The Platoon crew celebrating the title of world champions. Photo: Martínez Studio

The German shipowner Harm Müller-Spreer, with six Spanish regatists on his ship, wins his first Rolex TP52 World Championship by surpassing the favorites Quantum and Azzurra. The Germans are also leaders of the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit.

Platoon is no longer a candidate. He's already one of the great 52 SUPER SERIES. No doubt. The German shipowner Harm Müller-Spreer today won his first World Cup of the TP52 class and did so with an exhibition throughout the week and also in the last manga of today in which he was removed from a bad exit. In the new world champion there are up to six Spanish regatists: Víctor Mariño, Pedro Más, Jordi Calafat, Javi Plaza, Aleix Gelabert and Pepe Ribes and much of the ground team is also Spanish, so this Scarlino World Cup speaks quite Spanish.

The merit of this team is that he has taken the World Cup with a non-professional cane in front of two of the best rods in the world: Bora Gulari and Guillermo Parada. Müller-Spreer had always dreamed of meditating with the best and in Scarlino he has won them.
On the podium of Tuscany you are accompanied by the two large ones of the fleet. The Quantum ends second after he was not able to keep the pace of the Platoon in the water today and the Azzurra recovered the last step of the podium, at the expense of the Alegre, thanks to his victory with an impressive race played with 17 knots of wind.

The exit of today's only manga had to be postponed by a dramatic wind fall. Not only did it fall, but the breeze also rolled north-west so it became impossible to start a starting procedure. Until that breeze stabilized in 285 with a wind close to 17 knots, Maria Torrijo, the head of the Regatas Committee, could not give the exit to which it was already clear that it was going to be the only test of the day as it was 2.30 hours and the last exit could be given before 15 hours. Therefore, everything went to a letter for the triumph between Platoon and Quantum and all to one hand also between Alegre and Azzurra in the fight for the vacant place left on the podium of Scarlino.

Platoon has already been one of the great 52 SUPER SERIES in three seasons. Right now they are the example to follow for the rest of the shipowners who can see that doing things well can fight for triumph in this competition, the most important in the world in monocascos. The keys to the rise to the Platoon's Olympus are two: the signing with Quantum Sails to use the same candles that has been developing many years the Quantum Racing and, on the other hand, the arrival this year of three fundamental assets in the Platoon's crew: the American John Kostecki, the Dutch Dirk de Ridder and the Alicantino Pepe Ribes who is, in addition to piano, the captain of the ship and who has done excellent work on the improvements that have been made to the Ralf Vrolijk's sailboat this season. The additions have given the team the necessary weight and experience to fight for the victories.

Platoon was already giving warnings of his potential this season. He had made two seconds in the previous races (Key West and Miami) so no one is surprised that he has won the Rolex World Cup. What's amazing is how he got it. In the eight sleeves played in Scarlino he has managed to finish seven among the first three. He has not won any proof, nor has he failed, but his strength and his ways of great champion have served him to secure the World Cup.

Quantum Racing already knows that his second enemy to win the 2017 Circuit of 52 SUPER SERIES has left him at home. Last year they gave him the candle program and shared with them training and meetings. Maybe now they're repenting for the enemy at home. To give him the winning weapons. In addition, they have probably not only taken the physical, but also copied the way Quantum competes as a team. They have shown the same strength as Americans and have taken their world, the first in their history. But what everyone is already clear is that the Platoon has come to the Olympus to stay and is already a firm candidate to take the season's big prize: the final win on the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit.

The last manga of the Rolex TP52 World Championship was dominated from beginning to end by the Azzurra. He made a great exit along with the Bronenosec on the right of the race field. It was also from more to less the Alegre de Andrés Soriano that ends fourth the World Cup with an excellent performance. He dominated from beginning to end. Gladiator and Rán Racing (penalized) were very late, but these two ships were the ones that best unfolded in the sleeve. The two made an excellent round and Ran finished third while Gladiator was fourth in the last stern just before having a spi problem.

Víctor Mariño, bordas del Platoon, explains:

"It is a great joy, something dreamed and desired that we have been preparing with Harm in the Platoon for a few years. It was always his goal to get to this season with this level of results. We have also done so in a fleet as competitive as that of 52 SUPER SERIES which gives us great joy. I think for a regatist to win this world is the most you can aspire to. There was a lot of pressure because Quantum is very strong and it has been a match- race exit with them, but then we have improved by taking a good clean line and we have hit the edges and we have taken an advantage, which we have not only maintained with Quantum, but it is almost worth winning the sleeve. The ship's going very fast, it's been a good week. We have to keep working, we are leaders, yes, but there is still a lot to peel for and we have to follow every day. We have won the World Cup, but to get the title of the season you have to work day by day and keep learning. In this fleet there is no room for relaxation, you go from top to bottom in a plis plas if you neglect."

David Vera, piano of the Azzurra, says:

"We had a good day, he sailed well and the ship was going very fast. With wind the truth is that Azzurra goes a little better and have to congratulate Platoon who has made a regatta... They have almost not come down from the podium in all the races and have sailed very well. Quantum didn't have a good day today and now we have to think about the next one because we are the three very attached and there is a lot to compete in the three races that are missing."

Rolex TP52 World Championship Final Classification (8 sleeves):
1. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), (2,3,2,2,2,6,3.2) 22 points.
2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (1,2,8,1,7,2,7) 29 p.
3. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (3,1,6,8,6,4,4,1) 33 p.
4. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA), (5,6,4,4,3,2,6,5) 35 p.
5. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (6,10,1,3,8,10,1.6) 45 p.
6. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (10,5,5,7,9,3,7,3) 49 p.
7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (4,9,7,9,7,1,8,8) 53 p.
8. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (RDG6.3,8,10,6,4,5,9) 53.3 p.
9. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (8,7,9,5,5,9,9,4) 56 p.
10. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), (7,4,3,10,10,10,10,10) 62 p.

Circuit Classification 52 SUPER SERIES
1. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), 103 points.
2. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), 107 p.
3. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), 114 p.
4. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) 141.3 p.
5. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), 152 p.
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), 165 p.
7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), 174 p.
8. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) 180.6 p.
9. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA), 182 p.
10. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), 248 p.

Platoon holds the guy in the TP52 World Championship against the harassment of the Quantum (20 / 05 / 2017)

Quantum and Platoon in action and full struggle at the TP52 World Cup (Photo Martínez Studio)

Platoon still shows that he's a candidate for everything. Today he held the Quantum and the entire fleet of 52 SUPER SERIES on the fourth day of the Rolex TP52 World Championship. He returned from the water with the same income he had on the title defender, two points, before leaving Marina di Scarlino. Work done. Tomorrow these two ships, except cataclysm of both, will fight for the title of the 2017 World Champion in the TP52 class.

The bronze will be fought by the Alegre and the Azzurra who, like the other couple of ships, returned from the water with the same difference of points with which they went out, also two points. Andrés Soriano and his crew are doing a great job. While the Roemmers family sailboat is not having a regularity like the one that led to victory in March in Miami.

The two sleeves today have been won by the Sled and the Gladiator. The two foundations on large exits. For Tony Langley's Gladiator is the second win in this world while Sled premiere in Scarlino. The exit of the Sled was through the center of the fleet, but it found a clean navigation line and reached the buoy of barlovento with the advantage enough to achieve victory, something that it already got this year in the seventh manga of Miami.

Gladiator's victory was founded on his excellent exit by the pin in the second sleeve. From there to the sky for the youngest sailboat in the fleet, the Booty built in the shipyards of Length Zero this past winter, and that must be the construction reference for the new sailboats that will arrive next year. Neither the roll to the right prevented them from winning a sleeves with winds between 7 and 10 knots. It is his second win in the World Cup that brings him to the fifth place of the General.

To see the equality in the fleet, only two data are needed: today seven of the ten ships have returned to port with a sum of points between the two sleeves between the 8 that have achieved Azzurra and Alegre, the best of the day, and the 10. Another good thing to talk about the equality in this competition is that in the first race of the day Azzurra, Provizza, Quantum and Platoon have entered the goal in a minimum margin of 12 seconds, almost of photofinish.

And that equality also occurred between the two candidates for victory. Platoon is being very solid. In the first manga they went wrong and penalized with a ninth in the barlovento pass. In the end they minimized losses and were able to move to the Quantum Racing in the last stern to stretch their leadership a little. In the second manga they passed fifths through the initial beacon of barlovento to three posts of the Quantum and were able to fight with two great rivals such as the Azzurra and the Alegre to finish third, just behind Quantum. That's how the champions sail. Platoon, with the Spanish Mas, Calafat, Plaza, Mariño and Ribes, is the only team that has been in the two previous races of the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit on the podium (it has done two seconds) and hopes that tomorrow it can fight for its first win in a 52 SUPER SERIES competition.

Jordi Calafat, a Platoon strategist, says:

"A different day of wind, but the left has definitely been the good side. The classification has not changed much after the two races so tomorrow it will have to be played among a few ships. Quantum and Azzurra are projects that dominate the circuit in recent years and are the most prepared and strong, the ships to beat. We do not like the wind very loose, although then the one who does better wins the one who does better or who takes a better line than the others."

Joan Meseguer, trimmer de Alegre, explains:

"Good morning, no... haha. The first race has come out quite well for, although we have not gone out in the good place, we have found a clean line with good wind after the exit, which has led us to a good place in barlovento and made a good race. The second is that we have started very well as third parties in barlovento, but in the stern we have not been able to navigate fully well and we have lost a couple of positions that have cost us a little. We all want the third place, we have to fight it because getting out of here in the drawer of the Rolex TP52 World Championship would be great. By tomorrow, what I hope is for things to come out of us and for us to do the best we can. It seems there will be more wind tomorrow, but here things are changing so much about the parts that the truth is we don't know what we'll find."

Tomorrow, the last day of competition, two new sleeves of barlovento-sotavento are planned. At 1245 hours the live broadcast of the competition is scheduled to begin. It will be from 1 p.m. in Spain when it is planned to leave the long race in Scarlino. The race is followed through our website www.52superseries.com and has in addition to images from the sea and virtual reality live comments from water and from the studio.

Classification after the fourth day (7 sleeves):
1. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), (2,3,2,2,2,6,3) 20 points.
2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (1,2,8,1,7,2) 22 p.
3. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA), (5,6,4,4,3,2,6) 30 p.
4. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (3,1,6,8,6,4,4) 32 p.
5. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (6,10,1,3,10.1) 39 p.
6. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (RDG6.3,8,10,4,5,5) 44.3 p.
7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (4,9,7,9,7,1.8) 45 p.
8. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (10,5,5,7,9,3,7) 46 p.
9. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), (7,4,3,10,10,8,10) 52 p.
10. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (8,7,9,5,9,9) 52 p.

The TP52 World Cup is the thing of two: Platoon and Quantum Racing (18 / 05 / 2017)

The Quantum Racing defends the world title in Italian waters. Photo: Martínez Studio

The Rolex World TP52 World Championship seems to be a struggle between two. A struggle between the two most solid teams have been shown from the beginning. Platoon and Quantum Racing are two days away from being crowned with the most precious race of the year in 52 SUPER SERIES, which gives the double prize of the championship and the World Cup. Harm Müller-Spreer's are showing impressive strength. Today in the coastal race they made another second, while the Quantum of Bora Gulari today accumulated its third partial triumph in Scarlino and steps on the heels to the German ship that maintains the leadership for only two points of rent.

There is already a respectable space between them and the rest. Third in the classification is the Alegre de Andrés Soriano which is also being very solid as it is perfectly making its stay in the middle of the table. He hasn't punctured yet and that puts him third what would be an excellent success for them, he podium that he already caressed in Portals in 2015 when he was tied in third place with Protenzza.

This Thursday the coastal race has been held with a 26-mile tour of Scarlino Bay. The exit took place on time with a 12-knots south wind that came to have 18-foot rachas. The race began with a long barlovento-sotavento that was dominated by Peter Holmberg's Provider. The Turkish ship finally started operating in the world after a poor start. The exit was between them and the Quantum that came out very quickly through the center of the fleet with the Azzurra very glued.

The leader of the Protenzza lasted as the fleet passed through the island of Sparviero. From there they put the bow towards the island of Cerboli where they knew that there was going to be a wind well in which they fell the first and were like the guinea pigs for the rest of the fleet that saw that the early operation of the spi's arrival was not the best decision and were overcome by the Quantum, Platoon and Alegre. A mistake that was very expensive and that put the victory on a tray to the defenders of the title, the Quantum that from there saw how in the last stern it was almost impossible to advance them.

Andy Horton, tactic of the Joy, says:

"We are in the middle of the competition, but from tomorrow it seems that everything changes to more wind. Some changes will have to be made tonight for the new circumstances that await us. Let's see how we behave in these conditions. I would not say that we are very loose, but rather that we are quite conservative. We have had a good speed in dyed, although we are still working on our speed in the stern. I think we made the best race we've ever had in World Cup today."

David Vera, piano of the Azzurra, explains:

"Bad day again for us. The truth is, in the first close with that left-wing roll that I got into the sotavent ships, which made us lose positions. Then, on the second island, we got back together because we did very well by sticking to the island, but then I don't know, there we didn't notice the boat well or it was more a matter of wind because the left ones were coming out of there. And then it was already very complicated because we were in the Indian line and it was very difficult to pass."

Víctor Mariño, bordas del Platoon, claims:

"The truth is that we have been very positive three days, always in drawer positions, very regular. But Quantum is also very strong. We are above the expectations we had, sailing very solid and there are still four sleeves and we have to go one by one. Azzurra will be fighting for sure and Quantum will be upstairs. We are happy with the soundness of the results and how the ship sails. Tomorrow it seems to change to a stronger wind and see if we can continue with this regularity. And we'll see if we get to the last day to fight for the championship."

Nacho Postigo, a navigator of the Providenza, says:

"We've made a good race, but we don't think we've had a good job award. Fourth is a little disappointing after the good first part. We were first for a good part of the day. The only mistake of the spi's arrival has been very expensive. That's the 52 SUPER SERIES with such an equal fleet. The first two days we have paid very expensive for the bad exits. That makes a lot of punishment here. And another factor to be optimistic is that we have the first day 'redress' so little by little that can help us up some more position."

On Friday there are two new sleeves of barlovento-sotavento. At 1245 hours the live broadcast of the competition is scheduled to begin. It will be from 1 p.m. in Spain when it is planned to leave the long race in Scarlino. The race is followed through our website www.52superseries.com and has in addition to images from the sea and virtual reality live comments from water and from the studio.

Classification after third day (5 sleeves):
1. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), (2,3,2,2) 11 points.
2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (1,2,8,1,1) 13 p.
3. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA), (5,6,4,4.3) 22 p.
4. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (3,1,6,8,6) 24 p.
5. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (6,10,1,3,8) 28 p.
6. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), (7,4,3,10,10) 34 p.
7. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (8,7,9,5,5) 34 p.
8. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (RDG7,8,10,6,4) 35 p.
9. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (4,9,7,9.7) 36 p.
10. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (10,5,5,7.9) 36 p.

The German Platoon is placed at the head of the Rolex TP52 World Championship (17 / 05 / 2017)

The almighty Platoon in Italian waters. Photo: Martínez Studio

Platoon has officially presented his strong candidacy for the Rolex TP52 Word Championship. The German ship of the shipowner Harm Müller-Spreer accumulates only 9 points after the first four contested tests of 52 SUPER SERIES and enjoys a rent of three on the Quantum Racing and eight with the Azzurra of Guillermo Parada.

Today's day has been fought with two completely different winds which has not made it impossible to recover the sleeve that was not held yesterday. In an hour of recess between the first and second tests of the day he has been turned to the race field. And Platoon has been the strongest. Without making mistakes the Germans (although five of their crew are Spanish: Mas, Calafat, Ribes, Mariño and Plaza) are consolidating not so much their candidacy to the world but also to the circuit of 52 SUPER SERIES because right now after 40% of the contest are leaders of the general.

The day was opened with a 65-direction wind sleeve and an intensity of 8 to 10 knots. It was the Azzurra who made the best of the exits along with the Alegre. Guillermo Parada achieved the good side of the line and made it faster than the rest. Thus he founded his advantage over the rest of the fleet and especially with the Quantum that recovered positions and reached the buoy of barlovento with a second position that served him to minimize damage and to choose to continue to add few points.

In the last stern the Regatas Committee had to cut the tour due to a dramatic fall in wind intensity. This change did not prevent the Italian ship from winning the manga ahead of the other two favorites in Scarlino: Quantum and Platoon.

The third manga was of absolute control for the Gladiator. Tony Langley's boat's triumph probably won the most worked-out triumph in his history and will be recorded in the retinas of the entire English team. Just over two months ago the ship was seriously damaged in the training race at the Miami Royal Cup. Since that day, we have worked against the clock and without sparing any kind of resources so that the marcelino Botin boat launched at the end of 2016 was ready for Scarlino. And not only has the ship been repaired, but today it has shown that it is ready to win races. And they did it with an amazing exit through the pin winning the right to go wherever they wanted. With Ed Baird in the tactic the English sailboat was increasingly gaining more room for his rivals to get his first win in the World Cup and his second win this season after winning with his old boat the third manga in the initial season race in Key West. For Azzurra and Quantum it wasn't his expected sleeve. The italoArgentines made a sixth after being calmed on the right side of the race field, while the Americans ended up in eighth position and gave up the leadership to the solid Platoon.

If the first sleeve of the day had been given with a wind of direction 65 this second one ran with a wind of 280, that is a role of 145. Already with that wind and with an intensity of 15 knots the exit was given to the third manga of the day in another marathon day. Just as long as the previous but much more productive for the regatists who were able to compete in three sleeves yesterday and meet the original competition calendar.

In the third manga it was the Azzurra who came out best in an enchantment with the Alegre in which those of Soriano committed the departure of those of Parada who had won the pin. Quantum sailed much cleaner, with less interference to score his second victory at the Scarlino World Cup. The one who once again showed its strength was the Platoon de Müller-Spreer that is building its leadership on second positions. He has champ ways. He also took advantage of a spi break from the Rán Racing the Gladiator who with his last two sleeves (a first and a third) joins the battle for podium at the Rolex TP52 World Championship.

Today the coastal race is planned and the live rebroadcasts of the competition begin. It will be from 1 p.m. in Spain when it is planned to leave the long race in Scarlino. The race is followed through our website www.52superseries.com and has in addition to images from the sea and virtual reality live comments from water and from the studio.

Jordi Calafat, a Platoon strategist, comments:

"We are not waiting for the world rankings and to be leaders, we are not going even in the middle of the championship now. Also here the race field is being very complicated, much more than last year and, well, the truth is that a day like today coming with a third and two seconds is to be very happy. We've done the job well. I would say that with the flat sea there is not much difference in speed between the ships what you have to do is to get right and be lucky with the land wind race that the wind is so rare that you don't know very well where it's going to throw you and you have to pass the bad times as best as possible and navigate with your wind without looking at the fleet. I think Harm and John are doing a good job, we can't complain..."

David Vera, piano of the Azzurra, explains:

"It hasn't been a great day for us. The first good, we won coming out very solid. The second one we had there were some rolls that calmed down and the fleet split into two groups and we got the wrong side. And in the third we went out well but we had mechanical problems with the gross by doing a bad maneuver. Fighting from behind. Platoon and Quantum have done very well today and we must continue to fight the days we have left."

Classification after second day (4 sleeves): 1. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), (2,3,2,2) 9 points. 2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (1,2,8.1) 12 p. 3. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), (3,1,6,8) 18 p. 4. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA), (5,6,4.4) 19 p. 5. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (6,10,1.3) 20 p. 6. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), (7,4,3,10) 24 p. 7. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), (10,5,5,7) 27 p. 8. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (4,9,7,9) 29 p. 9. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (8,7,9,5) 29 p. 10. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) (9,8,10,6) 33 p.

Quantum Racing defends the title at the Rolex TP52 World Championship premiere (16 / 05 / 2017)

He fights between the Quantum and the Platoon on the first day of the TP52 World Cup. Photo: Martínez Studio

The first day of the Rolex TP52 World Championship closed, after a long day in the water, with a single manga disputed and with the leadership of the current crown defender, the Quantum Racing. The third test of the calendar of the 52 SUPER SERIES 2017 was a demonstration of water resistance and of the professionalism of the crews that had to deal with constant changes in wind direction and force.

At sea there was everything today, however, the three ships that are at the command of the competition are the ones that everyone would have put in the first positions of the table if a quineel were made. That's why they're upstairs, because they're able to deal with any inconvenience. Quantum Racing, Platoon and Azzurra have started the competition with force. Although Azzurra was lucky when in the first manga that the exit was given was penalized by an off-line, the same happened to the Alegre of Andrés Soriano. Guillermo Parada's were recovering, but when the manga was cancelled they were in the central area of the fleet.

The only race of the 52 SUPER SERIES day was with a north-east wind of 12 to 14 knots and with constant wind roles. The great favorites came out with speed and soon it was seen that the battle would be among them, more considering that two of the ships that can also win sleeves, Bronenosec and Providenza, made an off-line and ended in the eighth and ninth square respectively, only supported by the Rán Racing of Niklas Zennström that made a tenth that will weigh them as a slab in the Tuscan World.

The fight in the manga was very closed and Quantum saw how to get to the buoy of barlovento the Azzurra left them a little space; something Terry Hutchinson in the tactic did not waste it. He made Bora Gulari, and that maneuver probably made them win the first sleeve of Scarlino's World Cup.

Behind Azzurra, Platoon and Sled, Takashi Okura fought in the drawer and it was the Germans, with five Spaniards in the bathtub, who took the second place. John Kostecki, his tactical, explained: "We feel comfortable, and I think I speak all over the team, with these unstable situations. We've done a good job and Harm has been very good at the cane. These conditions are hard, but they are hard for everyone. When we passed the sotavento door in second position, we already dedicated ourselves to marking those who came from behind."

The Regatas Committee, led by María Torrijo, tried to get the second manga out. The procedure began after five in the afternoon, but in the end they sent the fleet to land.

By tomorrow the Regatas Committee intends to recover the lost sleeve today. So the first starting signal will be from 11.30 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. The will is to try to make as many sleeves as possible. Tomorrow's sleeves can actually be followed virtual through our website with live comments from the water. From Thursday it will be when the live signal transmissions from the water begin.

Guillermo Parada, patron of the Azzurra, explains:

"A very rare day an untypical wind here with great struggle between the gradient and the thermal. So we tried to get the wind off and it was impossible. It got out with the term we didn't come doing very well and the wind was going a lot and until it turned about 80 degrees in the second dyed and had to be suspended. On the second exit it was given with the wind of land of 60 direction. We made a good way out and we were with the best, but we left a little door in the barlovent and Quantum snuck us through that little hole we left. And from there on every chance to win or lose, we were pushed back, so we couldn't fight the front. But with the day it's been going back to port with a third in the general is good. The ship goes fast so it's up to us to do things right in the World Cup."

Ed Reynolds, sports director of the Quantum Racing, says:

"This has been a really difficult field of racing, but despite that I think we have gone very well today. It was exactly what we expected here, rachas and roles, but our team has always been well in the changing situation. We have done a lot of work with Bora and Terry these days before and today it has been seen that this work has borne fruit because they have been magnificent all day. It was a very tight sleeve. That first buoy has been very important to have a good time with so many ships so close. But once we first passed, everything was better for us."

Classification after the first day:
1. Quantum Racing (Doug Devos, USA), 1 point.
2. Platoon (GER, Harm Müller-Spreer), 2 points.
3. Azzurra (Roemmers family, ITA / ARG), 3 p.
4. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), 4 p.
5. Alegre (Andrés Soriano GBR / USA) 5 p.
6. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) 6 p.
7. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), 7 p.
8. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), 8 p.
9. Provides (Ergin Imre, TUR) 9 p.
10. Rán Racing (Niklas Zennström, SWE), 10 p.

TP52 World Cup in Italy: Can the Platoon join the party?

The Platoon does not want to lose compass and will fight for the world title in Italian waters. Photo: Nico Martínez

Since the TP52 World Cup became official in 2008, only three ships have won the precious title. Without a doubt, the great dominator has been the Quantum Racing that accumulates five hassles, while Azzurra and his predecessor Matador have won the title twice. The third is the Rán Racing that was made with the World Championship in Miami in 2013.

This third has dominated the World Cup, but when the Rolex TP52 World Championship begins next Tuesday, these candidates will have more complicated than ever to reverse their laurels because of the competition that has come out in the fleet of the 52 SUPER SERIES.

The champion of the last season of 52 SUPER SERIES, Quantum Racing, arrives in Italy after the small disappointment suffered in the Miami Royal Cup where he could only end up in the fourth square. On the other side of the balance, Azzurra not only won in Florida waters but also rose to the leadership of the competition. That trust has to serve them to make up for their bad performance last season at their opening in Scarlino. Here they ended up fifth in a complicated and very challenging race field for the teams. Rán Racing hopes to improve in the first race of the season in Italy the sixth square of Miami. He intends to get closer to his good and strong performance they offered at the season premiere in Key West. Among the three are the greatest possibilities to win the World Cup next Saturday 20.

But for those who have followed with attention the beginning of the season of 52 SUPER SERIES, they have surely repaired at the impressive premiere of the Platoon of the German shipowner Harm Müller-Spreer. Their strength leads them to be considered one of the favorites of victory, although other teams such as the Provizza must not be forgotten. The Germans have been on the podium in the first two races so their winning options are strongly valued between the fleet. The improvements that the German shipowner has implemented on the ship, both of crew and on the sailboat, have borne clear fruit.

Tuesday begins the World Cup with two sleeves. On that day and Wednesday the races can be followed with live comments and virtual reality. From Thursday until Saturday the live broadcast of the race with live television, comments and also virtual images to have all the data and information of the tests.