The final training day prior to the start of the TP52 World Championships offered strong winds for the eight teams which took the advantage of a few hours of extra practice prior to Tuesday's opening races which are forecast to see much lighter and more fickle breezes. Whatever the Valencia weather brings the defending TP52 World Champions Matador are ready to go and confident
04 10 2010, TP52 World Championship Valencia 2010 © Nico Martinez/WSM
by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson
Matador (ARG) have been the outstanding performer of the second half of the Audi MedCup Circuit and arrived on the Valencian waters which hosted the 32nd and 33rd America's Cup buoyed up, by having just won the Region of Sardinia Trophy and doubly motivated to do all they can to ensure that owner Alberto Roemmers retains the title they won last year in Palma with him steering.
With the Audi MedCup Circuit only just finished the World Championships' programme of up to ten races with no discard are a new opportunity which requires a very different approach, as 2008 world champion Quantum Racing's Terry Hutchinson noted: " It is probably a lower scoring average needed than you see in the MedCup, you take a four or five in the MedCup, but here it is probably a two or a three which wins you the event."
Matador. 04 10 2010, TP52 World Championship Valencia 2010 © Nico Martinez/WSM
But balanced against that requirement the no-discard series means teams have to sail clean as well as smart.
Quantum Racing stick with the same team as has just finished second on the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit and are determined to avenge their second place on countback last season.
Two British TP52's join the Audi MedCup regulars to complete the World Championships line up of nine TP52's from eight different nations.
Artemis. 04 10 2010, TP52 World Championship Valencia 2010 © Nico Martinez/WSM
Tony Langley's Weapon of Choice (ex Matador) finished ninth in Palma last year and has double Etchells world champion and Olympian Stuart Childerley as tactician for owner-driver Langley, whilst Jonny Vincent's Pace (ex Patches ex RAN) starts their first TP52 class racing with a strong crew including TeamOrigin 1851's Kelvin Harrap (NZL) in the afterguard alongside tactician Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) and trimmer Andy Hemmings (GBR) and mastman George Skuodas (GBR) all with recent Audi MedCup TP52 Series form.
Racing starts Tuesday scheduled for 1300hrs (CET) with up to three races on the first day, and finishes Saturday. The Coastal Race is scheduled for Thursday, with finish line set inside the Marina Real Juan Carlos I harbour.
04 10 2010, TP52 World Championship Valencia 2010 © Nico Martinez/WSM
Quotes of the day:
Guillermo Parada (ARG), skipper Matador (ARG):
"It is good opportunity to finish the season on a high note. We are very happy to have Alberto sailing with us in order to defend his world title, and it is a good opportunity to say goodbye to our boat which is sold.
"It has been great partner over the last two seasons and we have spent a lot of time and effort and work with the boat, and so at the end you have a relationship with a boat and it's nice to look to finish that on a high."
Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm Quantum Racing (USA):
"We have been looking at sails today and had 26-27 knots of windspeed today. But we had the owner of the Farr 40 Barking Mad Jim Richardson out with is today and he will be our guest for the next couple of days and he got a little bit of time on the helm. He was cruising along at 22 knots with a big smile on his face so we had a good day.
"We have a few conversations about what is the right approach here. It is probably a lower scoring average needed than you see in the MedCup, you take a 4 or 5 in the MedCup, but here it is probably a two or a three which wins you the event.
"We did nice work staying out of the protest room in Palma and we are going to try and to the same here. We just want to try and sail good, consistent races. The fleet has anew dynamic here with a couple of boats we have not raced against and that warrants a little more conservatism around the corners and in situations because you don't know those competitors as well. The easy thing for us to do here would be just to get complacent here and follow the same routine that we have all season, so we will guard against that."
Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) tactician Pace (GBR):
"We are excited to be here. Obviously it was very windy today we only arrived yesterday afternoon, so we have only done an hour or an hour and half of sailing. But we have a good team. It is a matter of going out there enjoying ourselves and having some good races.
"We don't have high aspirations but then we are not here to come last. We will do as well as we can and of that means putting a few good races in and not necessarily having a good series then we will see how it goes. I think we have a good team and if we sail well we can do OK.
"How competitive we will be boatspeed-wise is an unknown. The boat has been out of TP52 class trim for a couple of years and so an old keel has gone on and been modified with a different bulb weight, we have not lined up with anyone yet and so there will be a lot of unknown there."
04 10 2010, TP52 World Championship Valencia 2010 © Nico Martinez/WSM
TP52 Worlds Entries
Weapon of Choice (GBR)
Cristabella (GBR)
Synergy (RUS)
Artemis (SWE)
Bigamist (POR)
Pace (GBR)
Quantum Racing (USA)
Matador (ARG)
Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER)
TP52 World Championships
