Quantum and Ran vie for 52 Super Series Sardinia title

Sardinia, Italy (July 1, 2016) – While Niklas Zennström’s crew of Rán Racing continued a rich vein of form, winning the second race of the day at the Audi Settimana delle Bocche on the Costa Smeralda, the regatta leaders Quantum Racing staged a big comeback to stay on track for their second regatta win of the 52 Super Series season.

After poking their bow over the start line too early, Quantum Racing restarted smartly and fought back from their tenth at the top mark to fourth and so maintain a two points lead going into Saturday’s finale.

From the last four starts, Rán Racing have sailed to a 2,2,4,1 and were it not for Quantum’s typical, never-lie-down-and-die recovery, would surely have been leading into the last day of the event. Their performance on the Costa Smeralda is a significant improvement on the first regatta of the season, Scarlino, where they finished seventh, 23 points behind the winners, Quantum Racing.

It was a difficult day of racing. The light SE’ly breeze was uneven up the course, often pulsing in with new pressure from the left but the right showing promise and dividend at times.

Quantum Racing’s Terry Hutchinson and Ed Baird conspired together to read the first beat beautifully in the first race. They reaped a good reward on the high left, the final third of the beat, coming in on port with Alegre to steal away round the first mark with a good lead. Doug DeVos’ team won the first race while Alegre in second were well rewarded for their late night endeavours, pulling their rig out and replacing some of their standing rigging after their D2 shroud snapped early in Race 5.

With their win, Rán fourth and Azzurra seventh, Quantum Racing had built a five point lead which it looked like they would carry into the last day. But in the final seconds before the start gun Quantum Racing’s bow came up only a second or two early and as the gun went they were OCS. Rán Racing started well and led Platoon and Sorcha at the top mark while Quantum Racing were 10th. But the second beat offered opportunities on the left again. Cameron Dunn took Sorcha left and they passed Platoon to take second, their best finish yet at their first ever 52 SUPER SERIES regatta. And the left worked well for Doug DeVos’s crew who got themselves right back into contention.

“We made it hard for ourselves…we certainly did,” noted DeVos, but pleased with their comeback. “We just keep at it. Don’t give up. Don’t get frustrated. Each and every person onboard is working. Every wave downwind we are working. We just never give up.”

Meanwhile Sorcha owner-driver Peter Harrison was delighted with his second and is loving his first regatta on the Circuit. “We really came with no expectations at all. In our heads we thought we could maybe beat a boat or two, to be penultimate rather than last, so we have exceeded that and I am really enjoying it.”

Racing continues daily and conclude on Saturday July 2.

Day Four Standings (7 races)
1 Quantum Racing, USA (Doug DeVos USA) (9,1,3,6,1,1,4) 25 pts
2 Rán Racing, SWE (Niklas Zennström SWE) (2,6,10,2,2,4,1) 27 pts
3 Azzurra, ITA (Pablo/Alberto Roemmers ARG) (8,4,1,4,6,7,5) 35 pts
4 Platoon, GER (Harm Müller-Spreer GER) (7,2,7,9,9,3,3) 40 pts
5 Provezza, TUR (Ergin Imre TUR) (3,3,11,1,8,6,11) 43 pts
6 Bronenosec, RUS (Vladimir Liubomirov RUS) (1,11,8,3,4,10,12) 49 pts
7 Alegre, GBR (Andrés Soriano USA) (10,5,9,5,DNF/13,2,6) 50 pts
8 Xio/Hurakan, ITA (Guiseppe Parodi ITA) (6 DNS/13,2,7,5,8,9) 50 pts
9 Sled, USA (Takashi Okura USA) (11,7,6,10,3,5,8) 50 pts
10 Gladiator, GBR (Tony Langley GBR) (5,8,4,8,11,9,7) 52 pts
11 Sorcha GBR (Peter Harrison GBR) (4,9,12,11,7,11,2) 56 pts

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Morgan Larson (USA) tactician Ran Racing (SWE):
“I don’t think we have any secrets. The conditions are tricky out there and I think we have had a little bit of luck. We have had solid starts and good speeds by the guys. At the beginning of the event we got the inconsistencies out of the way. And so we just try to go through the lessons we learned from them. We keep learning. And Quantum have really showed that consistency really pays, as they are fond of saying ‘just keep chipping away’. It is working for them and we are starting to try and adopt that. We have solid group of guys, everyone is playing their part and trust each other. There are a lot of good teams here, and some are having their problems. But with a change of conditions due tomorrow then it could show some different form from different teams.”

Ed Baird (USA) strategist Quantum Racing (USA):
“We were lucky to come from a bad position there to get back into it. We got a little tangled up at the start and Terry and Doug did a great job getting us back into it. It was not easy. We made a big gain on the first beat and then it all evaporated. We were back where we started. But the goal is always just to pass the next boat. That is all you can do. Between Terry and I looking around we found something, but then the key is that guys are always, always making sure the boat is going fast, that is the key.”

2016 52 SUPER SERIES Calendar
52 SUPER SERIES Scarlino Cup
Scarlino, YCS, May 25 – 29.

Settimana delle Bocche
Porto Cervo, YCCS, June 28 – July 2

52 SUPER SERIES Portals Sailing Week
Puerto Portals, CRPP, July 25 – 29

TP52 World Championship
Mahon, CMM, September 14 – 18

52 SUPER SERIES Cascais Cup
Cascais , CNC, October 11 – 15.

Source: 52 Super Series