TP52 World Championship, mercoledì le prime regate
TP52Vela 6 Ottobre 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic id=4266 w=300 h=204 float=left]TP52 World Championship – Palma di Maiorca – Sono 10 gli scafi iscritti al Mondiale TP52 di Palma di Maiorca, dove le regate valide per l’assegnazione dei punti iridati avranno inizio mercoledì pomeriggio. L’assenza di Emirates Team New Zealand, dominatore dell’Audi MedCup appena conclusa, lascia la porta aperta a ogni possibile risultato. Non a caso sono in diversi a guardare con fiducia verso l’importante appuntamento organizzato dal Reale Club Nautico di Palma, specie i 3 team che nelle acque dell’isola delle Baleari sono considerati di casa: Bribon di José Cusi Ferret, Matador di Alberto Roemmers e Cristabella di John Cook.
A parte i locali, grandi favoriti dell’evento sono gli statunitensi di Quantum Racing, secondi nel circuito MedCup dopo la vittoria dello scorso anno nonostante una barca ormai datata, e Artemis, dotato di una barca vecchia di pochi mesi e tornato nel suo equipaggio tipo, con Paul Cayard, titolare di una lunga serie di successi palmensi, Hamish Pepper e Chris Nicholson ad affiancare Torbjorn Tornqvist.
Grande determinazione si evince dalla parole di Francesco Bruni, pronto a gridare la carica dal pozzetto di Matador: “E’ il tempo della rivincita: questo è l’ultimo appuntamento della stagione e tutti sono affamati, senza dubbio. Noi siamo tra i favoriti, inutile nascondersi. Durante i giorni passati abbiamo fatto del nostro meglio per mettere a suo agio Alberto Roemmers che sarà al timone: siamo pronti a farci valere”.
A rappresentare i colori italiani sarà il solo Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 portato da Riccardo Simoneschi e dal tattico Francesco De Angelis.
A fare la differenza, regalando un campo di regata dalle caratteristiche anomale al punto da sconsenigliare pronostici, potrebbero essere le condizioni meteo, molto diverse da quelle tipiche della stagione estiva, come spiega Francesco Mongelli, navigatore di Synergy: “In ottobre la temperatura dell’acqua è più alta rispetto a quella della terra e questo genera brezze notturne. In questi giorni, tra l’altro, c’è una marcata alta pressione ferma sulle Baleari: credo dovremo aspettarci venti leggeri, forse un giorno con 10-12 nodi”.
TP52 World Championship, entry list
Quantum Racing, T.Hutchinson
Bribon, J.C. Ferret
Matador, A.Roemmers
Cristabella, J.Cook
Artemis, T.Tornqvist
Audi TP52 Powered by Q8, R.Simoneschi
Valars III, S.Chevstov
Paprec Reciclage, H.Destremau
Henri Lloyd-Weapon of Choice, A.Langely
Synergy, Sergey Pichugin
Per consultare il sito dell’evento clicca qui.
TP52 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, FEW HOURS TO THE START
[Source TP52 World Championship] Ten boats were on the waters off Palma today warming up for the 2009 TP52 World Championships. Racing starts Wednesday and the title is up for grabs.
After the 2009 Audi MedCup season the slate is cleaned and the imminent 2009 TP52 World Championships, which start with tomorrow’s Practice Race, represent a whole new opportunity requiring a completely different strategy.
The absence in Palma of Emirates Team New Zealand, recently crowned Audi MedCup Champions, leaves the field open with any one of three or four boats having shown over this season that they have the boatspeed and the skills to win the title which will be settled over the next few days on the Bay of Palma.
For certain most of the teams are familiar with the host club, the Real Club Nautico de Palma and the venue, not least the three teams for whom the Bay of Palma represents their home waters, José Cusi’s iconic Bribón (ESP), Alberto Roemmers’ Matador (ARG) and John Cook’s Cristabella (GBR). Indeed, this year as well as in 2007 Matador has won the TP52 fleet at the prestigious Copa del Rey raced on these same waters.
But conditions are likely to be very different to summer, as the Russian team Synergy’s navigator Francesco Mongelli (ITA) explains: “In October the sea is quite hot compared to the land and so, if anything, it is more often you get the breeze at night. And there is high pressure dominating just now as so I think we are looking at light winds, maybe one day of 10-12 knots.” Says Mongelli.
Without doubt two of the title favourites lining up in Palma are the current World Champions, Quantum Racing (USA) which won in 2008 in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote and the 2007 champions Artemis (SWE). While the Quantum Racing team is unchanged from that which clinched second place on the Audi MedCup Circuit last month in Portugal, Artemis, is returned to full strength with owner Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) back on the helm with tactician Paul Cayard (USA) supported by new dad and 2007 Star world champion Hamish Pepper (NZL) as strategist, aided by round the world racer, past skiff and 505 world champion Chris Nicholson (AUS). Palma is also a happy hunting ground for Cayard who won the Copa del Rey in 1987 with the Maxi Il Moro de Venezia, and was tactician when Siemens Matador won in 2007.
“This is the chance for revenge – confirms Matador’s Italian tactician Francesco Bruni – It is the last race of the season and everyone is hungry for revenge. For sure. Everyone has been hit hard by Emirates Team New Zealand and so everyone wants to have a good chance here. We have a good chance here, we are one of the top teams here and we have been using the practice days here as best we can to give our owner Alberto Roemmers, who will steer, as much of a warm up as possible. He does not steer every day, but he did a fantastic job at the Copa del Rey and we have the same team here so we are confident. We hope to do a good job here.”
After tomorrow’s Practice Race, racing begins Wednesday with up to 11 races to be completed by Sunday, including Friday’s scheduled coastal race.
TP52 World Championship, entry list
Quantum Racing, T.Hutchinson
Bribon, J.C. Ferret
Matador, A.Roemmers
Cristabella, J.Cook
Artemis, T.Tornqvist
Audi TP52 Powered by Q8, R.Simoneschi
Valars III, S.Chevstov
Paprec Reciclage, H.Destremau
Henri Lloyd-Weapon of Choice, A.Langely
Synergy, Sergey Pichugin
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.