The crew of the Quantum Racing celebrating the victory at home. Photo: Martínez Studio

Doug DeVos's boat wins the last sleeve of the Quantum Key West Race Week with a solid display. Platoon and Rán Racing accompany you in the drawer. Six ships end up separated by only two points in the fight for the podium in which the best and most competitive season in the history of 52 SUPER SERIES is presumed.

The headline may sound repetitive. Yeah, he's won Quantum Racing. Like so many other times, without going further in 2016 he won four tests. But the fact is that the Quantum Key West Race Week has skipped all the previous scripts and can be considered one of the races, but the most, disputed in the history of the 52 SUPER SERIES. In the podium he was accompanied by the Platoon of Harm Müller-Spreer in which there are up to four Spaniards on the ship and the Rán Racing of the Swedish shipowner Niklas Zennström. A podium copped by shipowners. Not a single professional got to Key West's drawer.

Quantum has won again. Yeah. But it has not done so, for example, in the initial race of last season, when it ended with half the points that the two teams that accompanied him on the podium that campaign: Azzurra and Rán. Last year that race marked the way to a dictatorship of the American ship. However, the feeling that everyone has left five days of race in Key West is that this year the struggle is going to be very open and that it's not going to be two or three ships. There are new actors who have entered with force and who have arrived to stay.

Thus, the great beneficiary is the show that offers the best circuit in the world of monocascos. Today up to five ships have fought for the final triumph and Bronenosec and Interlodge, sixth and seventh, have remained a sigh from going up to the drawer. With seven ships fighting for the podium, the next five races of 52 SUPER SERIES of 2017 promise much more emotion.

Today, however, Quantum took care of the tachycardia from the first minute. Well, they and the bad race all their rivals made for the final triumph in the waters of the Cays. Rán Racing, Platoon, Azzurra and Protenzza were well below their aspirations and allowed Doug DeVos and Terry Hutchinson to make a platid manga, the only one of the day, after passing through the first barlovento buoy. Not only did they go first at that point, but they had a mattress between them and their rivals called Interlodge- Bronenosec- Sled. Three squads that gave him a lot of peace because his rivals, if they wanted to get to them, first had to deal with these three bulls.

Quantum closed his triumph and Terry Hutchinson, one of the best tactics in the world and one of the most demanding and competitive professional athletes, pressed the fists on the finish line. On Wednesday, Quantum was sixth in the general after signing 8,7.9 on a bad day. Hutchinson self-flagged. He took the piss to blame and urged his return to the fight. The last three sleeves, all with very little wind, have been closed by the Americans with a sum of 4 points. That's the spirit of the great champions and in Quantum there's a good handful of them. In the two previous editions that the 52 SUPER SERIES had visited Key West the races had been distributed to Azzurra in 2013 and Quantum in 2014.

The manga was second Bronenosec. Vladimir Liubomirov's ship has a regular condition. It fits the best and the worst. The day they find balance, no one doubts they'll be with the best. They have stayed two points in the drawer, as have the promising project of Austin Fragomen and his Interlodge. When Ian Walker gets the cane and the crew, they take the quieter to the design of Botín can be a fearsome contender.

The day went back to the Procurzza. The Turkish sailboat is not very friendly with the final days. In Cascais last October, he also lost the podium option in the last sleeve. Today, more of the same. His Vrolijk is not made for six-knots winds like the ones in Key West today, but neither was the crew able to put the boat in the places where the championship was played.

The next test, the second of the 2017 season of 52 SUPER SERIES, will be from March 7 to 11 in Miami. The race will be held in the waters of the Yachtclub Biscayne Bay. After that competition, the ships will return to Europe with the most important quote of the calendar, the Rolex TP52 World Championship Scarlino 2017 in May.

Doug DeVos, owner and reed of the Quantum, explains: "What a great race we have had in Key West! How many teams fighting to the last test for victory. It's fantastic. We did a great job on the team today. We went out very well and made a very solid race. It's just wonderful. You have in 52 SUPER SERIES the opportunity to sail against the best regatists in the world and with this ship, the race is an incredible platform. Besides, winning in this environment is wonderful. The bad thing is that joy is short, because Miami is around the corner."

Niklas Zennström, the Ran Racing reed and shipowner, says: "What a great week of races in which it has been possible to demonstrate the very high quality of this competition! There have been up to five ships that have been able to win and that's impressive. We went out to the race field trying not to put pressure on us and telling us that we were two points behind us, but also thinking that we would have opportunities. We are happy because we have stayed on the podium and also, looking for the season, we have finished with few points. Getting out of here in third place makes us very happy. Now we think of Miami as an amazing place. We have great memories of sailing there. The largest is the World Cup we got in 2013 when we beat Azzurra in the last sleeve. We go there with the strength to think we have a chance to win the race."

Classification of the Quantum Key West Race Week and the General Circuit after 1 event
1. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (3,7,4,1,8,7,9,2,1,1) 43 points.
2. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER), (1,1,6,6, 10,2,5,3,8,7) 49 p.
3. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (4,6,9,4,3,4,6,6,6,6,6) 49 p.
4. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (8,9,2,2,4,5,5,3,9) 49 p.
5. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (6,2,3,8,2,6,4,6,5,8) 50 p.
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (7,4,5,3,7,11,4,4,4,2) 50 p.
7. Interlodge (Austin Fragomen, USA) (5,8,11,5,1,1,8,7,2,3) 51 p
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (2,5,8,11,6,11,3,9,9,5) 69 p.
9. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (10,10,1,9,9,9,7,11,7,11) 80 p.
10. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA) (11,3,7,10,9,10,10,10,4) 84 p.
11. Paprec Recyclage (Jean-Luc Petithuenin, FRA) (9,11,10,7,11,8,1,11,10) 86 p.

Five ships will seek victory at the Quantum Key West Race Week

All open on the last day in Florida waters. Photo: Martínez Studio

Five ships will fight for victory in the Quantum Key West Race Week in a single sleeve. A reviewer of candidates, no more or less. Any of them can take the first race of the season of 52 SUPER SERIES. And that's great news to see tomorrow one of the most exciting races in the history of this competition. It's been a long time since you reached such a tight race end.

Today has been another great day of racing. The Committee postponed the departure for three hours due to a lack of wind. Then two exits were given with a loose wind of about seven knots, but enough to guarantee the action that then occurred. The great winner of the day has been the Quantum Racing with a second and a first with a very solid day. But we must also not forget that Protenzza arrived in port as the new leader of the competition with two points of advantage over Quantum, Azzurra, Rán Racing and Platoon. It will be these five ships that fight for triumph tomorrow. And all a letter. A fight without barracks in a competition, the 52 SUPER SERIES, which has made equality between the ships one of their main flags.

The first test of the day was a new winner: the Rán Racing of Niklas Zennström. The Swedish shipowner is doing a solid job in Key West waters and has only stained his locker with a ninth. The rest have been solid results and that regularity had led them to be in positions that still gave final choices to triumph, without the need to win sleeves.

Ran is an expert ship, with a crew that hardly panicked. They move very well in the middle area of the fleet and today in the first manga they saw their chance to win the manga by getting the sea hole closest to the exit pin. In Key West, the pin is giving good results to those who get closer to it on the exits. From that position and with a domain on the left side of the wind-intensity race field soon the sleeve became a thing of two between them and the Quantum Racing. Doug DeVos's, as it was to be expected, came out with the will to clean up his stained Wednesday locker (8,7.9). They arrived first to the barlovento beacon with a significant income over the Nordic. But they made the mistake of letting Adrian Stead go with his tactic on that side and in a little less than half a stretch they had already set themselves ahead.

From behind very solid also the Platoon of Harm Müller-Spreer who made a third saber that his options of being on the podium tomorrow are becoming more and more real. Azzurra and Protenzza were surprised by a last amazing Bronenosec stern and lost one more point regarding Platoon and Rán.

The second sleeve was from beginning to end a demonstration of Quantum Racing. The American ship usually seeks to leave the center of the line so as not to enter into many commitments, but if he wanted to rejoin the car of the contenders to victory he had to take risks. And he did it by going to get the pin. He made it, and from there he only had a rival in the Azzurra in the first stretch of the ninth manga. The Italians held the shipment, although in the passage through the buoy, Quantum did it with a ridiculous advantage but enough to mount the buoy to unmark first. Azzurra risked in the stern and went looking for the left side of the rigged. Bad decision that made him lose positions in favor of Interlodge and Provides, but Vascotto only knows how to play winner.

Platoon and Rán Racing had a bad sleeve and for the Germans it was painful to lose the lead with an eighth position. However, today they come out to the turquoise blue waters of Key West with the same options as the other four ships to win. Who gives more?

Guillermo Parada, Rae del Azzurra, expresses:
"It was a day complicated by the little wind and the calm that was in the race field. We go out well because we don't sail well. We made some mistakes and that's paid for. In the final race you have to keep your head cold with four ships in two points. We have to go out and win the championship. The important thing is to analyze what we have done wrong today so that it does not repeat and go out in the water with the possibility of winning this race."

Nacho Postigo, a navigator of the Providenza, maintains:
"Another good day at the office. It has been two races with very little wind that is something that, in principle, is not going well for the conditions of our ship. But the truth is that Peter (Holmberg, cane) has made some spectacular exits and Tony (King, Tactical) has been right in the call of the winds that today was an extremely difficult issue to correct. So we've sailed the week very well less the first day. It is tomorrow, but as tight as everything is and as good as the rivals are, it will be difficult to keep the first position, but of course we will try."

Quantum Key West Race Week (after 9 sleeves)
1. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (8,9,2,2,4,5,2,5.3) 40 p.
2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (3,7,4,1,8,7,9,2,1) 42 p.
3. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER), (1,1,6,6, 10,2,5,3,8) 42 points.
4. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (6,2,3,8,2,4,6,5) 42 p.
5. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (4,6,9,4,3,4,6,1,6) 43 p.
6. Interlodge (Austin Fragomen, USA) (5,8,11,5,1,8,7,2) 48 p
7. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (7,4,5,3,7,11,4,4) 48 p.
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (2,5,8,11,6,11,3,9,9) 64 p.
9. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (10,10,1,9,9,9,7,11,7) 69 p.
10. Paprec Recyclage (Jean-Luc Petithuenin, FRA) (9,11,10,7,11,8,1,8,11) 76 p.
11. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA) (11,3,7,10,9,10,10,10) 80 p.

Azzurra catches Platoon in the lead of the Quantum Key West Race Week

Stuck of the 52 Super Series fleet in Florida. Photo: Martínez Studio

The Americans win two sleeves and the French their first since participating in the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit in six years. Azzurra equates Platoon in the lead of the Quantum Key West Race Week after a day of three tests.

Paprec will never forget today. After six years of participating in the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit, in Key West the ship of the shipowner Jean- Luc Petithuguenin and with Cédric Chateau to the cane achieved the first triumph in a manga in its long history in the competition. They celebrated it as if they had won a World Cup and it is that for them, with an old ship and a semi-professional crew, this triumph tastes like glory. Nor will the Interlodge, the newest ship in the fleet that won the first two sleeves today at the Quantum Key West Race Week, forget it.

The great beneficiaries of the day were also others who did so in silence, without partial triumphs: Provides of Peter Holmberg and Azzurra of Guillermo Parada. The two were strengthened from a marathonian race day in Key West as three exits were given in anticipation of a bad part by tomorrow that can alter the normal course of the competition. The Committee, with a wind of between 8 and 10 knots, carried out three tests in which Argentines and Turks were the best to sail, thinking of the final triumph.

The general can't be more compressed. Platoon of Harm Müller-Spreer remains leader, though with the same points as Azzurra, while the ship of Holmberg is only one point from the first two. The Rán Racing of Niklas Zennström, which still aspires to the final victory, also remains very regular.

The attack of the day was taken by Quantum Racing who made an eighth, a seventh and a ninth. Nothing normal for this crew. Who did not end well either was Bronenosec who, after making a good third in the second manga, ended last in the third race of the day and gets away from his head.

The first manga was a monologue of the Interlodge with Ian Walker to the cane. Yesterday they kept their honey on their lips when they broke a candlestick and lost five of their crew in the second corner of the first manga of the day. They had led the race and fought for triumph when they ran out of options. But today the crew of the shipowner Austin Fragoman was compensated for his problem and premiered the victories locker of the last TP52 built. The ship left the Length Zero shipyard in Burriana in November and today after only five contested sleeves of official competition has already premiered. At the Quantum Key West Race Week it was also the first win for a professional cane since the previous four sleeves had been won by arms-rods.

In second position was Azzurra who made a solid manga coming out next to the Americans on the side of the viewer and putting pressure on Walker and his men all the time. This solid second and the important stumbles of Quantum Racing and Platoon put the ship of Guillermo Parada momentarily in the first position of the table. Quantum had a mess at the first barlovento buoy and then he was penalized at the sotavento door. He went last, but in the end he recovered to the eighth place.

The second sleeve had the same winner, though with different argument. It was Interlodge who won the sleeve, but after sweating ink to the Bronenosec. The Americans fought back on the side of the pin on the way out and they got it. There they had to fight with Azzurra and Platoon while Bronenosec had left a more focused place on the line with a much cleaner line than the rest of the competitors and only focused on their speed. Vladimir Liubomirov's ship had two consistent sections, but in the second corner he saw that Interlodge had more speed and gave it scope. The two were fighting until they reached the buoy where the Russians could not assert their dominant position at the last crossing and had to allow the "rookie" of the fleet to pass through the buoy first.

In the last stern Liubomirov did not want to settle for a second place and opted for an early outburst that led them alone to look for their left side in the stern and to play everything to a letter. They cross the bet and lost second place with a Platoon that was repaid from the bad first test of the day. The Azzurra also came out of the last stretch, as both the Niklas Zennström Ran Racing and Peter Holmberg's Providenza took him to the end of the stretch.

The third manga had a very close first. Up to eight ships were fighting online with very little difference to get first to the barlovent beacon. There, surprisingly, Paprec of Cédric Chateau appeared followed by Protenzza. It is normal for the French to give in to the push of professional 'lions', but with their old sailboat they were able to maintain their advantage and win the first sleeve of their history in 52 SUPER SERIES. They celebrated it all the way up. It was no less. The whole 'family' of the race was pleased with the first triumph of a team that has shown tenacity, constancy and sports spirit.

By the way, the victory of Paprec was the first victory after seven sleeves in Key West that did not win one of the four ships that use candles from Quantum Sails.

Vasco Vascotto, tactic of the Azzurra, explains:
"This year is more complicated than in previous years because there are more ships that can win sleeves, as demonstrated by the triumphs of Gladiator and today of Paprec. And you have to take the Platoon very seriously this season that is showing very solid. We are happy to share the leadership with them; we are fine, the ship has speed and we know that this year we do not start with a disadvantage like last year. What happens is that we have again left some posts on the way today and that has to change because this fleet does not forgive."

Quantum Key West Race Week (after 7 sleeves)
1. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER), (1,1,6,6, 10,2.5) 31 points.
2. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (6,2,3,8,2,6,4) 31 p.
3. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (8,9,2,2,4,5,2) 32 p.
4. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (4,6,9,4,3,4,6) 36 p.
5. Interlodge (Austin Fragomen, USA) (5,8,11,5,1,8) 39 p
6. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (3,7,4,1,8,7,9) 39 p.
7. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (7,4,5,3,7,3,11) 40 p.
8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (2,5,8,11,6,11.3) 46 p.
9. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (10,10,1,9,5,9.7) 51 p.
10. Paprec Recyclage (Jean-Luc Petithuenin, FRA) (9,11,10,7,11,8,1) 57 p.
11. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA) (11,3,7,10,10,10) 60 p.

Platoon dominates at the beginning of the 52 Super Series in Florida

Platoon. Azzurra and Paprec in action in the 52 Super Series in American waters. Photo: Martínez Studio

Platoon held the lead in the Quantum Key West Race Week in front of a Quantum Racing that reshows its credential to aspire to everything: its consistency. The Germans signed two sixth posts, while Doug DeVos's team made a fourth and a first on the second day of 52 SUPER SERIES in the waters of Florida's cays. The best boat in the water today was the Providenza with two seconds on and a very solid performance while Gladiator premiered his victories locker in the first of the two sleeves.

The four races that are held this week in Key West have been won by teams carrying candles from the firm Quantum Sails. Only the Interlodge that was close to getting it yesterday was only for a problem by breaking a candlestick took him away from the struggle for triumph in the first sleeve of 52 SUPER SERIES.

But the battle is very open for both the ships of the Quantum Sails and the North Sails team, and for the show has been the great performance today of Provizza with two solid seconds on; and also of the Bronenosec that made a fifth and a third, but that always showed speed on his ship and is presented as one of the contenders to the final podium of Friday.

Gladiator won the first sleeve of the day. Tony Langley's ship went out into the water as the last one classified in the general after two tenths yesterday. Before competing, Ed Baird took the floor to talk to the crew. What was said is not known, but the truth is it had an immediate effect. Baird only needs a few small details to make the final picture. And the truth is, he nailed it.

The first compasses of the manga were dominated by the rookie of the fleet, the Austin Fragomen Interlodge and which takes Ian Walker to the cane. The exit by the pin of the American ship allowed them to control the first dyeing and the beginning of the first stern. Gladiator was in the back fighting with Protenzza and Azzurra. But in the stern it was seen as Interlodge had problems because going through the same trace that Gladiator began to lose the advantage he had accumulated. Azzurra chose the left side of the field and lost his choice of winning the sleeve. In the second interlodge dyed he had to rent the major to repair the lampstand of the ship and lost all his options. Gladiator, who had been in Porto Cervo since July 2 without winning a manga, already had the quick way to point to the triumph and Azzurra, who had problems with the asymmetric, lost in the last fall the second place in favor of the Protenzza. Bronenosec who had made an incredible stretch had to change the candle for bearing winds and lost the option of being third, ending fifth behind Quantum.

Before the exit was given to the second sleeve there was a general call in which Sled, Ran Racing and Azzurra made out of line. In the final game the Italian team with Guillermo Parada to the cane won the pin to Quantum and Paprec that had come to fight to go as close as possible to the buoy. On the other end Sled, Provizza and Bronenosec left and it was soon seen that that side of the race field, the right, was going to pay better returns. That's how Quantum Racing saw it. Terry Hutchinson, his tactical, decided to go to the other side, although he had to pass through the stern of several ships. And those are the reactions of the champions. They saw that it was not the site and did not hesitate to change their approach. They passed rooms through the barlovento buoy, but with options to fight for the head and after having minimized the perdies. Azzurra buried his chances even more in the stern when he was the only one who made a busy season to go down on his left side. Platoon went later on that side, although it came better than the blue ones since they passed quarters through the sotavento door.

Quantum continued in his constant performance and at the door he was second. The battle was served with Peter Holmberg's Provider. But the match-race between the two ships in the second dyed was ended by taking Quantum in the fencing struggle, despite going for a sotavento and without preference. I already had it. The victory was yours because the second stern was already of mere course for them. Quantum, without big alharacas, is already just one point from Platoon in the general. He's already got where he wanted to go.

Quantum Key West Race Week (after 4 sleeves) 1. Platoon (Harm Müller-Spreer, GER), (1,1,6,6) 14 points. 2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (3.7,4.1) 15 p. 3. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (6,2,3.8) 19 p. 4. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (7,4,5.3) 19 p. 5. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (8,9,2,2) 21 p. 6. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (4,6,9,4) 23 p. 7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (2,5,8,11) 26 p. 8. Interlodge (Austin Fragomen, USA) (5,8,11.5) 29 p 9. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (10,10,1.9) 30 p. 10. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA) (11,3,7,10) 31 p. 11. Paprec Recyclage (Jean-Luc Petithuenin, FRA) (9,11,10,7) 37 p.

Nacho Postigo, a navigator of the Providenza, explains:
"A good day in the water for Team Provides after finishing very little content yesterday. We have made two good exits that in the first one has made it easy for us to choose where we wanted to be. In the end the break of the candlesticks of the Interlodge and the break of the spi of Azzurra has helped us to climb to the second final square. The second has been a very good race from the beginning. It's a shame we lost with the Quantum for very little in the barlovento buoy; I think we deserved to win, but we can't complain. In this fleet doing two seconds is a magnificent result and we are very happy. Now we just have to sail as well as today for the rest of the week and not how bad we did yesterday. Go for it!"

Doug DeVos, owner and cane of Quantum Racing:
"It has been a fantastic day: the breeze, the waves, the color of the water. What could go wrong? We really had a great day. We have been able to hold well on the first sleeve and win the second, so we are delighted. We have found good lines and we have been very fast in the stern. The ship is going so fast! We're doing well with Bora (the new registration). He adapts well, every day feels more comfortable and has been providing good things since the first day."

John Kostecki, Platoon's tactical:
"Today was a good day. After two days of competition, remaining in the first position is to be very happy. The wind was less roll today but we have found good places to sail though I think we have been a little bit tangled."