Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week – DAY 5
Doug DeVos’ American Magic Quantum Racing have given themselves what appears to be a relatively straightforward task as they now go into the final day of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week with a margin of 18 points with two races still to sail.
But the defending 2024 circuit champions will carry on with the same fundamental philosophy – always striving to improve by at least one percent every day – as they seek to close out their third regatta title in a row.
With Terry Hutchinson calling tactics supported by strategist Victor Diaz de Leon, Sara Stone as navigator and Harry Melges IV on the tiller, American Magic Quantum Racing won two of today’s three races on the Bay of Palma and now have won three from the last four starts. Once more they showed the hallmarks of the world champions that they are, converting two modest starts to top results and also proving able to make key passes upwind and downwind in the sea breeze conditions of 10 to 14 knots.
Behind them the chase for the other podium places is incredibly close, most of the main contenders riding the Bay of Palma’s emotional big dipper today, big highs and lows following in quick succession. But at the end of today only four points separate second placed Sled from Brazil’s sixth placed Crioula with two races still to be sailed Saturday.
Takashi Okura steered his Sled to a third and fourth today but then slumped to a 10th in the third race when the sea breeze became much more streaky. Sled hold second but are tied with Shawn & Tina Kang’s Alpha + which started modestly today after being best scoring team Thursday. They were then penalised at the finish of the second race today their fifth downgraded to a 12th.
But Alpha + then bounced back to a really good second place just when they needed it to stay in podium contention. Andy Soriano’s Alegre are one point behind in third on 46 points, Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Vitamina are on 47 and the Plass brothers Crioula are also in the frame to land their first podium holding 48 points.
And so a thrilling showdown is in prospect Saturday. Sled are on course for their third podium of the season, mainsheet trimmer Don Cowie enthuses, “Tomorrow will be no different for us, we go out looking to win every race. Today was good in some ways with a third and a fourth but the last race was so tricky and as we see American Magic are so consistent but we go out aiming to win, we want to be on the podium here.”
Alpha +’s Ado Stead was disappointed with their Race 7 finish line penalty but is ready to lead the Hong Kong Team to what might be their first podium together, bettering the fourth they scored at the 2024 Rolex TP52 World Championship.
Stead said, “The first race was a bit disappointing we did not really just realise how unstable was the breeze, second race we were a solid fifth all the way round and then seemed to get a penalty on the finish line which we will ask about. But the sign of a good team is being able to bounce back after a disappointment like that. It is very close for tomorrow and our goal?…well our goal like everyone is to go into the last day with a chance of finishing on the podium and we are in a good place. We will get out there and get battling tomorrow.”
From the regatta leaders American Magic Quantum Racing strategist Victor Diaz de Leon remarked, “Things went our way a few times out there today but we are always just focusing on getting better as a team every day, working on our chemistry, working on our communication, the 1 per cent-ers and the team is gelling really well, sometimes things went our way when we were middle of the fleet. We are mostly just playing the percentage moves.”
After a miserable opening few days of the regatta things seemed to have bottomed out for Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation the 2023 champions and runners up on the circuit last year and at this regatta. They won the first race of the day but then had a double penalty in the second contest of the day before a battling third place seemed to suggest a change in fortunes even if they lie 10th of 12.
Owner-helm Müller-Spreer recalled, “ The second race was a bad one as we had to do two turns at the weather mark which was bad, dropping from second or third to last. But finally we have got the boat going, we have made so many changes over the last two years. We have changed the whole keel configuration three times……new fins, smaller, bigger. But right now we have the boat going. After a day like yesterday, it was a disaster day ,we crashed into Alegre which was really bad and I have to excuse myself, I could not see behind the sails and I expected them to go straight but finally they gybed in front of us and we crashed into them. And so tonight a much better mood and looking forwards to a good last day tomorrow.”
Two races are planned Saturday with a warning signal expected at 1300hrs
Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week – Provisional Leaderboard
1. American Magic Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos, 5+3+2+8+1+6+1+1 = 27
2. Sled, USA, Takashi Okura, 7+1+10+4+6+3+4+10 = 45
3. Alpha+, HKG, Shawn & Tina Kang, 3+8+4+3+2+11+12+2 = 45
4. Alegre, GBR, Andy Soriano, 1+2+6+9+10+2+10+6 = 46
5. Alkedo, ITA, Andrea Lacorte, 6+10+1+5+11+4+3+7 = 47
6. Crioula, BRA, Eduardo & Renato Plass, 8+4+7+11+3+5+7+4 = 49
7. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 4+7+5+7+5+10+2+12 = 52
8. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 12+5+3+6+9+7+6+5 = 53
9. Vayu, THA, Whitcraft Family, 2+11+8+2+8+8+5+11 = 55
10. Platoon Aviation, GER, Harm Müller-Spreer, 10+6+9+13(+3)+7+1+9+3 = 61
11. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley, 9+9+11+1+4(+1)+9+11+9 = 64
12. Teasing Machine, FRA, Eric de Turckheim, 11+13+12+10+12+12+8+8 = 86
