Gladiator win long game | 52 Super Series

Tony Langley and the crew of Gladiator proved their staying power as well as their skills today when they won the 33 miles coastal race at the Royal Cup Marina Ibiza, holding off regatta leaders Quantum Racing all the way round the long upwind- downwind passage which took the 52 SUPER SERIES up to the NE corner of Ibiza to the finish line off the entrance to the Ibiza town harbour.

Over a well deserved cold beer after the conclusion of the four and a half hours passage in the fierce Balearic sunshine the British owner-driver expressed his quiet satisfaction at having kept at bay the Quantum Racing team, which includes five ex Alinghi crew, winners of the 2007 America’s Cup.

“I had Quantum Racing breathing down my neck for a couple of hours on the windward leg. I was just thinking: ‘these guys don’t make mistakes, you just have to keep concentrating’.”
“ That is the thing for me, benchmark against the best, the only way to improve!”

The Ed Baird skippered Quantum Racing chased all they could but could not close down Langley’s crew which lead from the leeward gate of the preliminary windward-leeward circuit. But their second place, with Interlodge up in third and Jean Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec in fourth, mean the American crew extend their overall lead to four points, whilst the win for Gladiator promotes them to second overall going in to Saturday’s final races.

Although it was Manouch Moshayedi’s Rio which went hard right on the first beat to lead the pack at the first turn, their choice of the left side downwind saw them slide back into the pack. Quantum Racing, having fought for the left end of the start line, were able to get out far enough to the right to take the benefit of a small right hand lift which got them into contention early. Azzurra were up to third during the long beat north east, but lost out to Interlodge and the hard battling Paprec when they were forced offshore, out of the beneficial lift towards the shore. Managing the lee of the Tagomago island, the rounding mark, was also key. Overall there were very few passing opportunities, especially on the 14 miles run home.

Chris Larson, tactician off the winning Gladiator affirmed that they had stuck with their strategy throughout:

“It was not as difficult leading as it would have been to be back in the pack. That would have been a long day trying to claw back places. There were not many passing situations in the race. It could not have gone any better. We had a strategy and executed. We did a pretty good job of holding off Quantum.”

Quantum Racing, winners of last month’s Conde de Godo Trophy in Barcelona take a four points lead into the final day, with Azzurra just one point behind Gladiator.

Royal Cup Marina Ibiza, Ibiza, ESP – Standings after Day 4, coastal race
1. Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos 18 pts (1,5,4,1,4,1.2)
2. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley 22pts (2,4,1,3,5,6,1)
3. Azzurra, ITA, Alberto Roemmers, 23pts (5,2,5,2,1,3,5)
4. Rán Racing, SWE, Niklas Zennström 28pts (3,3,6,4,2,4,6)
6. Interlodge, USA, Austin and Gwen Fraogmen, 38 pts (4,1,8,7,8,7,3)
5. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 38pts, (6,8,3,5,6,2,8,8)
8. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin 42pts, (7,6,7,6,7,5,4)
7. Rio, USA Manouch Moshayedi, 43pts, (8,7,2,8,3,8,7)