The TP52′s rocked once again in Barcelona on Saturday, Azzurra was the leading band and Vasco Vascotto the leading singer. The Italo-Argentinean dream team put on a perfect performance under the day’s champagne sailing conditions with 20 knots of wind and waves and extended their lead over Quantum Racing to two points. However, the Trofeo Conde de Godó leaderboard is still too tight. Azzurra has a slim advantage of two points over Quantum which in turn leads Ran by another two points. With two races scheduled for Sunday and conditions similar to Saturday’s everything is at stake.
Conde de Godo Trophy, 52 SUPER SERIES
Standings after 7 races:
1- Azzurra (ITA), (1-3-1-2-4-1-3) 15 points
2- Quantum Racing (USA), (3-1-2-4-4-3-2) 17 points
3- Rán (SWE), (2-4-3-1-3-5-1) 19 points
4- Interlodge (USA) (4-2-6-5-6-2-4) 29 points
5- Gladiator (GBR) (5-7-7-3-1-4-5) 32 points
6- Rio (USA) (7-6-5-6-5-6-6) 41 points
7- Provezza (TUR) (6-5-4-7-7-7-7) 43 points
My apologies for the photos, they could have been much better but today’s conditions were really tough. Not only that, I was onboard a fancy 13-meter tender whose designer should go to “designer’s jail” if such a thing existed. Anything over 10 knots of breeze and 20cm of waves creates incredible spray, no matter where you try to hide…
Race 1
Despite the two-hour delay and wait for the breeze to kick in and stabilize, Barcelona offered spectacular conditions, for a second consecutive day, and the seven TP52′s showed their racing spirits. Azzurra scored a commanding victory, leading from start to finish. The Italo-Argentineans had a perfect start at the pin end, clear ahead of the rest of the fleet, opted for the favored left side and put themselves in the lead. They rounded the first mark with a very comfortable advantage that slightly stretched in every leg and crossed the finish line first, ahead of Austin Fragomen’s Interlodge.
While things looked simple for Azzurra, they were extremely complicated for Quantum Racing. They got a penalty seconds before the start and had to come back, crossing behind the fleet for clear space to execute their penalty turn. That, obviously, put them at the tail of the fleet but managed to crawl back to third in the last run. It seems that onboard Quantum they want to make their life difficult.
Start of the day’s first race. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Quantum have to go back to execute their penalty turn. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra rounds the first weather mark comfortably in the lead. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Great performance by Austin Fragomen’s Interldoge that rounds the first weather mark in second place. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Another owner-driver, Tony Langley, had a good first beat. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Despite their disastrous start, Quantum Racing managed to recover a couple of places. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Provezza rounding the first weather mark. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Quantum Racing at the start of the first run. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra starts the second beat well ahead of Interlodge and the rest of the fleet. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra starts the second beat well ahead of Interlodge and the rest of the fleet. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Tony Langley’s Gladiator in the second beat. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
No change at the top, Azzurra are well in the lead in the last mark rounding. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Austin Fragomen at the last weather mark, flying to second place. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
The dream team of monohulls, skippered by Guillermo Parada, sailing to victory. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Photo finish for Niklas Zennström that snaps fifth place while at the back, Provezza was having a tough day under such brisk conditions. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Race 2
As the breeze built up, conditions became more demanding. Still, it seemed as a walk in the park for Niklas Zennstöm’s Rán Racing. The Swedish boat nailed the start at the pin end, got to the favored left and led from start to finish. The really interesting battle though was taking place behind Rán with Quantum Racing and Azzurra fighting for second place. The two boats engaged in a thrilling gybing duel in the last run and Azzurra was in control until the final stretch when a badly-executed gybe let Quantum Racing slip away.
Start of the day’s second race. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Rán Racing are comfortably ahead in the first weather mark. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Gladiator ready to round the first weather mark. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra were fourth at the first weather mark. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Niklas Zennström stretching his advantage over the rest of the fleet in the first run. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Quantum Racing made their way through the fleet and rounded the last mark in second place. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra round the last mark in third place and have problems with the spinnaker hoist. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra round the last mark in third place and have problems with the spinnaker hoist. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
Azzurra and Quantum engaging in a thrilling gybing duel in the last run. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info
All it took was one bad gybe on Azzurra for Quantum to claim second place. Barcelona, 25 May 2013. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info