American owner-driver Doug DeVos steered Quantum Racing to overall victory at the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week.
This was the first regatta title of the five which comprise the tenth anniversary season of the world’s leading grand prix monohull circuit.
With a hard won second place behind Andy Soriano’s Alegre in Race 8 Quantum Racing may have secured the Baiona regatta title by seven points but there were some distinctly nervous moments when a Race 9 was started in a gentle breeze and the champions elect were judged to be over the start line early.
Rounding the top mark in ninth with Phoenix first it looked like the regatta leaders had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory until the race was abandoned in the fading, wildly shifting breeze.
With three wins and two seconds in their aggregate tally of 19 points from the eight races Quantum Racing are clearly in excellent shape in terms of both boat speed and crew work.
Harm Müller Spreer’s Platoon remain their super consistent selves but count two fifth places in their scoreline and did not manage to make the top two often enough to really challenge Quantum Racing.
They finished just one point ahead of Tom Slingsby and a very strong Phoenix team who were harmed by one bad 14 point day.
ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week final standings
1st QUANTUM RACING (USA) Doug DeVos 4,5,1,2,3,1,1,2 – – 19 pts
2nd PLATOON (GER) Harm Müller Spreer 5,1,2,4,4,2,3,5 – – 26 pts
3rd PHOENIX (RSA) Hasso & Tina Plattner 1,3,3,1,8,6,2,3 – – 27 pts
4th INTERLODGE (USA) Austin & Gwen Fragomen 6,4,4,6,2,9,4,4 – – 39 pts
5th ALEGRE (GBR) Andy Soriano 9,7,6,3,9,3,5,1 – – 43 pts
6th SLED (USA) Takashi Okura 3,6,5,7,7,4,4.5,7 – – 43,5 pts
7th VAYU (THAI) Whitcraft family 2,2,8,5,5,7,7,9 – – 45 pts
8th GLADIATOR (GBR) Tony Langley 7,8,7,8,1,8,dsq10(3), 8 – – 60 pts
9th PROVEZZA (TUR) Ergin Imre 8,10,10.10,6,5,6,6 – – 61 pts
