Azzurra gets ready for 2019 52 Super Series with a warm up at PalmaVela

Azzurra - 52 Super Series © Zerogradinord

Sail Racing Palmavela offers the chance for competitors in the TP52 fleet to measure each other up before the 2019 52 Super Series begins on May 21st in Mahon, Minorca.

The beginning of the 2019 52 Super Series is less than two weeks away: the first event in the season will be at Mahon, Minorca starting May 21st. Azzurra and the other TP52s in this highly professional circuit have spent the winter upgrading their boats and trying out new sails. Some teams have even been training together in Valencia in March, but as per TP52 tradition, the Sail Racing Palmavela event is a warm up and the season's first opportunity to measure up the competition in a racing setting before the season officially kicks off. After this event there are still a few days for a final fine tune up before the 52 Super Series begins.

The event in Palma is open to several Classes that vary greatly: there is a large ORC fleet, along with Dragons, classic yachts and disabled sailing class. A new entry in 2019 is the Viper Class while the largest yacht is the WallyCento Magic Carpet Cubed owned by the YCCS member Sir Lindsay Owen Jones. All in all there are 124 teams from 23 nations.

There are 10 teams including Azzurra racing in the Box Rule Class that will also be competing in the 52 Super Series. Aboard the boat helmed by skipper Guillermo Parada the team is the same as last year: continuity has always been one of Azzurra's strengths. The boat flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's burgee will be competing against last season's winner, Quantum Racing, and against Platoon who closed last year's season in second place but tied for points with Azzurra. Other returning teams include Bronenosec with a brand new boat while a new team is French, Vision Future.

The first Warning signal at PalmaVela is scheduled for May 9th at noon. The forecast for the first three days of racing sees thermal breezes from the southwest at 15 to 16 knots.

Guillermo Parada, Azzurra's skipper: "We're starting this season strong and with high hopes. We are very motivated and want to see how the changes we have made to the boat over the winter work in a race. We think that our fine-tuning will bring better results than other teams' but we know they were all hard at work. In Valencia we saw that Platoon is really fast and Quantum is sailing to a high standard. But we think we're at their level and will have a good season."

Riccardo Bonadeo, YCCS Commodore, had these words: "Fair winds team! Thanks for your hard work over the winter and for your quest to improve constantly: that's the winning approach both to sport and in life. We know that PalmaVela is a test run but I also know that you'll give it all you've got. Azzurra is competing at such a high level thanks to the generous contribution of the Roemmers family, YCCS members who I thank on the part of the entire Club."