Top contender

Stuart Robinson, owner of the TP52 Stay Calm, yesterday class winner at PalmaVela, discusses why he moved into the premier class

A man who we can expect to be reading a lot more about this year is British property developer, Stuart Robinson, owner of the Swan 70 Stay Calm and more recently a Farr-designed TP52 of the same name - alongside John Cook's Cristabella, one of two British boats being campaigned on the international TP circuit.

Having won at Key West, yesterday Stay Calm got her second trophy of the second by winning the TP52 class at the PalmaVela regatta in Palma. This was only after a nailbiter of a finale. Going into yesterday's final race in a fresh 18-23 knots, the British TP52 was leading on points, when early on they ended up in the wrong in a port-starboard incident with Peter de Ridder's new Mean Machine, Forced to carry out a 720° penalty turn, they were a resounding last rounding the top mark. "Fortunately we got back up and got through them all again and it was a good race - it has been a very enjoyable weekend and a good warm up for the MedCup," recounted Stay Calm's relieved owner.

After a disappointing performance in the Rolex Global Championship in Miami, Stay Calm is back to being a weapon upwind. "We seem to have found our speed and height again which is good," says Robinson. "In Miami we didn’t sail very well. When you end up not sailing very well and you can start changing too many things, while if the next day you went out without changing too much you’d probably do a bit better."

Victory was particularly satisfying this weekend as Stay Calm was up against several of the brand new boats including Peter de Ridder's new Judel Vrolijk-designed Mean Machine, and her equally new sistership German Harm Muller-Spreer's Platoon (built at Goetz rather than Hakes Marine), John Coumantaros' newly launched Bambakou, in addition to the 2005 generation Farr boats, Bribon and the Spanish navy boat, Aifos.



At present the TP52 class is divided pretty much 50-50 between owner and pro-drivers. Robinson falls into the former camp, although he is aided and abetted by Adrian Stead whom he has known since they sailed Cadets against one another in their youth at West Kirby. Robinson has even been 'in the trade' having skippered a Ron Holland 76 footer in the Caribbean.

Since returning from the Caribbean, business-wise Robinson has set up Savills Private Finance, the property finance division of Savills plc, but last year left to turn his hand to his own property development business.

In terms of his sailing, Robinson has raced Dragons extensively and has had a series of sportsboats including a Hunter 707, a 1720 and a Laser SB3 he has recently sold. But he is better known for his Swans - first the Swan 48 Celerity he acquired in 2001 and the Swan 70 now Stay Calm, he bought a year later. The Swans have been regular competitors at regattas around the Caribbean and in Swan Americans and Worlds. Last year the 70 sailed in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge winning the Swan class. Despite having focussed on his latest boat since last summer, Robinson still keeps the 70 although he is racing her a lot less.

So what prompted his move into the Grand Prix world of TP52? "A desire to get back into one design racing," he says - the TP52 is technically a box rule, but the tolerances are so small some argue it might as well be a one design. "Handicap is always hard because it depends upon the day and the wind and the tide. I had had enough of that and wanted to focus our minds into this. And it is a step up in terms of people you are racing against. It is a lot more competitive."

But the main attraction is not only to race at the highest level, but to helm your own boat, literally against America's Cup crews. "I think the owner-driver rule especially in America is good," he continues. "I wouldn’t have a boat without driving it. I wouldn’t see the logic in that. That is half the thrill. No one can jump into a Formula 1 car and race against Michael Schumacher or come close to it. Adrian [Stead] and I work on the basis that we have the same crew who know their boat better than other people and maybe that will compensate for the difference in helmsman."

Aside from Adrian Stead the line up on board includes Robinson's wife, Emma, and heavyweights such as Mo Gray, Guy Reid, James Stagg, Toby Iles, Chris Mason, Abby Seager, Lisa McDonald, etc. For this weekend's regatta former madforsailing editor Mark Chisnell was brought on as navigator as well as BMW Oracle Racing veteran Bob Wiley. This team Robinson says he hopes to keep now for the next two years.

Another attraction of the TP52 class is that the circuit visits some extremely nice places and the boat is exceptionally good fun too. "It takes off downwind and upwind it is still pretty competitive. It is really good ride," enthuses Robinson.

And, like the Farr 40, it is the owners who are driving the class. During a meeting at the Global Championship an Executive Committee of owners was set up including Robinson, Tom Stark, Peter de Ridder and Ignacio Triay who effectively runs the Spanish circuit. The circuit some felt was in danger of becoming too Spanish dominated and this move is aimed at bringing the class back into balance. Aside from the presence of the King of Spain, the class operates differently in Spain as a majority of boats are sponsored.

For Robinson it is also great to be involved with what will probably prove to be the most successful and prolific big keel boat class ever. This season, only its second in the Mediterranean, as many as 24 boats are expected to be competing, with more in the pipeline for 2007.

Back to the boat and since the Global Championship in Miami, the Stay Calm crew have sorted out the electronics on board but more importantly have replaced the rudder. "We snapped the rudder in Fort Lauderdale and had it repaired it for Key West," admits Robinson. "But after Miami we found that the new piece we’d put on had come off, so we had sailed Miami with about a foot off the rudder!"

They are obviously competing in the complete Breitling MedCup circuit this year but in addition to this Adrian Stead has arranged for them to take part in the ISAF World Team Event, the successor to the Sardina Cup in June as part of a Costa Smerelda Yacht Club tean with the Mascalzone Latino Farr 40 and the Swan 45, Tarka.