Technical breakdowns unsettled Hasso Plattner’s Phoenix 11 team as the 2019 circuit champions Azzurra maintained their consistent form to overhaul the local Cape Town favourites who drop to second place after four races have been sailed at the Odzala Discovery Camps 52 SUPER SERIES V&A Waterfront – Cape Town regatta.

After a solid win in Race 3, the first of today, Phoenix 11 maintained their points advantage over Azzurra, which finished in second. But a pedestal winch gearing breakdown between races unsettled the local team who suffered a breakage of their aftmost port side stanchion to further compound their problems.

The resulting seventh sees Plattner’s crew drop two points behind the Roemmers family’s Azzurra, which has sailed three second places from four starts and seems to have maintained the consistency that served them well last season, even after integrating new tactician Michele Paoletti.

Sled, which was involved in a collision with training partners Alegre during the first race of the day, still lies third having been granted average points by redress as they were fouled by Alegre.

Although the race area was moved west of the city, it was still tightly bound by a shipping channel, which meant another compact, close-fought track. In flat water with boat speeds so similar and perhaps reflecting early-season, on-board comms, there were no fewer than eight incidents that resulted in seven penalty flags.

In these conditions, the breeze today between 11 and 16 knots, sharp starting was often rewarded. This was especially notable in the second race where longtime friends and sparring partners Morgan Larson – helm – and Jonathan McKee, in concert with navigator Ed Smyth conspired to launch Bronenosec off the line to earn an early advantage that they did not relinquish.

In the first race, Platoon were in contention at the top mark challenging Phoenix 11, but the world champions were given the first of three penalties [the first of which the umpires conceded later was a rare mistake], which dropped them from contention leaving the South African favourites, who true to the local philosophies of team spirit and collaboration, enjoy a fluid, dynamic decision-making process on board.

Information is passed between breeze-spotting floater Andy Horton, tactician Peter Holmberg, and South Africans Paul Willcox on main trim and local powerhouse grinder Shaun Pammenter, who has also played rugby in England for the Cornish Pirates, and who is a respected navigator and meteorologist in his own right.

Horton commented:

“We had a little breakdown before the start and so we were working on that. We did a good job but did not quite get it fixed but it put us out of our routine. Then we were on the back foot and so were not as settled as in other races. I think some of the other teams were really starting to race properly for the first time this season. We felt comfortable ’til then and then kept breaking things.”

“We have such a good group of people. We have such good locals who we trust implicitly, they are awesome sailors in their own right. I am more in charge of the wind; and I talk to them; they talk to Peter – the whole plan emerges. But the racing has been really testing with quick decisions and the same today. It is a pleasure to work with Peter.” He adds, “But it does feel like the first regatta of the season, six turns in the first race, everyone is maybe not fresh and perfect on the start line. At the end of the season it is such a well oiled machine for everyone, but right now this does feel very much like the first regatta of the year.”

Azzurra’s Guillermo Parada is pleased with their consistency but knows anything can happen and they need to keep their focus. ?

“We know this is only the beginning and this is a long, long season. We are pleased. We said before the start of the season that we won the championship with a 4.3 average on the scores, so we need to play safe, to stay out of trouble, and so far we have achieved that. But we know it is not easy and that sooner or later you will be forced to take some risks, hopefully we will make the right choices at that time.”

Standings after Day 2:

1. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto/Pablo Roemmers) (4,2,2,2) 10pts
2. Phoenix 11 (RSA) (Hasso Plattner) (1,3,1,7) 12pts
3. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (3,4,RDG6,RDG5.5) 18.5pts
4. Bronenosec (RUS) (Vladimir Liubomirov) (2,10,7,1) 20pts
5. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (5,8,4,5) 22pts
6. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (6,6,3,8) 23pts
7. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (7,1,DNF11+2,4) 25pts
8. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (9,7,8,3) 27pts
9. Phoenix 12 (RSA) (Tina Plattner) (8,5,5,9) 27pts
10. Paprec (FRA) (Jean-Luc Petithuguenin) (10,9,6,6) 31pts

Full results available here.

Azzurra captures the lead of the 52 Super Series in Cape Town

The boat flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s burgee has taken the lead of the provisional overall results after two days of racing. The first event in the 2020 season will end on March 6th.

With two excellent second place finishes in the two races held today in Table Bay, Azzurra is now in the lead of the provisional results in the 52 Super Series. In westerly wind that built from 14 knots up to 20 in the second race, the Race Committee wisely chose to position the race course in a northerly area that was less affected by the landmass than yesterday’s so that the racing fleet had more options for tactical decisions. Table Mountain’s famous “shadow” still made for unpredictable conditions that were difficult to read, but generally speaking the left side of the course was better.

In the first race Azzurra started on the pin, gaining ground on the rest of the fleet on a long starboard tack and getting to the mark just behind Phoenix 11, who up until then was looking unbeatable in her home waters. The teams kept those positions to the end of the race with Provezza coming in third. Unfortunately, during the race there was a collision between Alegre and Sled and both teams had to withdraw while Alegre also got two penalty points.

The second race got under way in shifty westerly winds that clocked in at 19 knots at the masthead but were at about 16 on the water’s surface. The Race Committee repositioned the race course further north and Azzurra changed tactic by starting towards the centre right on the Committee Boat side to have more sailing options open. She got to the first mark side by side with Bronenosec and Provezza, but chose to round it third to avoid risks. Along the next run Azzurra rolled Provezza by manouvering perfectly on the final gybe before the gate and stayed in second place until the end. Provezza slipped back to eighth place after fighting hard with Phoenix 11 who finished seventh. This position cost the South African team their provisional lead at this event that was captured by Azzurra. Unfortunately, Sled had suffered too much damage to be able to take part in the race and was given a redress score of 5,5 points.

Guillermo Parada, skipper: “We’re happy that we’re getting consistent results on such a complicated race course and with so many wind shifts and changes in pressure. It’s thanks to the whole team and to the boat that we’re feeling fast and reactive which is just what we need to get ourselves out of tricky situations. Lots of boats had collisions today, they got penalties and they made errors: for us, just staying out of trouble was already an advantage. But today is just one day out of many, we have to keep working hard and sailing well.”

Michele Paoletti, tactician: “It seems like things are going well: we sailed well, we’re fast and we’re getting good starts. We did everything we could to stay out of trouble and in the top positions. I’d like it if we could keep this up because these races are like marathons: you have to be consistent and not take too many risks and we have to keep that in mind. The boats are very quick and if you can stay in clean air away from your adversaries it makes all the difference. Guille got two great starts and from there we got good results again today.”

Tomorrow racing starts at the same time, 12:30 SAST South African Standard Time (11:30 CET) with wind conditions forecast to be similar to today’s. Racing can be followed on the tracker Virtual Eye, on the website azzurra.it, on the 52superseries app or the website 52superseries.com. Live updates from the race course will also be posted on Azzurra’s Facebook page.

by 52 Super Series