Rough water and trade winds off Lanzarote's Playa Papagayo served up a high-speed, high-octane practice day as 13 TP52s prepared to contest the Marina Rubicón Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week, with racing running Tuesday through Saturday.
After two Mediterranean regattas in light to moderate air, the fleet has arrived at the circuit's first ever Lanzarote event to find something altogether different. Winds averaging 20 knots and confused, choppy seas made the practice race a demanding test of boat handling, and a clear signal of what lies ahead all week.
Alegre and Provezza were among the standout performers, with championship leaders Sled and World Championship runners-up Trinity Racing also showing well in the muscular conditions.
Alegre navigator Francesco Mongelli was candid about what the day taught the team. "We learned today this is a 'wavy' place to sail. It is not an organised sea state. It was not easy for everybody. That part of the island in the north breeze we will see all week is a bit random where the wind shadow is and then there is one knot of current going against the wind. It was very demanding today. We had a fairly good start even if it would really have been a general recall and we went to the right corner and we were fast and made the best decisions especially downwind."
This regatta is the second for Alegre with new tactician John Kostecki aboard. Mongelli still sounds like a crew finding its feet with a new personality in the boat, though he is clearly warming to how Kostecki works. "John is one of the very top tacticians and he has a different way of operating. He is probably more of a pure tactician. He wants people to take responsibility. He is not getting into different areas, he wants people to fix their own issues. He is very specialist and it is not always like this. Quite often a tactician will get into the speed loop. John does not. It is easy to see why he is a winning tactician, he is really good."
Provezza tactician Cole Parada gave a blunt read of the conditions. "It is really rough sailing here. It is a tough place for the race committee. We have lots of breeze on the west coast, a transition in the middle, and here at Papagayo the winds are a bit milder but the waves are nasty especially as they don't align with the wind."
The 2023 season runners-up have Nick Heiner deputising as strategist. The Dutch 2020 Finn Olympian and 2014 Laser world champion has spent considerable time training in these waters. Parada sounds comfortable with how he is fitting in. "We have been tweaking our rig settings a bit and today was the first day of that and so we will see. We are expecting two long, hard events in these conditions so anything can happen. We can learn. Nick is doing a great job and knows the area."
Gustavo Martinez Doreste, Spain's 470 Olympian in 2000 and 2004, coaches with Alegre and has lived on Lanzarote for nearly 20 years, though he grew up in Gran Canaria. He is matter-of-fact about what the fleet can expect. "The forecast is for moderate to strong winds all week. These are the typical trade winds of the Canary Islands, and once the anticyclone is over the Azores, the northerly winds become established. It's guaranteed: it's what we have 80% of the year."
PRO María Torrijo's race committee has no shortage of course-setting options to work with. Martínez Doreste describes conditions ranging from oceanic swell to the west, choppy waves near Papagayo, and flat water with shifts and pressure differences in the channel. "It's a great place to race," he says.
In the overall standings after two regattas, Sled leads on 89 points, well clear of Platoon Aviation on 104 and Alkedo Vitamina on 114. Tuesday's first warning signal is set for midday local time.
