Quantum Racing announces new boat for 2011

Note: Quantum Racing's new boat is, obviously, a TP52 but due to a strange twist of fate neither the AUDI Medcup nor the TP52 class have the right to use the words "TP52" or "Transpac52" in Italy. All rights in that country are owned by Ricardo Simoneschi and since the closing event of the 2010 season takes place in Cagliari, there can be no mention of those words in the official press releases.

[Source: AUDI Medcup] Long time Audi MedCup Circuit competitors and fans Quantum Racing are the first of several teams to announce that they will campaign a new build boat for next season. Today at the Region of Sardinia Trophy in Cagliari Quantum Racing announced that they will build a new boat for the 2011 Circuit.

Their 2008 Audi MedCup championship winning programme was the culmination of investment and participation on the world’s leading regatta circuit, having competed with Lexus in the inaugural year 2005, through the Quantum-powered Warpath and Windquest before the present Quantum Racing (USA) took to the water in 2008. Quantum Racing finished second last year, and lie second overall on the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit.


The new Quantum Racing will follow a very similar established winning recipe, being designed by Botin Carkeek and built in Spain by Chimo Lopez Longtitude Zero in Burriana, ready for launching and work up in the Mediterranean early next season.

Project manager Ed Reynolds, President of Quantum Sail Design Group said: "We want to support the Audi MedCup. I've watched for years when a new one design class or a new boat comes out and it's always like ‘well if you sell six boats we'll buy one’. Somebody just has to stand up first and say ‘we believe the direction, we believe the new concept and we like the new boats. We're going to be here for a while and hopefully it will all kind of give enough confidence to some of the other teams to say yes, the Audi MedCup is going to be here for a while Let’s step up and go too".

"The Audi MedCup is the most competitive, highest level of monohull racing ever, it is so intense, so defined, and I personally believe what's happened with the Americas Cup with multihulls has created an amazing opportunity for the Medcup to truly take a grip of grand prix, the ultimate level of sailing in the world."

Nacho Postigo (ESP), Audi MedCup Circuit Technical Director, added: “It is great that Quantum Racing is the first of a good number of teams to commit to building new boats for next year. It makes me very happy because they have been sponsoring a boat since Day 1, since 2005, and it proves well that the Circuit recovers your investment very nicely. That is on the business part of the equation. But to have one of the teams which have been consistently top three returning is great, too, because it means that the high level will be maintained, but it is also a level which can be achieved by individual, private owners as well.”