Sailing Magazine
‘Platoon’ team won the Rolex TP52 World Championship title on the Bay of Palma, but the German-flagged team, led by the Hamburg-based owner-driver did not make it easy for themselves as they had to contend with two additional penalty points that they were given for twice making contact with rival boats as well as two penalties for different infringements during a tense, nervy showdown with ‘Azzurra’.
But ‘Platoon’s’ unerring consistency during Wednesday’s three races – a fantastic showcase of speed and agility in a brisk offshore northwesterly wind – when they put together two wins and a fifth, was enough for Müller-Spreer’s super solid, tight-knit team to ride their luck much more than they should have needed to, to emerge with their second Rolex TP52 World Championship title in three years, winning over ‘Azzurra’ by two points.
Relief was the emotion most evident on the face of Muller-Spreer as he stepped ashore on the dock in the Marina de Portals, Puerto Portals. The three-time Dragon Gold Cup winner admitted: “We shot ourselves in the feet a few too many times today, but it feels great to win. Winning the title twice in three years says a lot about this team I think.”
‘Platoon’ followed up Wednesday’s hot streak with a decidedly disappointing 8,9. But ‘Azzurra’ fared only a little better. On a day when ‘Platoon’ all but gift-wrapped a third world title for them, ‘Azzurra’ failed to capitalise, sailing to sixth in the day’s first race and then seemingly unable to shake off ‘Platoon’ for eighth in the second race.
The two RSA ‘Phoenix’ teams had little to cheer about despite Hasso Plattner finishing second in the final race of the series.
