Perfect
preparation starts here
Left: there’s no two ways about it, you just have to feel sorry for the TP52 Super Series fleet as they are forced to roam the world in search of the best destinations for their next event – run the racing for the owners who are paying for it and they will come. The writer makes the exact same point that in relative terms there was no more money about 30 years ago when Two Tonners like Intuition raced big events like the SORC (above)… All is not lost
to create the time. Again a simplified view, but not without touching the essence.
By positioning the 52 Super Series as the world’s leading monohull circuit, created and supported by TP52 owners from three continents, combined with trying to diminish the tension of competition at this high level by keeping it relaxed both in terms of race format and on the shore, in a way we are trying to recreate the hunger and motivation that we saw in the past. The owners driving the series, as well as most of their boats, I feel are the essence of our current success; and for sure the TP52 being a development class box rule boat, allowing you to create one-off perfection without losing sight of a realistic competitive lifespan, has something to do with it too.
It is an ongoing debate whether we should take what is in some eyes the obvious next step – require all the boats to be owner-driven or at least open to Group 1 drivers only.
So far a majority of current owners support the ‘open-driver’ concept. Sailing against the best is seen as inspirational. But some- times also as a steep task. The closer it gets the more every small detail matters and it does not get any closer than at the first windward mark of a Super Series race.
There you sometimes see that the pro driver and the owner-driver live by different ethics – but based on the same rules of sailing. And although it is hard to explain the exact difference (for sure you also see differences within the ‘categories’) the perception is a real one, and when the debate continues on the shore you usually hear terms like ‘professional foul’ or ‘professional attitude’… indicating the real source of frustration.
I have no real solution to avoid such frustration, other than to say that both sides have to take responsibility to find common ethics for this specific element of our unique sport.
As organisers we have a few weapons to ‘soften’ the game, like on-the-water umpiring and ‘protecting the zone’ by laying a windward inner mark. However, ideas of ‘putting gloves on the fists’ or of heavy policing hardly ever receive wholehearted support from sailors, owner-drivers and officials.
The conceptual development that we so much enjoy when putting together our boats seems difficult to translate to the human element. But at least we discuss and we try, whether owner, pro sailor or organisation. And I am proud to see us doing so. Rob Weiland, TP52 class manager
q Please contact: Roberta Saglimbene Tel: +356 21324875 Email:
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PAUL MELLO/OUTSIDE IMAGES
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