52 Super Series, Azzurra starts fast in Cascais

Cascais – With a delay of a couple hours over the schedule, the curtain was eventually opened on EGNOS 52 Super Series Cascais Cup, last event of the 2016 52 Super Series. Unusual weather conditions for Cascais, with an extremely light breeze coming from South West, forced the Race Committee to raise the AP flag until 2.30 pm local time, when the first preparatory signal was given.

Azzurra, second classified in the recent World Championship of Mahon, raced excellent WLs today, scoring two first places in a row.

Quantum Racing, considered to be the team in the most favorable position for the victory of the 52 Super Series of this year, concluded today’s races in second and fourth position, being still first in the overall ranking, with Azzurra following in second position with a lag of 63 points.

The hardest fight to get on the podium is, though, that between Ran Racing and Provezza: this last, concluding the races of today in third and fourth position, reduced to just two points the distance with Ran in the overall ranking.

Bronenosec-Gazprom, with Vladimir Liubomirov at the helm, showed that the crew still has to find the proper rhythm to go back to the good performances experienced in Puerto Portals and in the last days of the World Championship of Mahon.

Pietro Mantovani, grinder of Bronenosec-Gazprom, released a few declarations once the boat got back to its mooring on the dock: “It’s clear it was not an easy day for us, we didn’t conclude the races in the position we were hoping for and this upsets us. We had two very good starts but the conditions of light and shifty wind of today made it tough for both the tactician and the strategist to understand the course. Good starts don’t necessarily imply good races. We are a strong team and we have a fast boat so we have all the potentialities to do well. Tomorrow is a new day and we will work to demonstrate what we are able to do. Our final purpose is to finish the season with a good result“.

Tomorrow, costal races should be sailed in conditions that are forecasted to be similar to those of today, with a moderate-light breeze coming from South-South West. Preparatory signal is intended at 2pm local time.

In Cascais, Bronenosec Gazprom is sailed by Vladimir Liubomirov (owner-driver), Michele Ivaldi (skipper-strategist), Adrian Stead (tactician), Francesco Mongelli (navigator), Victor Serezhkin (backstay), Paul Westlake (mainsail trimmer), Claudio Celon (trimmer), Zack Hurst (trimmer), Emanuele Marino (grinder), Pietro Mantovani (grinder), Andy Fethers (pitman), Alex Kulakov (floater), Michele Cannoni (mid-bow) and Alberto Barovier (team manager-bowman). Coach Francesco de Angelis coordinates the team activity, while the shore team is led by Francesco Binetti Pozzi.

Ranking: http://www.52superseries.com/events/2016/eu/cascais-cup/?lang=it

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