Quantum Racing earns team of the year

The final event of the 52 SUPER SERIES 2022 proved to be a light air affair on October 25-29, and with no racing possible on the last day due to the absence of wind , Doug DeVos’s Quantum Racing secured their fourth regatta title of the five events this year in Barcelona, Spain. In so doing, the team conclusively won the 2022 season championship.

As one of the four teams which inaugurated the 52 SUPER SERIES on these same waters in May 2012, theirs is a popular and well deserved title victory, not least as charismatic owner-driver DeVos is one of the founders of what remains the world’s leading grand prix monohull circuit celebrating its tenth anniversary.

With Terry Hutchinson calling tactics on the USA flagged TP52 supported by Argentina’s Olympic bronze medal winner Lucas Calabrese as strategist and Italian Michele Ivaldi as navigator, Quantum Racing win the season championship by 12 points ahead of Hasso and Tina Plattner’s Phoenix after 43 races at five regattas. Harm Müller Spreer’s Platoon take the third spot on the podium.

Coming after a windy, wavy regatta in Tuscany, Italy earlier in October, the circuit had come to Barcelona to return to its roots and celebrate ten successful years. But the ten boat fleet was starved of wind entirely for two days with no racing and only five races could be completed. Quantum Racing won two of them and ended the regatta two points ahead of Platoon while Ergin Imré’s Provezza took third but only on tie-break with Andy Soriano’s Alegre.

“You can’t underestimate Doug’s influence on the whole program,” noted Hutchinson. “How cool is it that we sailed four out of the five regatta with him, we won those, and the one I steered we came fourth. It tells you something about the whole team.

“Ten years, here we are. It’s an amazing tribute to the owners of this class. Without them this does not exist, how lucky are we as sailors and as professionals to have the support from Hasso Plattner to Doug De Vos, to Harm Muller Spreer – to everybody who has come and supported.”

Phoenix tactician Tom Slingsby, who hoped to upturn the apple cart, finds solace in finishing second overall. “It’s a great result for the team for Phoenix. Quantum was the best team.. We were fortunate to win our first regatta in Puerto Portals amongst that. The best team won the series, the best team won the worlds but we’re happy that we got into second place for the series.”

Since the 52 SUPER SERIES started in May 2012, the circuit has attracted 30 teams of 15 nationalities, and contested 51 events at 17 venues in six countries and three continents (Europe, America and Africa). Quantum Racing and Tony Langley’s Gladiator are the only teams to have participated in all ten seasons.

This victory confirms Quantum Racing’s status as the most successful team in the ten-year history of the 52 SUPER SERIES. The 2022 title is their fifth overall crown, after those won in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018, and their trophy cabinet saw the addition of a fourth world championship trophy, alongside those won in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

And now it is the fourth time they achieved the double of circuit champion and world champion, in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022.

Race details – Teams – Facebook

52 SUPER SERIES Barcelona Sailing Week Final Standings:
1. QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 1+4+4+6+1 = 16 pts.
2. PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 4+2+5+1+6 = 18 pts.
3. PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 3+1+7+5+3 = 19 pts.
4. ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 2+5+2+3+7 = 19 pts
5. PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso & Tina Plattner, 7+3+1+2+10 = 23 pts.
6. SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 5+6+6+4+5 = 26 pts.
7. INTERLODGE (USA), Austin & Gwen Fragomen, 6+7+8+9+2 = 32 pts.
8. VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 8+10+3+8+9 = 38 pts.
9. GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 9+9+9+7+4 = 38 pts.
10. PAPREC (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 10+8+10+10+8 = 46 pts.

52 SUPER SERIES 2022 Final Standings (five events):
1. QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 19+33+44+34+16 = 146 pts.
2. PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso & Tina Plattner, 27+42+25+41+23 = 158 pts.
3. PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 26+40+51+41+18 = 176 pts.
4. SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 43,5+44+36+39+26 = 188.5 pts.
5. ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 43+41+52+46+19 = 201 pts.
6. PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 61+54+42+46+19 = 222 pts.
7. INTERLODGE (USA), Austin & Gwen Fragomen, 39+71+50+75+32 = 267 pts.
8. VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 45+54+79+54+29 = 270 pts.
9. GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 60+73+71+77,5+34 = 316.5 pts.

Source: 52 Super Series