The American Quantum has taken the controls of the first event of the Rolex 52 Super Series Circuit, which is being held at the Monte Real Club de Yates de Bayonne, with a two-point advantage over the Germans from Platoon.
The American team imposed its law in the Vigo estuary on the third day of the Bayona Sailing Week, with a third and a first place. When the wind rises above 12 knots, Terry Hutchinson’s men don’t sail, they fly. In addition, it seems that they have already got the hang of the north wind that blows in the Vigo estuary and yesterday they saw very well the roles of the wind, as well as the current with the low tide.
For its part, the Platoon is shown as the toughest rival of the Quantum. Both teams are constantly marking each other and do nothing more than turn in the bow, which means that they are considered the “roosters” of the fleet. The Germans, who yesterday took fourth and second place, have only won one heat for the two already accumulated by the American. The worst place for both teams is a fifth, which shows that they are the favorites for the final victory of this first Rolex 52 Super Series Circuit event.
The leader until yesterday, Phoenix is deflating. Yesterday he made two disastrous races occupying the eighth and sixth place of the same, and if he was right in the tactics on Wednesday, yesterday he did not give a single one. The same happens to the Thai Vayu, who with two good starts did not know how to read the race course well, so he is relegated to fourth position.
The last three, Alegre, Gladiator and Provezza do not raise their heads. Despite the fact that yesterday the English won the first heat with great authority, in the second they won the sand one being eighth. Xabi Fernández, Spanish crew member of the Gladiator, is more optimistic than the first day. “The day has gone much better. We know that no two days are the same, and although we have not made changes, the truth is that the boat has gone better today. We made the training of the week profitable, I think that the owners sail so little that they improve day by day. Today was a little easier day. Paul Paul (Goodison, tactician) wanted to fight a little more on the right than we had in the previous days, and we made a great start on the good side. When you’re ahead Everything is much easier. In the second round we wanted to do the same but we couldn’t, because Interlodge closed the site and we left late, but without going to a comfortable place we managed to go with the fleet and fight. We signed an eighth, which is not a good result, but the positive part is that we have been in the fight”.
For his part, Santiago Lange, helmsman of the Provezza said: “The ship is a great barge, very nice to steer, to feel and coordinate with the crew. The regattas are super entertaining, as I always experienced as a tactician and in any position. The fact of having broken the boat and today running without being able to reach the maximum gross tension is not easy. With my new job as helmsman I have adapted very easily: I don’t feel that we are making bad starts, we are doing well. It is not easy, because we have a tension limit, but we will continue working on the trim of the mast and the mainsail to be able to navigate better in these conditions”.
Two new regattas disputed in two very tactical regatta fields with continuous changes of routes and ups and downs of wind intensities. Special mention to the beacons positioned by GPS, a guarantee that the fields that María Torrijo decides to place will be very well positioned.
Tomorrow, two more sleeves with a wind forecast of 10 to 12 knots of intensity.
