Super Series Paul Cayard
(Still) the greatest game in town
The challenge for the 2019 52 Super Series title promises to be the most open since the circuit started in Barcelona in May 2012. Quantum Racing, so long the grand prix circuit’s benchmark team, are making their biggest ever set of changes to their crew line-up. Vladimir Lyubomirov’s Russian-flagged Bronenosec return armed with the only new-build boat this season, and a winter of fine-tuning and optimisation to seven of the nine boats that were new for 2018 (Luna Rossa is for sale and Onda has recently changed hands) will only ensure that racing is tighter than ever. It may seem inconceivable to consider the TP52 class racing as
a fleet in Europe without the presence of either Terry Hutchinson or Vasco Vascotto, but the five regattas that will comprise the 2019 season will represent a golden opportunity for new or different talent to shine. For sure, there will be no reduction in the level or the intensity of the racing. Quantum Racing are making no fewer than seven changes to the
sailing team that won three of last year’s five events and took the 2018 title by an unusually comfortable margin of 37 points (by comparison places second to fourth were covered by just 6pt). Owner- whisperer extraordinaire Cameron Appleton has been recruited by Quantum as tactician on the strength of his remarkable record of success in the RC44, Melges 40, Melges 32 and Melges 20 fleets in recent years and is considered to be a strong, smart leader. In parallel with his move to the green and black TP52 Appleton has also moved to Quantum Sails from his previous ‘day job’ at North. After successive years with Gladiator in 2017 and the Plattner
family’s two-boat Phoenix programme in 2018, 2007 America’s Cup winner Ed Baird returns as skipper-helm on Quantum Racing, working alongside another past Quantum champion Juan Vila as
34 SEAHORSE
navigator who is back after Volvo Ocean Race duty with Mapfre. New in the trimming team is Federico Michetti, who steps up a
level from a year of Melges racing but who has sailed extensively with Appleton. Likewise, Andrew Escourt – another Gladiator alumnus – comes in on runners and grinder; he competes alongside Appleton on the RC44 Team Aqua. ‘This will be a dramatically different crew from last year but we
are not at all scared by the changes,’ says Ed Reynolds, Quantum Racing’s longtime team director. ‘What stands out most with Cameron, and for guys like Federico Michetti, is that while we know they have the talent and the record behind them, this is an oppor- tunity that we are already seeing them grasp with both hands. They will also bring a little more youth to the Super Series itself.’ Big changes have been made to the Provezza afterguard for
2019. Though regular podium contenders in 2017, and popular winners in Puerto Portals, last year did not match up to expectations with their new Vrolijk boat. Tony Rey and Peter Holmberg, tactician and helm, have left. John Cutler moves from the Provezza coach boat to the helm and the hugely experienced Hamish Pepper steps in as tactician. Meanwhile, on Gladiator Tony Langley is bringing in two-time Dragon world champion Andy Beadsworth to steer while the extrovert – and very successful – British engineer steps off the wheel (likely to be swapped for a tiller) to sail in the role of tactician. Most of the TP52 fleet are convening in Valencia in early March
for a week of testing and informal shakedown racing. Only here will the net effect of the many changes to boats, crew and sail inventories become evident. At least one third of the fleet are known to have made keel and rudder modifications for this season, some minor, some more substantial.
KURT ARRIGO/ROLEX
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
