SARDINIA CUP GOES TO TEAM USA!!!

Quantum Racing and Iberdrola sweep the board.
 
Team USA, composed of the TP52 Quantum Racing skippered by Ed Baird and the Soto 40 Iberdrola with Jose Maria Torcida Seghers at the helm, has claimed victory in the Audi Sardinia Cup 2012. Both boats claimed their fourth bullet of the series in today's seventh and final race of the event organized biennially by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1978, to leave them 11 points clear of first runner up Team Italy.

Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (TP52) and the Soto 40 Alegre took a fourth and a second place respectively today to retain the second place overall that they have held since the second day of racing.  British boats Gladiator (TP52), owned by Tony Langley and with Chris Larson on tactics, and Tony Buckingham's Ngoni (Soto 40) took third place.
 
Quantum, owned by Doug DeVos, and Iberdrola also took the top prizes in the individual classifications for their respective classes, valid as part of the 52 Super Series for the competing TP52 and IRC52 boats and as a leg of the European Championship for the Soto 40s.
 
The light air that has characterized the week's racing in Porto Cervo prevailed once again today and only one windward-leeward race was held for each fleet in approximately 6-7 knots of breeze from 060°. Quantum sailed to a clear victory after passing Hugues Destremau's Paprec on the first downwind leg with the French boat crossing the finish line second and Gladiator third. Quantum's closest rival, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team which is owned by Alberto Roemmers and flies the YCCS burgee, was unable to recover after a poor start and finished fifth, putting paid to tactician Francesco Bruni and strategist Vasco Vascotto's hopes of winning the individual TP52 classification.

Ed Reynolds, coach of Quantum Racing: "It was up and down but overall it's the most beautiful place in the world so it was great being here. It's pretty challenging racing here, you have to be strong in all sorts of conditions. Today was a great day for us, we were a point and a half behind so we needed to win the race and the team did everything they needed to do and it is incredibly rewarding when that happens."
 
YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo: "These two highly competitive classes - the TP52s which are regulars on our waters and the Soto 40s racing here for the first time - have made the Audi Sardinia Cup a spectacular event. Special thanks must also go to the Race Committee for getting in seven races in difficult conditions and, of course, to our title sponsor and official automotive partner of the YCCS Audi."

Next stop for the 52 Super Series is Palma Mallorca where the Real Club Nautico Palma will host the Royal Cup and their main event the Copa del Rey.

We will be back in Porto Cervo in September 2013 for the prestigious Week Of The Straits !!!

Plan is to do more coastal events in that one to enable the teams to experience the beauty of the Smeralda Coast and Islands.

Grazie to the YCCS and all that worked so hard to make the 2012 AUDI Sardinia Cup a success.