More bullets for Audi Azzurra

Alberto Roemmers' new TP52 sets the tone at Mapfre PalmaVela

The fourth and final day of racing at the Mapfre PalmaVela started in a tactically demanding 6-8 knot northeasterly under an overcast sky which hampered the sea breeze until around 14:00, when a southerly established itself on the Bay of Palma.

After her three bullets yesterday, Alberto Roemmers' new TP52 Audi Azzurra won two further races today to claim overall victory in the TP52 class. The only new generation TP52 to be launched this year dominated proceedings in Palma and must be causing the other TP52 teams some concern with the class' 2012 championship yet to begin. The Italian-Argentinean TP52's main competition was Quantum Racing, which, despite a consistent performance, wasn`t able to match Audi Azzurra's speed, finishing second ahead of Niklas Zennströms' Rán and Tony Longley's Gladiator.

Audi Azzurra Checco Bruni commented: "We have improved day by day, both as a crew as well as in the development of the new boat, with a steady growth that will continue in the coming days. We will in fact remain in Palma to go on with our training and fine-tuning of the yacht. I am particularly pleased with the harmony I have with Vasco, it's an affinity rarely found between tactician and strategist and one that has visibly bore its fruit. Big congratulations also to Alberto Roemmers who steered skillfully in the starts and the beats, despite having spent very little time at the helm of the newly-built yacht."

The Maxi fleet held its coastal race today, which in this morning's light shifty conditions was shortened from 24 to 12 miles. Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou added another win to her tally making it four wins out of six races to sew up the overall Maxi results in fine style. Sir Lindsay Owen Jones's Wally 95 Magic Carpet 2 finished second to claim second overall with the Dr Johan Killinger owned and helmed Swan 60 Emma third overall.

There were no surprises in the Soto 40 class making its first appearance at Mapfre PalmaVela. Agustin Zulueta's Iberdrola took the overall victory easily with six wins out of seven races - the only blemish to their scorecard being a second in the first race- leaving no doubt about the green boat's supremacy in the 40 one design class. Andres Soriano's Alegre finished second, six points behind the Spanish boat, and five ahead of Tony Buckingham's Ngoni.

There was joy in the J/80 class at the Real Club Nautico de Palma, with its President Javier Sanz's Pro-Rigging clinching the Mapfre PalmaVela trophy in this 19 boat class. Carlos Martinez's Mapfre was second, while Olympic medallist Jose María Van der Ploeg's Nilfisk remained in third.

After another coastal race win today, Enterprise cleaned up in the Vintage and Classic Mapfre PalmaVela fleets, with an eight point advantage over second placed Marigan of Tim Liesenhoff. Moonbeam IV, which once hosted Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier of Monaco during their honeymoon, was third, tied on 8 points with Marigan.