Final Day 5 Highlights - Zadar 52 Super Series Sailing Week, Croatia

At just their second regatta together on the 52 SUPER SERIES, the Italian team on Luna Rossa today lifted the Zadar Royal Cup proving that the genesis of their America’s Cup sailing team is already gelling into a strong, racing unit. Luna Rossa were sixth on their debut in Šibenik last month, short on time with their freshly launched TP52 and evidently still learning the dynamics of their on board communication. But on the beautiful waters off Croatia’s Dalmatian coast they looked a much more clinical, composed team sailing their Botin partners design which had improved upwind speed in the light airs to complement their already strong downwind abilities. With Vasco Vascotto as tactician, Francesco Bruni steering and double America’s Cup winner Jimmy Spithill as strategist, the only non native Italian on board, Luna Rossa showed composure under pressure today. Starting the day with a three points margin and with a chance of becoming the first female helm to win a 52 SUPER SERIES Tina Plattners’ Phoenix faltered in the regatta’s penultimate race, slumping to an unfortunate 11th and so breaking a chain of solid, consistent results which already included two wins. At the same time Luna Rossa moved up from third at the first windward mark to pass Azzurra for second. That gave the emblematic Italian crew a relatively straightforward opportunity to convert a six points lead to their first piece of major silverware together as a team. Final 52 SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup Standings: 1. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) (1,2,5,3,7,7,2,5) 32 puntos. 2. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) (3,7,1,6,4,1,11,3) 36 p. 3. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) (6,4,7,1,5,5,6,2) 36 p. 4. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) (5,5,2,2,8,4,7,10) 43 p. 5. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) (9,6,3,7,3,2,5,7) (2 penalti) 44 p. 6. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) (2,9,9,4,1,10,9,1) 45 p. 7. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto Roemmers) (4,10,10,9,9,3,3,4) 52 p. 8. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) (11,3,4,5,10,9,1,11) 54 p. 9. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) (10,11,6,8,6,6,4,6) 57 p. 10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) (7,1,11,11,2,DNF12,8,8) (2 penalti) 62 p. 11. Paprec Recyclage (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) (8,8,8,10,11,8,10,9) 72 p. 2018 52 SUPER SERIES Overall Standings After Two Events: 1. Quantum Racing (USA) (Doug DeVos) 73 puntos. 2. Sled (USA) (Takashi Okura) 77 p. 3. Platoon (GER) (Harm Müller-Spreer) 77 p. 4. Luna Rossa (ITA) (Patrizio Bertelli) 81 p. 5. Phoenix (RSA) (Hasso/Tina Plattner) 91 puntos. 6. Alegre (USA/GBR) (Andrés Soriano) 96 p. 7. Azzurra (ARG/ITA) (Alberto Roemmers) 98 p. 8. Onda (BRA) (Eduardo de Souza Ramos) 103 p. 9. Provezza (TUR) (Ergin Imre) 110 p. 10. Gladiator (GBR) (Tony Langley) 128 p. 11. Paprec Recyclage (FRA) (Jean Luc Petithuguenin) 136 p. Here’s how you can follow the 52 SUPER SERIES. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/52SuperSeries/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/52superseries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/52superseries/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/52SuperSeries