The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week will premiere the 2022 season of the prestigious 52 SUPER SERIES from May 23 to 28
· The Monte Real Club de Yates will host the nine teams of the circuit that will make their debut in the surroundings of the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia
Víctor Mariño, from Vigo, crew member aboard the double world champion Platoon, is eager to compete in the waters in which he learned to navigate
· The president of the MRCYB assures that the arrival of the SUPER SERIES in Baiona will be a milestone in the history of sport in Galicia
· The event will be officially presented next Friday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Monte Real Club de Yates facilities
The countdown begins for the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week. The popular Galician fishing village will host the first round of the 52 SUPER SERIES season from May 23 to 28, and will bring together the nine candidates for the 2022 title.
In Baiona, the German Platoon owned by Harm Müller-Spreer will compete; the Americans Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos), Interlodge (Austin and Gwen Fragomen) and Sled (Takashi Okura); the British Alegre (Andy Soriano) and Gladiator (Tom Langley); Turkish Provezza (Ergin Imre); the South African Phoenix 11 (Hasso Platner); and the Thai Team Vayu (Tom and Kevin Whitcraft).
It will be the first regatta in which they will face each other since the Rolex TP52 World Championship, with which the 2021 season closed last November with the Sled as TP52 world champion, champion of the 52 SUPER SERIES and team to beat in 2022.
The Sled will defend both crowns this year against the likes of Quantum Racing (four-time circuit champion and three-time world champion, who finished just one point behind Sled in 2021) or Platoon (two-time world champion and third in 2021, two points behind the winner), although given the quality of the crews on board each of the TP52s and the fine-tuning of the boats during the winter, it is early to speak of clear favorites.
For the Baiona event, the TP52s arrived at the port of Vigo aboard a Peters & May freighter and are now resting on the pontoons of the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona (MRCYB) finalizing preparations to start training next weekend (Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 have free training).
The competition program will begin with the traditional official training regatta on Monday, May 23. This non-scoring test will act as a dress rehearsal for the organization and participants for the five days of competition that will complete the sports program of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week between Tuesday 24 and Saturday 28 May.
An impressive regatta field and an excited Galician
The Regatta Committee led by the Spanish María Torrijo will establish the battlefield in front of the majestic archipelago of the Cíes Islands, turning the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia into a spectacular backdrop for the action of the TP52.
Víctor Mariño, from Vigo, a crew member aboard the double world champion Platoon, is excited to compete in the waters in which he learned to navigate: “I’m looking forward to the 52 SUPER SERIES being held in my home waters, it’s kind of a dream come true. The weather is quite unstable at this time of year depending on the systems, one week can be bad and another good. At the end of May, the usual wind is from the northwest with an average of around 15-16 knots. It’s a very even race course, so there’s no real advantage I can give from my local knowledge. I don’t feel the pressure of having to perform well in my waters with the Platoon, but we are aware that if we sail at our best we can achieve a good result. What I feel is pressure for us to have good weather.”.
Baiona, looking forward to 52 SUPER SERIES and for everything to be perfect
Among the actions devised by the organizers of the event, the initiative to take the business out into the street and summon its people to a village installed in the park of La Palma, a few meters from the MRCYB, the operations center of the 52 SUPER SERIES, stands out. The village will be open to the public the weekend of May 26 to 28, and will have a giant screen where you can enjoy the best images of the competition and a wide range of entertainment and gastronomy.
In the opinion of José Luis Álvarez, president of the MRCYB: “Having been chosen by the SUPER SERIES to open the 2022 season is a source of pride for the club, but also a huge responsibility. Monte Real is used to organizing big events, but this competition is a new challenge for us, at all levels. The club’s staff has spent months making every effort to ensure that everything goes perfectly and we are sure that it will be what we want it to be: a milestone in the history of sport in Galicia, an unforgettable date for sailing lovers, a new opportunity to demonstrate how we do things at Monte Real and a unique opportunity to promote Baiona, the Rías Baixas and Galicia beyond our borders”.
The official presentation of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week will be next Friday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Monte Real Club de Yates facilities.
