TP52 Worlds, Quantum Racing campione del mondo
TP52Vela 25 Ottobre 2008 Zerogradinord 0
TP52 World Championship – Puerto Calero – Ciò che per scaramanzia non si poteva dire ieri, è divenuto oggi una realtà incontrovertibile: Quantum Racing è campione del mondo TP52 e succede ad Artemis nell’albo d’oro dell’evento. Il successo della barca di Terry Hutchinson e del tattico Morgan Larson, già dominatori dell’Audi MedCup 2008, si è concretizzato al termine della penultima manche, chiusa da Quantum Racing al secondo posto dietro ai sorprendenti russi di Synergy. Incassata la matematica vittoria, gli statunitensi hanno lasciato la ribalta agli avversari, marinando la prova conclusiva, disputata in regime di vento teso e mare formato.
A completare il podio della manifestazione, articolatasi su undici regate, divise tra bastoni – nove – e costiere – due, una di 35 miglia, l’altra di 60 – sono stati il convincente Mutua Madrilena di Vasco Vascotto, costretto all’argento da qualche episodio poco fortunato e da qualche errore che ne ha minato la regolarità, e Platoon, entrato nel gruppo di merito proprio sul finire, ai danni di Artemis, cui, nonostate l’ottimo inizio, non è riuscito di bissare il successo dello scorso anno.
Quinto posto per Matador, meno brillante del solito, sesto per Synergy, protagonista in positivo di una settimana di vela caratterizzata da condizioni meteo decisamente impegnative.
Saluta invece la stagione con un nono posto Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 di Riccardo Simoneschi.
Per consultare la classifica clicca qui.
[flashvideo filename=video/tp52/TP52World08_quintogiorno.flv /]
Il quinto giorno di regate. Video courtesy TP52 World Championship.
TP52 Worlds: Quantum Racing is the champion
[singlepic=625,250,170,,left][TP52 World Championship Press Release] Quantum Racing put a fantastic end to a spectacular season. After being crowned MedCup champions last month, the American boat helmed by Terry Hutchinson, won the world title after a week of tough racing in Puerto Calero. Vasco Vascotto’s Mutua Madrileña takes the silver medal with a similarly good performance. The score table clearly reflects the tight nature of the TP52 fleet. Platoon grabbed 3rd place overall from Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis, 2007 champion, at the last downwind leg of the Championship’s last race resulting in a mere 0.25 lead.
Two races were sailed in the closing day of the series, both in strong (20 to 30 knots) but tricky conditions. The first race went underway with a 20-knot northeasterly breeze after a 30-minute postponement and was probably destined to be the shortest one the 14-strong fleet sailed in Puerto Calero. Its outcome was decided right on the starting line. While Quantum and Synergy had an excellent clean start, both Artemis and Mutua Madrileña, together with Desafío and Bigamist, were over the line. As a result, most of the suspense and nail-biting excitement everybody was hoping for evaporated. Again, the left played well and Quantum, Synergy and Audi TP52 Powered by Q8 opted for it and led the race until the finish line. Top place was going back forth between the American and Russian boats with Synergy finally prevailing. Throughout the race, the left side was definitely favored to the point that boats gybed only once in the first run. Mutua Madrileña and Artemis managed to recover a couple of spots but a 9th and 11th respectively meant they had no options towards the title.
After doing the complete quantum physics calculations, Quantum was World Champion before the start of the second race and the Americans decided to convert themselves to spectators in the last race of the series, in order to avoid influencing the tough three-way battle for 2nd and 3rd overall, taking place between Mutua Madrileña, Platoon and Artemis as any of these 3 boats could finish the championship in any of the two podium places. Artemis led from the start until the leeward gate when Desafío overtook them after picking the right shift and staging a great recovery through the fleet. With Artemis second and Platoon 6th at the bottom mark, the Swedish boat was guaranteed 3rd overall in the Championship. It proved too early to rule Jochen Schuemann out and Platoon passed Cristabella and Bribón and in the final leg it was Matador’s turn to surrender to the German attacks. Platoon crossed the finish line in the wake of Artemis and grabbed the bronze medal by the slimmest possible margin, 0.25 points.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.