Pedro Martinez/TP52 World Championship
Matador trump Quantum Racing on countback to win the TP52 World Championship title after a breathtaking final day which was in the balance right until the final sums were computed.
It could not have been much closer when the Argentine crew on Matador lifted the TP52 World Championship on the waters they call home in Europe, the Bay of Palma, this afternoon.They lift the title on countback ahead of the 2008 world champions Quantum Racing (USA) who also finished on 23 points after seven races.
Matador won the final race to match Quantum Racing’s pair of race victories this week, but their three third places trump the American crew's final hand which inluded two thirds and a fifth.
The Roemmers’ team maintain their perfect record in major regattas on these waters. Their triumph at Palma Vela in April with their new boat was the springboard for their season. With owner Alberto Roemmers Jr steering – as he did this week – they won the TP52 class at Copa del Rey in August, as the perfect build up to clinching the class world title today.
The Matador crew had to dig deep into their gaucho spirit and sustain a fight back from a protest from a windward mark incident on the first round of Race 2 which saw them disqualified. But on Saturday they were re-instated and today they let their sailing speak for itself as they posted a third and a first to win overall.
“We are happy.” Skipper Guillermo Parada (ARG) confirmed, “ It is a good lesson learned, not in sailing but in life. No matter what happens you need to keep pushing as hard as you can, right to the very last time. That is what we have done with the protest, pushing. The team have stuck together, and we have the reward.”
“At the very beginning we were sure we should not have been disqualified and that at the time we had no options.”
“We have tried to push as hard as we can on the land. And we have had to push hard on the water, which is not easy to do.”
Quantum Racing (USA) may rue missed opportunities, and in effect the 2008 title holders came within a few metres of defending. In Race 5 it was down to just one second on the finish line, when the eye-blink judgement for third iwent in favour of Matador, and in today’s final race the blackand green hulled 2008 Audi MedCup champions were just 12 seconds shy of passing Valars 3 as they ran out of runway at the line with extra pace.
But, as Quantum Racing’s skipper Terry Hutchinson (USA) noted
"That is sailboat racing. 'A day late and a dollar short.’ In the end we were a length and a half from winning the regatta.
"This one is disappointing because we let it get away from us.”
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