Russia’s Synergy Sailing Team will build a new TP52 for the 2011 Audi MedCup Circuit as they seek to continue their ascent of the overall standings on the world’s leading regatta Circuit, improve the top level of Russian grand prix sailing and introduce more young Russian talent to the upper echelons of world sailing.
Audi MedCup Circuit 2010 - © Guido Trombetta Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup
Theirs is the third new build TP52 to be announced for next season and will be built from the same mould as the new Botin Carkeek designed Quantum Racing (USA), to be launched ready to have their first racing at Palma Vela in April next year. The boat will be backed by the same group of five enthusiastic owners and co-sponsors with the team also looking for new co-sponsors to come on board.
The Synergy Sailing Team have become longterm participants and first joined the MedCup Circuit in 2007 with a Botin Carkeek designed sister-ship to the 2006 runner-up Warpath (USA) before purchasing their current Synergy (RUS), the Reichel Pugh designed former USA-17 (USA) midway through the 2008 season. This season the team finished sixth overall.
“We are in a really good working relationship with Quantum Racing and will build a sistership from the same mould, but there will be some differences in the deck layout and we have been developing some interesting electronics systems this year. We have developed a lot of different tools to use, software and hardware” Outlines Synergy Sailing Team’s project manager Maxim Logutenko (RUS). “We will work together for next year. At the moment we are in the design process with Botin Carkeek for the deck. But the boats will both look very similar, the hull shape will be the same.”
Though they are aiming to improve their end of season finish on the Circuit, win regattas next season and finish on the podium, their Audi MedCup Circuit racing is only one key part of a longer term vision for Russian sailing: “We find that for our team the America’s Cup and MedCup are two completely different stories and we can work in parallel with this project. The Audi MedCup Circuit will allow us to bring more and more Russian people on board, training them to be ready for the America’s Cup. That is why we have had a young Russian helm here.”
Looking at their sixth place finish for the season, Maxim is looking to further improvements, and is looking to being able to test and tune early season 2011 to step up their level: “This season has not been easy for us. We did some good races and we made some bad races in the fleet. Almost everybody finished first and last but over the season we improved ourselves and the boat, and at the end of the season we find that we are quite a good team. We made progress.”
“But the restrictions on training before events this season has been a real disadvantage to us because we don’t have so much racing and last year we did a lot of practice and improved before regattas, improving our skills but this year we have not been able to do that as well.”
“The interest in Russia has gone up and up, and the Russian sailing community is happy to see us pushing and pushing. The long term process is to have fully Russian teams and you cannot do that in ten days, in one year. This is a long term project.”
Decisions as to the exact composition of the crew for next season have not been taken. This season their boat was steered by Karol Jablonski (POL) with Rod Dawson (NZL) on tactics, Chris Main (NZL) trimming mainsheet and Francesco Mongelli (ITA) navigating.
“The helmsman for sure will be Russian. We are very excited about the project. It is a good opportunity to bring Russian sailing to the world sailing community. We have five co-owners and some co-sponsors and we are looking for more sponsorship for next year. It is the same group which is pushing, pushing all the time.”
