Valencia continues to the fifth and final regatta in TP52 this season – 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week. This is what Elena Tekina:
© Elena Tekina
On Wednesday, the second day of the regatta due to lack of wind, despite all efforts, the Race Committee failed to give any start. But on Thursday, September 20 – thanks to finally South-East breeze of between 8 and 12 knots – there were three races.
The heroine of the day was Onda. Consistently staying at the end of the Brazilian Navy command 77-year-old Eduardo de Souza Ramos with the legendary Robert Saddam (he won medals, including two gold, in five Olympics in a row!) as a tactic took off from the 10th at once on 5-th place in the overall regatta.
The Brazilians led from the start in the first two races and got second and first in the third race they managed to get out of the end of the fleet to third place, proving that the success of the first two races is not accidental.
Joyful tactician could not hide the pleasure from the team’s performance: “Especially proud of the third race, when we have made good progress since the end of the fleet at the top mark and felt the chase at the same level with the “big guys” Quantum Racing and Luna Rossa. We must try to repeat it tomorrow.”
The Italian Luna Rossa won the first race, finished 3rd and 4th in the other two and went from third to first place after three days. At the start of the last race the Italians had outlined a start from the pin, but they don’t have enough speed to hold, and they lost to Quantum. The line Luna Rossa went in the second tier, but very well passed the race and managed to get to 4th place at the finish.
In second place, trailing by three points, is a German Platoon (4-8-1). The team again showed their speed advantage in light wind. Even after a false start in the first race of the Platoon managed to finish 4th.
Third place in the Argentine-Italian Azzurra (3-5-7). In the epic conclusion of the first race, when four boats finished at the same time, covering each other, Azzurra were able to hold the position. In the second race at the first rounding her stern came in Phoenix Hasso and Tina Plattner with tactician ed Baird. Acting under the South African flag boat after the incident, got two points penalty, and was forced to quit the race because of a breakdown in the bow.
The penalty at the first mark in the third race of the day Azzurra sent to last place, but the crew had the rest of the race and was able to get to 7th place at the finish. According to the steering Guillermo Parada, it is unclear what the boat received a penalty on the sign. “Today was a tough day with very unstable conditions. Given the weather, we drove well, but I don’t think we deserved a penalty in the third race. Going to talk to the judges and to view the video of the race. But now we have to think about tomorrow, the game is open, and we need to push as hard as I can.”
Quantum Racing posted a 6-6-2 is three races of the day and remained on the 6th place in the overall regatta. Thanks to the previous regattas, the current world champion almost secured the win in the season. According to Dean Barker, their aim in Valencia is to race conservatively, avoid risk, to stay out of trouble in the form of fines. “We know that might make too many points, but there are still a few races, and we hope to return in the game and get a good result at this regatta. The task is to have a good stage and if all goes well, the season itself will take care of itself.”
While the Quantum of flying to the gold of the year for 27 points ahead, the fight for the final step of the podium is very tight. Upon completion of the season in the 52 Super Series are considered to be the cumulative result of points racing in all regattas of the season, and now in Azzurra in the race for the silver was left only three points of advantage from the following Platoon (179 and 182, respectively), and Luna Rossa far behind she is only 8 points (187). There are still two days of racing, the regatta will end on Saturday, September 22.
Today is expected to have approximately the same South-East breeze, which the locals call Gharbi. The wind in the spring and summer period is the main area of Valencia.
To follow the racing live on the official page of the series
http://www.52superseries.com/.
Full results here -http://www.52superseries.com/…/52-super-series-valencia-sa…/
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