52 Super Series: ready to race for the Royal Cup in Menorca

The Club Náutico de Mahón hosted the official presentation of the Menorca 52 Super Series Royal Cup in beautiful sunshine this evening. Nine boats flying the flags of seven nationalities will comete at this third event of the 2023 season. It is this the fifth visit of the 52 Super Series in 11 years.

The 52 Super Series fleet has been moored at the pontoons of the Club Náutico de Mahón since late last week and the teams have been practising since Saturday with the official practice races today won by Sled and Alegre

The official presentation of the event was held on the terrace of the Menorcan club. It was attended by Héctor Pons, mayor of Mahón; Antonio Fernández, president of the Club Marítimo de Mahón; Vicente Fullana, Mahón delegate of the Balearic Port Authority; and Agustín Zulueta, general manager of 52 Super Series.

Great visibility for Menorca

More than 120 crew members of 21 nationalities will compete aboard the nine TP52s that will compete in the Royal Cup 2023. The 52 Super Series brings nearly 400 people to the Bealearic island including crew members, members of the shore crews of each team, members of the organisers and guests. With three days of live TV, images of the island will be streamed from the race courses, all around the world.

"This year we would especially like to thank Menorca for allowing us to come in the high season, but I assure you that you will have new ambassadors for the island, as for the first time we will be have teams from Hong Kong and from Thailand. This started ten years ago with a commitment that is part of the DNA of these 52 Super Series, something that was seen as a bit strange at the time, which is sustainability. Our commitment to continue supporting these initiatives will take the form of the traditional beach clean-up, an underwater clean-up action in the port, and transmitting respect for the environment to the new generations of the club, which is part of our obligation. We hope that this commitment to Menorca can continue in the future and that we can see you here in two years' time".

Explained Agustín Zulueta.

Antonio Hernández, president of the Club Marítimo de Mahón, wanted to thank the 52 Super Series:

"for making the club, the city of Mahón and Menorca known all over the world. I think it is priceless the publicity we get from this event worldwide. If we had to quantify or pay for it in publicity, it would be unaffordable for both the club and the institutions that support us". 
Today's two practice races of two legs each saw wins for Andy Soriano's British flagged Alegre and Takashi Okura's American flagged Sled. Points racing starts Wednesday and runs to Sunday.

Double winners here, Platoon's Vasco Vascotto said,

"Menorca is a beautiful place but this will be a tough regatta, especially if the conditions are what they have been like over the last two days. It has been very difficult to see the lines of breeze. You need to be smart but also  a little bit lucky. I think the wind will turn to the NE and there will be some waves and there will be some breeze but I think we will get a good mix, these last two days of practice have been very difficult. But I feel we are ready to go but for sure, we have nine boats here and any one could win this regatta."
Gladiator's tactician Guillermo Parada commented,

"I think this is a very open race course, it is very challenging, I love the atmosphere ashore and everything about Mahon. I think we will see light to light medium breezes and the good thing here is there is no one side of the course favoured. You need to keep the head out of the boat as it changing every minute and that is very exciting. We are trying to keep connectd to reality. We have had some good races but so too we have had some last places and the thing is things can change very quickly. I think we need to stick to the procedures we are developing, stay out of trouble and our objective here is just to improve our averages."
Live!
The action of the Menorca 52 Super Series Royal Cup will be broadcast live during the last three days of competition. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday it can be followed through the official channels of the circuit, with live images from the race course and the commentary of our experts from the set installed in the Club Marítimo de Mahón.  

52 Super Series 2023 standings after two events:
1- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 34+42 = 76
2- QUANTUM RACING POWERED BY AMERICAN MAGIC (USA), Doug DeVos, 40+43 = 83
3- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 45+51 = 96
4- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 45+52 = 97
5- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin and Gwen Fragomen, 45+54 = 99
6- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 58+48 = 106
7- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 40+66 = 106
8- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 43+64 = 107  
9- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso and Tina Plattner, 57+71 = 128
10- PAPREC (FRA), Jean Luc Petithuguenin, 56+81 = 137 
11- ALPHA+ (HKG), Shawn and Tina Kang, 65+91 = 156