Zenith Royal Cup Marina Ibiza 52 Super Series

Partnered by Zenith, official timekeeper of the prestigious TP52 yachts annual circuit, the fourth and final stage of the Barclays 52 Super Series, the Zenith Royal Cup Marina Ibiza, took place on the beautiful Spanish island from September 17 th to 21 st bringing together some of the best sailors i

Partnered by Zenith, official timekeeper of the prestigious TP52 yachts annual circuit, the fourth and final stage of the Barclays 52 Super Series, the Zenith Royal Cup Marina Ibiza, took place on the beautiful Spanish island from September 17^th to 21^st bringing together some of the best sailors in the world.

THRILLING WEEKEND FINALE TO THE ZENITH ROYAL CUP MARINA IBIZA, FINAL LEG OF THE BARCLAYS 52 SUPER SERIES

IBIZA, AN IDEAL SETTING FOR A SUSPENSE-FILLED FINALE!

The Barclays Super Series brings together some of the best sailors in the world, who are well-known for their achievements accomplished in the context of the America’s Cup or the Olympic Games, aboard type TP52 yachts. Fifty-two foot long (15.85 m), streamlined and elegant, swift and responsive, these thoroughbred racing yachts have been created with a single aim: taking part in close race strategy regattas, hugging the coast, in short, intense regattas.

At the end of the first three events of the season, the American Quantum Racing Team, skippered by Ed Baird led the championship ahead of the Swedish crew Rán Racing (skipper Niklas Zennström) and the Italians from the Azzura Team (Guillermo Parada). The Zenith Royal Cup Marina Ibiza was the last of the four stages of the TP52 annual circuit. It followed the Rolex Capri Sailing Week (April 20th to 24th), the World Championship (Porto Cervo, from June 10^th to 14^th) and the 33 Copa Del Rey (Palma de Mallorca, from August 4^th to 9^th).

For the occasion, and in addition to the all-pervasive race fever, Zenith treated 100 guests including journalists, retailers and end clients from all over the world to a weekend in Ibiza designed for a healthy dose of relaxation combined with thrilling sailing action on motor yachts for an insider experience of the race. They enjoyed the benefit of a sailing expert on board each yacht providing technical sailing details. After returning to the Marina Ibiza, guests were also given a chance to spend some time with the sailors, tacticians and managers themselves.

For Aldo Magada, CEO of Zenith, “Ibiza is the perfect setting for this suspense-filled grand finale of the Barclays 52 Super Series, for which Zenith proudly serves as official timekeeper. This competition was full of sailing thrills and fascinating experiences, brimming with our cherished values of authenticity, daring and pleasure: the authenticity of this exceptional location, the daring of the talented individuals pitting their skills against each other and the elements; and the pleasure of admiring the many sights and sounds that punctuated this captivating conclusion to the TP52 racing season.”

WINNING SPIRIT PREVAILS AS QUANTUM RACING CLINCH 2014 BARCLAYS 52 SUPER SERIES TITLE.

Quantum Racing secured the 2014 Barclays 52 Super Series title of the Zenith Royal Cup Marina Ibiza regatta and won the Ibiza event, their third regatta title of the season.

The American flagged team came to Ibiza with a healthy points lead in the four event circuit which attracted 12 TP52s from ten different nations. They remained steadily consistent to close out their second 52 Super Series championship win ahead of Azzurra and Rán Racing.

Skipper Ed Baird paid tribute to the team’s skill and fighting spirit: “One of the super strengths of this team is that everyone on this team comes down here every day saying ‘how can I do it better today than yesterday?’ When you fight with that kind of mentality on your side, you just never allow yourself to back up, to do your job any less well than before. When you start with great guys, you have that fighting instinct on your side through good and bad it is wonderful.”

Held at Cappuccino Café in the Marina Ibiza, the closing ceremony of the Barclays 52 Super Series brought an impressive finish, crowned by the prize-giving, at which Aldo Magada, President and CEO of Zenith, presented the prestigious cup to the winner, the American Quantum Racing Team. He also offered a Zenith watch, an El Primero Stratos, to Eduardo de Souza Ramos, the Brazilian ship-owner of Phoenix whose team received the “rookie of the Year” title. Dinner and a spectacular show including an exclusive flyboard performance enhanced with music, lights and live saxophone provided a fitting ending to a memorable event with which Zenith is proud to associate its name.

MANUFACTURE ZENITH

Founded in 1865 in Le Locle by visionary watchmaker Georges Favre-Jacot, the Manufacture Zenith quickly became renowned for the precision of its chronometers, for which it has been awarded 2,333 chronometry prizes in just one and a half centuries of existence – the all-time record for pocket watches, on-board instruments and wristwatches alike. Made famous by the legendary El Primero calibre, an integrated automatic chronograph with a column wheel, launched in 1969, and whose high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour ensures precision to a tenth of a second, the Manufacture Zenith has since created more than 600 movement variations. The Manufacture is rare in that today it is still located on the exact spot where its founder built the very first workshop.