Interlodge lead after light winds opener in Ibiza / 52 Super Series

Austin and Gwen Fragomen’s American flagged 52 Interlodge leads the Royal Cup MarinaIbiza after two very light wind races at the 52 SUPER SERIES second regatta of the season. Victory in the second race paired with a fourth leaves them just one point ahead of a tight trio of teams all resident on six points: Quantum Racing, Gladiator and Rán Racing.

 

Interlodge, with John Cutler as tactician, were quietly efficient in the difficult light airs, making good starts in both contests and showing a clear ability to knit together the best lanes of breeze and avoid the potholes. Often the middle of the course was where the wind folded, but overall it was a day when patience and an open mind were almost as valuable as boat speed.

Quantum Racing, winners last month in Barcelona, appeared to be right back into the same groove when they won the first race with a decent lead from the first windward mark. Interlodge rounded second but then lost out to the advances of Gladiator on the second beat and then could not hold Rán Racing near the finish line.

Consistency proved difficult. The winners of Race 1 struggled to repeat the same formula in the second race, in just the same way that 52 SUPER SERIES champions Azzurra just could not find speed or favourable positioning in the first race. Fifth place was not the start that Guillermo Parada’s team wanted. Neither, in the next race, was fifth the result that Ed Baird and team would have chosen to partner their opening race win.

Potentially the quickest team on the water was Tony Langley’s Gladiator. They made good progress in the first race, gaining a place on each leg to finish second.

As they came away from the offset mark in second place at the top of the first beat of Race 2, they looked ominously strong but swung into penalty turns, judged to have impeded Azzurra as they tacked at the windward mark. But it is a measure of their team’s application, and their speed in the conditions that Gladiator were still able to return from a distant eighth when they completed their penalty, to finish fourth. If the breeze remains light – as it is forecast to do – and they avoid further transgressions, Gladiator may be the boat to beat this week.

But so too the current holders of the Royal Cup, Rán Racing were the most regular team today, like Gladiator they were taking places consistently rather than losing them. Their two third places also marks them out as potential regatta winners

It is slightly unpredictable, there are holes, there is pressure coming in. You have to make the most of what you get.Explained Ado Stead, Rán Racing’s tactician.

I think in the first race we were a bit in a hurry,
admitted Azzurra’s Guillermo Parada,
but in the second race we were a bit more patient, waiting for the right time to do things.

Interlodge had the edge today but only two points cover the top five boats. Azzurra in fifth are very much in touch after Day 1 in Ibiza.

In the expectation that winds will be light starts have been brought forward to midday Wednesday.

Royal Cup MarinaIbiza – Standings after Day 1

1 Interlodge, USA, Austin and Gwen Fraogmen, 5 pts (4,1)
2 Quantum Racing, USA, Ed Baird 6 pts (1,5)
3 Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley 6pts (2,4)
4 Rán Racing, SWE, Niklas Zennström 6pts (3,3)
5 Azzurra, ITA, Alberto Roemmers, 7pts (5,2)
6 Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin 13pts, (7,6)
7 Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 14pts, (6,8)
8 Rio, (USA) Manouch Moshayedi, 15pts, (8,7)