Moving day moves Sled into the lead

Mallorca, Spain (August 26, 2021) – Three good races on the Bay of Palma yielded three different winners in the 52 SUPER SERIES fleet with Takashi Okura’s Sled team claiming a one point lead on overnight leader Doug DeVos’ Quantum Racing. In the six boat Invitational regatta, Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste is proving unbeatable with five wins from five starts.

If the first two days of racing were contested in conditions which were different from the usual, ‘to-order’ Palma sea breeze, today it was back to business as the 11-13 knot thermal came in early to get back on schedule after a race was lost from the schedule yesterday.

Sled, with six-time America’s Cup winner Murray Jones helming, won the first race of the day, adding to their win yesterday. Then a second place saw them open a points gap at the top of the leaderboard but with a seventh to Quantum Racing’s fifth it remains close with two days of racing to remain.

With Tom Slingsby calling tactics supported by strategist Cameron Dunn, Phoenix was the boat of the day scoring a fourth then winning the second race. As they took third in the final race of the day, they were pipped on the finish line by a charging Platoon.

As is often the case on the Bay of Palma, the left end of the start line was often the key to winning. In the first race, Andy Soriano’s Alegre led at the top mark after a good beat from the left end of the line but Sled came good from the right of the first downwind and then were able to hold their lead to take their second winning gun in a row. Phoenix and Interlodge were both over the line and had to recross.

After having to do penalty turns twice during the first two days of racing, Phoenix took ownership of the pin and left side in the next race and were able to lead all the way round the next track, Provezza and Quantum Racing both having to turn back away from the windward mark line up when there was no space in a super-tight layline.

On the third race this time it was a gun to gun win for Ergin Imré’s Provezza team, winners here in 2018. After two bad finishes in a row, Harm Müller Spreer’s Platoon showed their class as the team which won the Rolex TP52 World Championship on these same waters in 2019 – the last time the title was contested – when the sailed a great final run to steal second from Phoenix.

“We got off the start line at the pin and could go in the direction that we wanted to go and the boat is going well in a little more breeze especially in that last race,” explained Provezza mainsail trimmer Chris Hosking. “We managed to get round the top mark in good shape and extend nicely.

“I wish they were all like that! They are a lot less testing for the blood pressure when they’re like that. So that was a good one. In the middle race we got muddled up with the fleet a bit and a bit of melée at the top mark with the Platoon and we didn’t manage to fight back from that bad position in that race. The racing is closer than ever.”

Sled’s Murray Jones is enjoying his role as helm. “In some ways it’s a lot simpler than being the tactician, much less stressful – working on the numbers and doing what you can do. It is my first time steering in a long time but I have done a lot back in the day, it’s a bit like riding a bike, you don’t forget how to do it, but the dynamic is changed. Before it was Adam and I working together on tactics and strategy but really now we have Jeremy Lomas, Josh Junior, and everyone is looking at the breeze and chipping in.”

Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week
1. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (4,7,1,1,2,7) 22 pts
2. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (2,1,2, 6,7,5) 23 pts.
3. Phoenix (RSA) (Toni Norris) (3,8,7,4,1,3) 26 pts
4. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (7,3,4,3,9,1) 27 pts
5. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (5,5,3,2,6,6) 27 pts
6. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (1,4,9,8,4,2) 28 pts
7. Bronenosec Gazprom (RUS) (Vladimir Liubomirov) (8,2,6,5,5,4) 30 pts
8. Interlodge (USA) (Austin Fragomen) (6,6,5,9,3,8) 37 pts
9. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (9,9,8,7,8,9) 50 pts

Invitational
1. Beau Geste (HK) (1,1,1,1,1) 5 pts
2. THA72 (THA) (4,2,3,2,4) 15 pts
3. Air is Blue (ITA) (2,3,4,5,3,) 17 pts
4. XIO (ITA) (3,DNF8,2,3,2) 18 pts
5. Zero Emission (FIN) (6,4.5,5,7,5,) 27.5 pts
6. Arobas (FRA) (5,6, DNC 8,4,6), 29 pts
7. Blue Carbon (ESP) (7,4.5,6,6,7) 30.5 pts

Series information – Race details – Facebook

2021 Schedule
July 13-17 – Royal Cup 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Mar (CANCELLED)
August 24-28 – Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week & TP52 20th Anniversary Invitational
September 28-October 2 – Menorca 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week
November 2-6 – Rolex TP52 World Championship RCNP

Following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, the abbreviated 2021 schedule will be the ninth edition of the 52 SUPER SERIES which was established as the world’s leading grand prix monohull yacht racing circuit.

Source: 52 Super Series