TP Azzurra has won the first event in the 52 Super Series 2020, the Odazla Discovery Camp 52 Super Series V&A Waterfront.

Weather conditions in Table Bay were not on the racing fleet’s side. The first day saw strong winds, while the second day was dead calm. At 14:40 local time the Race Committee raised the AP over A flags, cancelling racing due to a lack of wind and ending the event. As the fleet headed back to port the overall results remained the same, with Azzurra in the lead with a handy seven point margin over Phoenix 11 and Quantum who were tied for second place and came in second and third respectively.
Azzurra has been the star of the week with consistent placements in the various races.

Guillermo Parada, skipper: “We are very happy today. The decisions that we made and the work that we did over the winter are giving the results we had hoped for, we have better boat speed and thanks to that we can sail a little more conservatively. I think that conservative sailing has been fundamental for winning this event and I’m happy because it has been a great debut for Michele in his role as our new tactician.
“We want to dedicate this win to our team member Alejandro Colla who couldn’t be here with us because he had an operation yesterday. The surgery went well and we’re expecting him back for the World Championship at the end of the month. A special thank you goes to the boat Captain Pedro Rossi for taking Alejandro’s place and substituting him so well.”

The new tactician Michele Paoletti has become an integral and important part of the crew playing an important role in achieving this victory.
Michele Paoletti, tactician: “This win is the icing on the cake of an excellent week with consistent placements, but we’re keeping our eye on the season’s victory overall. If we keep on scoring consistently high without worrying about winning single events we can defend our title successfully.
“Still, this win is something to celebrate, especially for me it has been a real pleasure earned by starting each day focused and concentrated. No racing today made winning easier, but it’s always a pleasure to compete.”

The next event in this highly competitive Class will be the Rolex TP52 World Championship. Also held in Cape Town from 31 March to 4 April, it will count both as an event in the 52 Super Series and as the World Championship for the TP52 Class.

52superseries.com