52 Super Series, Provezza moves on the top
52 Super SeriesLevel ClassTP52Vela 20 Gennaio 2017 Zerogradinord 0
Key West – Solid, consistent sailing over the nine races sailed so far for the 52 Super Series fleet at Quantum Key West Race Week sees Ergin Imre’s Provezza crew go into the one race final day showdown holding a two points cushion over three boats all locked up on the same points tally.
The Provezza team finished their 2016 season disappointed. As one of the key contenders for third overall on the end-of-season podium, their challenge faltered at the final hurdle when they went 9,9,9 from the last three races at the EGNOS Cup in Cascais last October.
The short off season was put to the best possible use, the post season debrief and analysis resulted in small changes to the crew line up, to their boat, set up, looking to make strengths from their weaknesses.
Biggest change is Peter Holmberg coming in to steer. Since an eighth and ninth from Monday’s opening two races Provezza have yet to win a race at this regatta but their fifth and third today is typical of an assured consistency which sees them with a fighting chance of winning the six event season’s first regatta.
“We made a few changes, a couple of crew changes a couple of mode changes to the boat, a few sail things. It’s just a lot of small refinements.” Tactician and project manager Tony Rey explains, adding with a smile, “We’re still capable of a disaster like anyone else. But we feel good, we’re sailing the boat well and we’re going better in light air, which we haven’t done in the past. We’re really pleased with it. It’s probably the way we’re sailing it. It’s a little bit of technique changes and just learning the boat as well as a little time away and now coming back. Having Peter Holmberg here as the helmsman has been a nice jolt of fresh energy. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get guys going.”
Two races were sailed in light SE’ly breezes today. After a three race 24pt ‘black Wednesday’ which ballasted their Key West title hopes heavily downwards, Quantum Racing fought back with a 2,1 today to earn a share of the three way tie with Azzurra and Platoon, all two points behind Provezza. And Niklas Zennström’s Rán Racing are only one point behind them. Five boats go into the Friday finale within three points of the lead.
Quantum Racing’s Terry Hutchinson had typically spoken about taking a hard look in the mirror, reviewing mistakes and then wiping the slate clean and coming out today ready to compete. In fact the champions Quantum Racing returned to doing the basics well, making the best two starts of the day to vault from sixth place nine points off the lead into that three way tie. Hutchinson may have sought to shoulder the blame for a lot of Wednesday’s heavy points tally but owner-driver Doug DeVos reaffirmed his team’s cornerstone belief:
“It’s all about team. We win together and we struggle together. We had a little delay in the morning so we spent a little time thinking about what we could do to improve in each and every area of the boat. As we came in this afternoon we said, ‘Hey we did all those things, we made those little improvements and it showed.”
Breezes for the one race showdown are expected to be slightly steadier, perhaps up to 10-11kts, but the team which emerges with the Key West title will take huge satisfaction from winning the most open, competitive and closely fought regatta for many years on the 52 Super Series.
52 SUPER SERIES
2017 Quantum Key West Race Week
Standings after nine of 10 races.
1. Provezza (TUR) Ergin Imre (TUR) (8,9,2,2,4,5,2,5,3) 40pts.
2. Quantum Racing (USA) Doug DeVos (USA) (3,7,4,1,8,7,9,2,1) 42pts.
3. Platoon (GER) Harm Müller-Spreer (GER) (1,1,6,6, 10,2,5,3,8) 42pts.
4. Azzurra (ITA) A & P Roemmers (ITA/ARG) (6,2,3,8,2,6,4,6,5) 42pts.
5. Rán Racing (SWE) Niklas Zennström (SWE) (4,6,9,4,3,4,6,1,6) 43pts.
6. Interlodge (USA) Austin Fragomen (USA) (5,8,11,5,1,1,8,7,2) 48pts
7. Bronenosec (RUS) Vladimir Liubomirov (RUS) (7,4,5,3,7,3,11,4,4) 48pts.
8. Sled (USA) Takashi Okura (USA) (2,5,8,11,6,11,3,9,9) 64pts.
9. Gladiator (GBR) Tony Langley (GBR) (10,10,1,9,5,9,7,11,7) 69pts.
10. Paprec Recyclage (FRA) Jean-Luc Petithuguenin (FRA) (9,11,10,7,11,8,1,8,11) 76pts.
11. Alegre (GBR) Andrés Soriano (GBR/USA) (11,3,7,10,9,10,10,10,10) 80pts.
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