52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Sailing Week
Andy Soriano’s Alegre crew start the 2025 52 SUPER SERIES season on a positive, upbeat note. First to launch a new 2024 generation boat, sistership to Platoon Aviation, they had a solid season – fifth overall just seven points behind Sled – but are still trying to get back to finishing on regatta podiums as they last did in Puerto Portals at the end of 2023.
They have made some mods to the boat during the winter and trained well in Valencia with the group of other TP52s validating their changes and making positive advances. But they face an extra challenge this season, desperately missing their legendary bowman Matteo Auguadro who was taken from us by a skiing accident in the early winter. But, as Alegre’s Italian navigator Francesco Mongelli explains they are getting by supporting each other with a lot of love underpinning the strong foundations Alegre family team, as there is all the way through the 52 SUPER SERIES community.
There is a great sense of anticipation through the team and they are primed for success this coming week. ‘Matte’ is so synonymous with the action on the bow of hull number 19 but Mariano ‘Mamu’ Caputo, who sailed before with Azzurra is doing fantastic job so far. And Spain’s dynamic, effervescent 470 world champion Silvia Mas will be back with Alegre for most of the season after commitments last year with the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
Right direction
Mongelli explains some of their changes, “We had good training with the other boats. We have changed the way we sail the boat in the mid light because the boat is orientated a bit towards mid to strong winds and so we have tried to defend ourselves in lighter breezes. We have made some changes and I think we are going in the right direction. We have always been on the defensive in the light but I think we now understand the boat basically,”
He details, “We made some changes under the water the rudder and keel fin and another thing we have done is try wheels instead of the tiller. Andy (Soriano, owner) maybe struggled with the idea to start with but now he is more convinced he likes the wheels, for some things wheel are better, for other things not, overall for the size of boat for an owner who sails the boat say 50-60 days a year, maybe wheels are more consistent. Andy will take his own decision in due course.”
And they have changed their sail design team and their design philosophy, “We changed the philosophy of how we sail the boat a little, from a more efficient sailplan to a more forgiving sailplan. More efficient you get higher speeds but it is harder to keep up to the speeds all the time so now we are aiming to be more consistent and I think we are all going in the right direction.”
Missing Matteo…. but love is all around
There is no getting used or adapting to the absence of their long time friend and bowman,
“It is tough without Matteo, tough for me as we were friends since we were 15 years old. It is tough with Alegre but Alegre is a family and we are all protecting and looking after each other. There is so much love. The love around Matteo is amazing, it is in this team and you can touch it. It is outside the team too. But it is hard. We were friends since we were young, sailing against each other since we were 15 years old and the same with Rachele. It is has been so tough for everyone and for me. But there is so much love. It is tough already when you cross other boats and we are so used to seeing him on the bow. Obviously time will adjust things but I am missing something which has been part of your life for so long, professional and friendship. And on the cycling side he was one of the rockstars of cycling in sailing. But he was humble, nice and keen to share with anyone, even those not cycling at his level like me! I think the very important thing is that he was a guy who was always smiling, always giving positive things and feelings. So we understand he is no longer here but we are missing the positive feelings which he always had to a degree which is just not common. He stays in my mind every single second. And for Mamu it is hard. He is doing a doubly hard job. It is a hard job to replace someone like Matte, technically but also his sentiments. But Mamu is already doing a great job and we had good luck to find someone who brings both sides.”
Looking to Alegre’s hopes and expectations for Saint-Tropez
Mongelli is cautious in his predictions for the first regatta this season, among the top contenders he considers Provezza among the top seeds.
Mongelli concludes, “I am not sure. Saint-Tropez can give us light winds or strong winds. I am not sure we will see the first sea breezes of the Spring. We are still working on our technique but we are good, overall. But the others are good as well. My feeling is we are in defensive mode while above 12 knots we are good, us and Platoon we think our boats are powerful. Alkedo is in good shape, during the training they were doing very well and I am happy for them as it is an Italian boat with an Italian owner. And the 52s have missed an Italian owner and Italian boat for a long time. And then all the rest are good. Provezza are good, consistent, always in the top three and good in the medium light. I think we are a step behind them right, they never give up anything and we want to be like that, we want to get to their level of consistency.”
