Key West, Fla - It wasn’t hard to figure out who the winners were upon conclusion of Quantum Key West 2013. Andrea Pozzi and the Italian sailors aboard Bombarda were passing around bottles of champagne. Jim Richardson and the boys on Barking Mad were drinking a tray full of mudslides. Hearty handshakes and bear hugs were exchanged in the cockpit of Azzurra.
Celebration and jubilation were the order of the day for those teams that captured championships after a challenging week of intense competition. All agreed that winning Key West this year was a particularly stellar accomplishment since it featured some of the most spectacular conditions in the 26-year history of the annual midwinter regatta.
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Previous Press Releases
Key West, Fla - With four days of racing complete, it is not difficult to identify the stars of Quantum Key West 2013: The sun and the wind!
Even the most veteran sailors have been amazed by the fact every day of the regatta has brought spectacular conditions with warm temperatures and solid breezes. Wednesday brought 18-22 knot winds and Thursday’s breeze held steady between 14-18 knots.
“We’ve had an incredible string of great sailing days. I think that is really the story,” said Jonathan McKee, tactician aboard the Farr 40 Struntje Light. “We keep waiting for a crappy day and it just hasn’t happened. We’ve just been really lucky that each day has been spectacular.”
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Key West, Fla - Wednesday has always been critical at this annual race week off the Florida Keys. By the time Wednesday is complete, the racing is usually more than half over. Event veterans have even given it the moniker of "moving day."
This year, Wednesday brought what is predicted to be the strongest winds of the five-day regatta, challenging crews to really ramp up their performance. There were some sail and gear failures in the heavy air, which held steady between 18 and 22 knots.
Several teams made major moves on Wednesday at Quantum Key West 2013 — none more dramatic than that pulled by Decision in the High Performance Class.
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There were a lot of weary bones, aching muscles and exhausted bodies over at The Galleon Dock and Truman Annex on Tuesday afternoon. That’s because the sailors on Division 2 of Quantum Key West 2013 completed three races on the second day of the 26th annual regatta.
Competitors in the Melges 24, Melges 32 and J/70 classes were all hopeful of having a 12-race series and Division 2 principal race officer Dave Brennan is trying his best to comply. With northerly winds in the 12-16 knot range, Tuesday provided a perfect opportunity to complete an extra race.
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Key West, Fla - In sailboat racing, it’s always nice when the wind conditions prove better than predicted. Early forecasts for the opening day of Quantum Key West 2013 were questionable, to the point some sailors were worried whether a race could be completed.
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Key West, Fla - All the docks around the Conch Republic were alive with activity and anticipation on Sunday as more than a thousand sailors aboard 121 boats prepared for the start of Quantum Key West 2013.
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Key West, Fla - The 26th edition of “Key West Race Week” is ready to begin and there’s no better way to start than by acknowledging and thanking the sponsors. Key West sponsors have always been one of race week’s critical success factors. Premiere Racing would like to take this opportunity to highlight their loyalty and support.
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Key West, Fla. - Quantum Key West 2013 has many intriguing plotlines and some of the classes that will be most closely watched are the popular, new J/70, professional-laden IRC/TP 52 and rapidly developing HPR.
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Key West, Fla - Return of Swan 42, resurgence of Melges 24 bolster Quantum Key West
by Bill Wagner
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Key West, Fla - Excitement is building for Quantum Key West 2013 as the scratch sheet continues to grow. With still a month and a half before the first entry deadline, top competitors from more than 12 countries and 20 states have submitted their official entries.
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Regatta dates are January 20 – 25, 2013.
Quantum Key West 2013 Sponsors are Title Sponsor Quantum Sails and Day Sponsors Lewmar/Navtec (Official Marine Hardware & Rigging), Mount Gay® Rum (Official Rum), and Nautica Watches (Official Timekeeper). The Supporting Sponsors are B&G (Official Marine Electronics), Gill (Official Technical Gear) and Marlow Ropes (Official Rope).
Quantum Key West 2013 is also supported by The Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council, which recognizes the importance of having a world-class, international regatta in Key West every year. The Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight is the Official Marina. The City of Key West and the Key West business community also play an important, long-term role in race week’s success. The Ocean Key Resort and Spa is the Official Hotel. Sapporo USA is the Official Beer Supplier and HBI is the Official Rib.
24 Industry Partners bring their support through a program that is now in its 12th year.
Quantum Key West 2013 is a US SAILING sanctioned event.
The racing will be conducted under permit in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of critical marine habitat, including coral reef, hard bottom, seagrass meadow, mangrove communities and sand flats.
Event information, past results and photos: www.Premiere-Racing.com
Founded by a group of independent, experienced sailmakers who shared a common vision, the Quantum Sail Design Group has been dedicated to overcoming the trend towards mass-marketing and mediocrity in the sailmaking industry. The company is known for its winning sail designs in dozens of classes from dinghies to super yachts and its high-performance FusionM® sails.
Quantum has more than 60 sales and service outlets throughout the world, with European headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, and corporate offices in Traverse City, Michigan.
Visit www.quantumsails.com
Premiere Racing, Inc.
67 B Front Street
Marblehead, MA 01945 USA
Phone: +1-781-639-9545
Fax: +1-781-639-9171
Email: Peter@premiere-racing.com
Photographs are available to qualified media.
Email: jeanne@premiere-racing.com