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Quantum Racing took out the TP52 world championship crown in Cascais, with a handful of New Zealand sailors heavily involved.
Quantum Racing won four of the nine races to win the world title. Photo: Martinez Studios / 52 Super Series.
Dean Barker helmed the team to the TP52 title, and also on board were Warwick Flery (main trimmer), James Dagg (upwind trimmer) and Sean Clarkson (runner). Martin Winter (sail maker) and Shaun Mason were part of the shore team.
There was also a scattering of Kiwis on other boats in the nine-strong fleet.
Quantum Racing largely makes up the New York Yacht Club's America's Cup syndicate, American Magic, who will challenge for the Cup in 2021.
They finished four points ahead of Azzurra in Cascais and did the best job of consistently dealing with the challenging, breezy race area, winning four of the nine races. But the conditions also often favoured the opportunists.
Several times Quantum Racing were in top three, only to then lose those places to rivals’ runway downwind gambles as teams gained or lost hundreds of metres at a time. It helps explain the last five races which saw Quantum Racing banking scores of 1, 5, 1, 5, 1.
Barker, who has been announced as helm for American Magic, said the TP52 world championships and super series were ideal preparation as they build up to their America's Cup challenge in 2021.
“Right now, the focus is on the 52 Super Series," he said. "Any racing that we do together is good racing because you put yourself under pressure and deal with the good and the bad.
"It’s great to come out of this event with a win. It’s really cool to win a world champs in this boat with this team, and I think for the future we’ve got a very defined plan of what we want to do. It’s nice to do the racing and I find I’m really enjoying it again. Even though we’re three regattas through, two to go, there’s still something like 20 races left, so there’s a lot still to play out between now and the end."
Quantum Racing extended their lead in the series to 19 points over Sled (USA) with Azzurra third.
Results and standings from the TP52 world championships in Cascais:
1st: Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) 2 1 3 4 1 5 1 5 1 - 23 points
2nd: Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers) 1 2 2 7 6 1 5 1 2 - 27 pts
3rd: Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) 4 4 5 1 4 7 7 2 3 - 37 pts
2018 52 Super Series overall standings:
1st: Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) - 96 points
2nd: Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) - 115 pts
3rd: Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto and Pablo Roemmers) - 125 pts
4th: Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) - 126 pts
5th: Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) 129 pts
6th: Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) 133 pts
7th: Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) 147 pts
8th: Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) 163 pts
9th: Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) 184 pts
10th: Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) 218 pts
11th: Paprec (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) 226 pts
