it out in brisk 22-25 knots winds. After an afternoon of high octane downwind sailing in building swells few had reason to grumble.

Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

Rán Racing owner Niklas Zennström was pleased to have stolen their win on the finish line of Race 4.

Rán Racing Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

“It was nice to win, but it was also good to pass Azzurra on the finish line after they had done that same thing to us yesterday,” Zennström said.

Gladiator Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

And a win for Gladiator, following up from their third in Race 4, was just the tonic for tactician Chris Larson after an opening day on Thursday he is keen to forget. Their four points aggregate over Friday’s two races elevates Gladiator to fourth overall.

Provezza Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

“It was just the difference of day” Larson said.“ Unfortunately yesterday everything I did turned to custard. Not much went right. I was actually scared to walk home and allow myself to cross the street as I thought I might get hit by a car. It was one of those days that nothing seemed to work out. We talked about it. I apologised to everyone on the team and said ‘hang in there and I’ll try and make it up and have a better day’ and so we did.”

Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

After five races the three top boats have stepped slightly clear of the chasing pack but correspondingly only three points separates regatta leaders Azzurra from Quantum Racing in third. Their premature start might have left them wondering what might have been, but after lying a slightly distant seventh early on, Quantum Racing’s fightback was nearly total as they were just on the point of challenging Gladiator at the finish line.

Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

Such powers of recovery were not just confined to the American flagged team. In the previous start Rán Racing were less than perfect off the line and had to scrap hard on the first beat and thereafter to get themselves into the position to eclipse Azzurra on the finish line, although the Italian team’s Vasco Vascotto regretted that he did not realise the extent of their damage to the winch and would have altered his final approach to the finish line had he known.

Interlodge Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

While Rán Racing delivered on their pledge to win races it remains Azzurra who have the upper hand. But a regatta which last year was finally separated in favour of Quantum Racing only on tie break from Azzurra, this 2013 European curtain raiser might still finish up just as close.

52 SUPER SERIES Conde de Godo Trophy, Bareclona,
Ranking after 5 races.
1- Azzurra (ITA), (1-3-1-2-4) 11 points
2- Quantum Racing (USA), (3-1-2-4-4) 12 points
3- Ran (SWE), (2-4-3-1-3) 13 points
4- Gladiator (GBR) (5-7-7-3-1) 23 points
5- Interlodge (USA) (4-2-6-5-6) 23 points
6- Provezza (TUR) (6-5-4-7-7) 29 points
7- Rio (USA) (7-6-5-6-5) 29 points

Quotes

Vasco Vascotto (ITA), Tactician Azzurra (ITA):

Azzurra Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

“I feel that we had some very good bits and some not so very good bits. I felt the boats around us sometimes gave us some unnecessary problems for us and for them, we both lost two or three positions because of that. We had a problem with the winch at the start of the last run in the first race so we were not able to gybe, so we broke the winch and that is why we unfortunately lost the first place. 

"There was not a clear enough communication to me that we had broken the winch otherwise I would have not made the last gybe. I could have gone a little more easy to get there. That was one of the only mistakes of the day, but even so if we tie on points for the day with Quantum Racing then we don’t have any big problems.”

Niklas Zennström (SWE) Skipper-Helm Rán Racing (SWE): 

Rán Racing Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

“The first race we just beat Azzurra on the finish line on the last gybe. That was very nice as they did exactly the same thing to us yesterday, so that was just a nice race. In the second we were in good shape at the top mark and maybe just made a little mistake and missed the layline and two or three boats passed us but third place was ok.

“It’s awesome sailing downwind in this wind speed, just awesome! So much fun but you have to be careful. We had two small broaches so it’s on the edge but these boats are amazing. Going upwind it is a bit tough because of the sea state but these boats are great.

"Downwind it is very much about me reading the waves, just being on the edge and getting the speed up and working the waves and the wind together with the spinnaker trimmer. Its very much driven by the trimmer and as the helmsmen I am looking at the waves and feeling the waves, its a combination but its more the trimmer talking to the helmsmen rather than the other way around.

Chris Larson (USA) Tactician Gladiator (GBR): 

Photo: Xaume Olleros / 52 Super Series

“It was just the difference of day. Unfortunately yesterday everything I did turned to custard. Not much went right. I was actually scared to walk home and allow myself to cross the street as I thought I might get hit by a car. It was one of those days that nothing seemed to go right. We talked about it. I apologised to everyone on the team and said hang in there and try and make it up and have a better day and so we did. 

"We did not sail any differently. We are still starting quite aggressively, high risk, high return starts. Luckily we made both of these work today which put us out in front of the pack and allowed us to minimise the tacks upwind lead at the weather marks which is big for us. 

"At every turn on the second race we were able to hold them off, holding Quantum Racing off at the finish. We just tried to keep it simple. At the weather mark it was interesting as Rán tacked first to force Azzurra to tack. They both were not laying and so we dipped and tacked above them. It was good boat handling by them as they had to tack and duck us which was pretty scary in that strength of wind, so it was a close call for both boats.

"It’s always good to win a race, that’s at least our target at each regatta and to keep our scores consistent. Yesterday it was the outhouse today the penthouse, so I think our average now is about fourth and if we can keep that up or get a little bit better then we could get a good overall finish.”

52 Super Series Media

Double For Caol Ila R In Capri - Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race

The third edition of the Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race concluded with the final prizegiving ceremony today at the docks in Capri’s Marina Grande. During the ceremony, the crew of Alexander Schaerer’s Caol Ila R (USA) received the week’s most coveted prize – the Rolex Trophy and Rolex timepiece – awarded to the overall winner of the event on IRC.

Caol Ila R Photo: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

“It was exactly three years ago here in Capri that we went into racing,” explained Caol Ila R owner Alexander Schaerer, “and the fact that we won a Rolex in our first competitive outing with the new boat is really a dream come true, but of course we hope it’s not going to be the last one!”

Caol Ila R crew Photo: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

“A big thanks goes out to my crew,” added Schaerer at the prizegiving ceremony. “We came here with the idea that it would be a nice holiday in Capri with little wind for our first offshore race so we could get to know the new boat. If anything, we certainly got to know her; we know the bowsprit can only take up to 40 knots but not more than 40 knots- because then it breaks off.

Caol Ila R Photo: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

"I was lucky to have a very seasoned crew onboard, with over 40 Rolex Sydney Hobart wins in total, and they managed to fly a downwind sail off a broken bowsprit and bring us home safely to this beautiful island. A big thank you to Rolex, IMA, the yacht clubs and the cities involved in making this event possible.”

Jethou Photo: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

The Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race began on 18 May and was comprised of one leg from Gaeta to Capri, an inshore race off Capri and a long-distance offshore race that started and finished off Capri.Caol Ila R was not only the winner of the event overall on handicap, but also claimed line honours for the offshore race, the 210-nm Rolex Volcano Race, completing the course in a blistering 18 hours, 2 minutes, and finishing off Capri at 05:07 on Thursday.

Wild Joe Photo: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

Extreme weather conditions around the Aeolian Islands during the scheduled race period led the race committee to alter the original course for the final offshore race. The resulting long-distance race took the participating Maxi fleet from Capri to Santa Maria di Castellabate, back past Capri and on to the island of Ponza before finishing off Capri’s Marina Grande.

The Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race is organised by the International Maxi Association, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Gaeta EVS and the Yacht Club Capri, and upholds a decade-long tradition of Rolex’s involvement in Capri’s international yachting calendar.

Line Honours Rolex Volcano Race

Caol Ila R (USA), Alexander Schaerer

Overall Results Rolex Capri Sailing Week Volcano Race

1st IRC Overall: Caol Ila R (USA), Alexander Schaerer
2nd IRC Overall: Jethou (GBR), Sir Peter Ogden
3rd IRC Overall: Wild Joe (HUN), Marton Jozsa

Regatta News

52 Super Series - First Regatta Day | Race 3 - Conde de Godo Regatta, Barcelona