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TP 52
Class symbol
TP52 Container at the Audi MedCup races in Cascais, 2011
Hull
LOA15.85 m (52 ft 0 in)
[edit on Wikidata]

The Transpac 52 (TP52) is a class of yacht used for competitive 52 Super Series yacht racing, and the Audi MedCup previously, besides the world championship of the class. The class is recognised by the International Sailing Federation which entitles the class to hold an Official World Championships.

History

The TP52 Class has grown from a non-registered club of like minded yachtsmen inspired by Tom Pollack to a fully member controlled, registered and ISAF recognised Class with a proper set of bylaws, an annual meeting, an executive committee made up out of the members and a class president who also has to be a member.

The original intention was to provide a yacht capable for both inshore and offshore sailing specifically the Transpacific Yacht Race however with the decline in IMS racing, the class became popular in Europe. A professional inshore tour was established for Europe called the MedCup. Recent (2022-23) rule changes[1] help keep the class at the forefront of competitive racing.

The Box Rule

TP52 boats are built and sailed to a set of rules which established the original design as a 'box' rule - where the boat must fit within a notional box of specified dimensions. The current rules[2] specify a single masted, fixed keel mono-hull with a bowsprit and a single rudder, with maximum hull length of 15.85 metres (52 ft), beam width of 4.3 metres (14 ft), keel draft of 3.5 metres (11 ft) and spinnaker hoist height of 22.4 metres (73 ft), along with a minimum total weight of 6,975 kilograms (15,377 lb) and maximum keel bulb weight of 3,800 kilograms (8,400 lb).

Events

World Championship

Main article: TP52 World Championship

Global Championship

The unofficial World Championship was held before it got international status and were the keystone of the formation of the class.

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2006 Miami  Patches (IRL)
Eamon Conneely 		 Pegasus 52 (USA)
Philippe Kahn 		 Beau Geste (CHN)
Kark Kwok
2007 Porto Cervo  Artemis Racing (SWE)
Torbjorn Tornqvist 		 Patches (IRL)
Eamon Conneely 		 Mean Machine (MON)
Peter de Ridder

European Series

The competition changed the nature of the class with it becoming a pinnacle inshore/coastal event for grand prix monohulled yacht racing. The series started off as the MedCup from 2005 to 2011 before evolving in the 52 Super Series.

Offshore Events

TP 52s or optimized direct derivatives have won the overall trophy in most of the classic offshore events while racing under the major international handicap systems. Notable results include:

Race Distance Category Boat Name Skipper Elapsed time Notes
2003 Transpac Race 2,225 nm 1st overall Alta Vita  Bill Turpin (USA) 7d 12h 20m 29s Another TP 52, Beau Geste, came 2nd overall.[3]
2004 Newport Bermuda Race 635 nm 1st overall Rosebud  Roger Sturgeon (USA) 2d 20h 24m 43s [4]
2004 Chicago to Mackinac 333 nm 1st overall Esmeralda Makoto Uematsu
 Ken Read (USA) 		1d 17h 5m [5]
2005 Transpac Race 2,225 nm 1st overall Rosebud  Roger Sturgeon (USA) 8d 16h 25m 4s TP 52s came 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall.[6]
2005 Fastnet Race 608 nm 2nd overall Patches  Ian Walker (GBR) 2d 2h 17m 48s [7]
2006 Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 673 nm 1st overall Island Fling  Paul Winkelmann (IRE) 2d 0h 16m 5s [8]
2009 Gotland Runt 352 nm 1st overall Rán  Niklas Zennström (SWE) [9]
2010 Cowes-Dinard-St Malo 151 nm 1st overall John Merricks II  Luke McCarthy (GBR) 21h 24m 03s Another TP 52, Paprec Recyclage, finished 39 seconds later.[10]
2010 Gotland Runt 352 nm 1st overall Fram XVI  King Harald V (NOR) 1d 23h 59m 39s [11]
2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race 1,805 nm 4th overall /2nd in class John Merricks II  Luke McCarthy (GBR) 8d 11h 49m 23s British Keelboat Academy's youth team entry led overall in the opening stages of the race.[12]
2010 Middle Sea Race 606 nm 1st overall Lucky  Bryon Ehrhart (USA) 3d 3h 16m 25s [13]
2011 Gotland Runt 352 nm 1st overall Datacom-Lindahl  Ralf Aspholm (GER) [14]
2012 Hong Kong to Hainan Race 355 nm 1st overall Freefire  Sam Chan (HKG) 1d 4h 43m 54s [15]
2013 Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 673 nm 1st overall Lucky  Bryon Ehrhart (USA) 2d 2h 22m 44s [8]
2013 Fastnet Race 608 nm 1st in class Pace  Johnny Vincent (GBR) 2d 21h 15m 7s [16]
2014 China Sea Race 565 nm 2nd overall Lucky  Bryon Ehrhart (USA) 2d 21h 45m 22s [17]
2016 Victoria to Maui 2,308 nm 1st overall Kinetic V  David Sutcliffe (CAN) 8d 14h 16m 46s Another TP52, Valkyrie, took line honours and set a race record of 8d 9h 17m 50s.[18]
2017 Sydney to Hobart 628 nm 1st overall Ichi Ban  Matt Allen (AUS) 1d 19h 10m 20s [19]
2019 Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 673 nm 1st overall Freefire  Sam Chan (HKG) 2d 0h 27m 55s [8]
2019 Sydney to Hobart 628 nm 1st overall Ichi Ban  Matt Allen (AUS) 2d 6h 18m 5s [20]
2020 Caribbean 600 600 nm 1st overall Outsider  Bo Teichmann (GER) 2d 19h 41m 40s [21]
2021 Sydney to Hobart 628 nm 1st overall Ichi Ban  Matt Allen (AUS) 3d 3h 42m 29s Another TP 52, Celestial, came 2nd overall.[22]
2022 Sydney to Hobart 628 nm 1st overall Celestial  Sam Haynes (AUS) TP 52 also came 2,3,4,5! [23]

Coastal Races

Race Category Boat Name Skipper Notes
2016 Round the Island Race 1st Overall GBR 11152 - Gladiator Bernard Langley [24]

Pinnacle Inshore Events

Race Category Boat Name Skipper Notes
2013 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Hurakan Marco Serafini
2014 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Enfant Terrible Alberto Rossi
2015 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Enfant Terrible Alberto Rossi
2016 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Freccia Rossa Vadim Yakimenko
2018 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Beau Geste  Karl Kwok (HKG)
2019 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Xio  Marco Serafini (ITA)
2022 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Beau Geste  Karl Kwok (HKG)
2023 ORCi World Championships - Class A 1st Beau Geste  Karl Kwok (HKG) [25]

References

  1. ^ "Transpac 52 website, rules overview". Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  2. ^ "2023 TP52 Rule" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Transpacific Yacht Club". transpacyc.com.
  4. ^ http://bermudarace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/results_berth_to_bermuda_extract.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ http://www.farrdesign.com/news/2004%20Chicago-Mac%20Press%20Release.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  6. ^ "Transpacific Yacht Club".
  7. ^ https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/patches-second-class-sailing-column-1.479281 and https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/results/2005/ffio01.html
  8. ^ a b c "Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Hong Kong to Vietnam Race".
  9. ^ "Race Results".
  10. ^ "RORC Cowes – Dinard – St Malo Race Race". www.yachtsandyachting.com.
  11. ^ https://thedailysail.com/offshore/10/55995/eurocard-gotland-runt-finish-report and https://resultat.ksss.se/?raceId=285&class=IRC+CHARLIE&column=2850112
  12. ^ http://www.rorc.org/raceresults/2010/ircoverall11.html and https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing/telefonica-takes-charge-in-round-britain-race-2061689.html
  13. ^ "Rolex Middle Sea Race - Aussie gets lucky on USA TP52 boat that won". www.sail-world.com.
  14. ^ "TP52 Win Gotlant Runt". 8 July 2011.
  15. ^ "Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Hong Kong to Hainan Race - Past Events".
  16. ^ "Sailing Results". rolexfastnetrace.com.
  17. ^ https://www.rhkyc.org.hk/upload/Sailing/Results/RCSR2014IRCOverall.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  18. ^ "Vic-Maui Yacht Race - Results, Winners, Records, Trophies".
  19. ^ "Sydney Hobart: Ichi Ban Confirmed Winner >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News". 29 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2021".
  21. ^ Stone, Chris. "Outsider lifts the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy". RORC Caribbean 600 Race.
  22. ^ "Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023". rolexsydneyhobart.com.
  23. ^ "Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023". rolexsydneyhobart.com.
  24. ^ Hall, Thomas. "TP52 Gladiator is Round The Island Race Winner". afloat.ie.
  25. ^ "ORC World Results".

External links

Classes of World Sailing
Categories