Shooting bullets at 52 SUPER SERIES

Menorca, Spain (September 29, 2021) – Not since 2014 Quantum Key West Race Week has a 52 SUPER SERIES team opened a regatta with three back-to-back race wins, but Andy Soriano’s Alegre team matched the record of Quantum Racing today when they took both winning guns in breezy conditions at the Menorca 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week to complement their first day victory yesterday.

With Ado Stead and Nic Asher combining on tactics and strategy and owner Soriano driving Alegre fast in the short, steep, awkward swell, they led at every mark today and both times were overall 100 metres clear of the second boat, earning themselves a ten points lead at the top of the regatta standings.

After winning in gentle, 5-7 knot airs yesterday, Alegre twice crossed the fleet early on the first windward legs today and were never passed thereafter.

Stead who has won TP52 world titles with Rán Racing and Quantum Racing and has been on the circuits since 2006, finds the Alegre team sailing with a lot of confidence. “We are making sure to control the fleet and we are going well.

“Yesterday in the light stuff the boat was going well because the comms were good when it was tricky. We were changing gears well and Andy was doing a great job steering in the light stuff and then today when the sea was building as the day went on. Downwind was hard because the shifts made getting down the waves right or wrong and so that was tough.

“But we went out today knowing there would be plenty of opportunities with 16-17 knots of breeze, very shifty, and a bit of a seaway and under the influence of the cape, so we identified the need for good starts and to be able to sail the shifts. At the top of the beats the breeze was shifting around 15-18 degrees and so there were always opportunities to make gains and losses.”

While Alegre have kept an immaculate clean sheet, Doug De Vos’ Quantum Racing deserve credit for a pair of strong recoveries today after two poor starts found them towards the back of the queue at both first mark roundings. But they chipped away on each successive leg and recovered two fourth places.

So too Bronenosec had an up and down day. In the first race they were rightly closed out at the committee boat end of the start line by the French crew on Paprec. The Russian team were give two extra penalty points for causing a collision requiring a minor repair to the French boat.

“We went where we shouldn’t have. We thought there was a gap left but they did what they should have and closed the door on us. We are sorry,” said Bruno Zirilli, the Italian navigator on Bronenosec.

After collecting 14 points for their misdemeanor, Bronenosec bounced back with a good second in the second race but it is the consistency of Hasso Plattner’s Phoenix and Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon which have them level on second place.

Breezes are forecast to stay in the same range tomorrow at 15 knots or perhaps a little more.

Racing is planned for September 28 to October 2.

Day Two Standings:

Series information – Race details – Facebook

2021 52 SUPER SERIES (after one event)
1. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) 22 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) 23 pts
3. Phoenix (RSA) (Toni Norris) 26 pts
4. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) 27 pts
5. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) 27 pts
6. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) 28 pts
7. Bronenosec Gazprom (RUS) (Vladimir Liubomirov) 30 pts
8. Interlodge (USA) (Austin Fragomen) 37 pts
9. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) 50 pts

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