Mapfre PalmaVela at Palma de Mallorca - Day 4
by Eva Dallo 22 Apr 2012 19:24 BST
20-24 April 2012
It came down to the wire on the last day for winners in most of the 15 divisions at the 2012 Mapfre PalmaVela regatta, which began Friday and hosted 115 bots and over 1.000 sailors representing countries such as Spain, Italy, Ireland, Russia, Virgin Islands,England, Sweden and Great Britain. The event is hosted by the RealClub Náutico de Palma, and is considered the first event of the Mediterranean sailing season.
The fourth and last day of races of the 2012 Mapfre PalmaVela regatta started in tactically demanding conditions of 6 to 8 knots of Northeasterly wind and light overcast skies which prevented the breeze from pushing through until 14:00 hours, when a nice Southerly breeze stabilised in the bay of Palma.
Alberto Roemmers' TP52 Audi Azzurra took overall victory with 12 points in the 52 footer box rule class, after a great performance of five bullets in the five last races. The brand new TP52 by Botin & Partners dominated the season's opening event almost from the beginning. After her first day's two third places, the Italo-Argentinean brand new TP52 by Botin & Partners took six wins out of seven races. The team's main competition was Quantum Racing, which, in spite of a very consistent performance, wasn't able to beat Azzurra's speed, thus finishing runner up with 17 points, three ahead of Swedish RÁN. Gladiator lies at the bottom of the 52 footer division in the fourth place.
The magnificent Maxi fleet had its coastal race today, which was shortened from 24 down to 12miles due to the shifty and light winds which prevailed in the morning. Sir Peter Odgen's Jethou added another win to their tally making it four wins out of six races to sew up the Overall Maxi classification in fine style. Sir Lindsay Owen Jones' owned and Danny Gallichan skippered Magic Carpet 2 finished second thus claiming the same position in the overall classification, whereas Johan Killinger owned and helmed Emma finished third.
There were no surprises in the Soto 40 class in its premiere in the Mapfre PalmaVela regatta.Iberdrola Team from bask sailor and project manager Agustin Zuluetatook the overall victory after six wins in a row out of seven races-they were second in the first race-, which leaves no doubt about the green boat's supremacy in the 40 footer class. Olly Cameron's skippered Alegre finished the Mapfre PalmaVela in second position,six points behind the Spanish boat, and Tony Buckingham's Ngoni was third with five more points.
The J-80 class was a cause for joy at the RCNP for its president Javier Sanz's Pro-Rigging clinched the Mapfre PalmaVela trophy in the One Design class which gathered nineteen boats for this seventh edition. Carlos Martinez's Mapfre was second, whereas Olympic medallist Jose María Van derPloeg's Nilfisk was third.
After another coastal win today, Kusak and Llopis' Enterprise definitely cleared out from the rest of the Vintage and Classic Mapfre PalmaVela fleet, with eight points advantage over second classified Marigan of Tim Liesenhoff.Monaco flagged Moonbeam IV, which hosted Grace kelly and Rainiero diMonaco during their honeymoon long time ago, was third tied on 8points with Marigan.
The prize delivery ceremony took place at the facilities of the RCNP, which has once more year been able to gather some of the best sailors and boats of the world on the occasion of an event which features from Maxi classes to Dinghies through disabled sailing.
Views from Azzurra, winning TP52
"It has been a fantastic regatta - stated the owner Alberto Roemmers - that started with a few mishaps but went on flawlessly and culminated in five consecutive bullets. We know that the 52 Super Series will be challenging but we certainly intend to continue like this!"
Guillermo Parada and Vasco Vascotto, skipper and strategist, after the traditional post-victory champagne battle, wanted to thank everybody that made possible today's victory as well as the participation in the 52 Super Series 2012: starting with the owner, then the YCCS and Audi, paying a special tribute to the shore team, that gave them the possibility to achieve this result by building a splendid yacht during last winter and by rapidly repairing the damage caused by the strong winds on the opening day.
This is the analysis Checco Bruni, tactician, made: "We have improved day by day, both as a crew as well as in the development of the new boat, with a steady growth that will continue in the coming days. We will in fact remain in Palma to go on with our training and fine-tuning of the yacht. I am particularly pleased with the harmony I have with Vasco, it's an affinity rarely found between tactician and strategist and one that has visibly bore its fruit. Big congratulations also to Alberto Roemmers who steered skillfully in the starts and the beats, despite having spent very little time at the helm of the newly-built yacht."