Takashi Okura’s Sled leads the 52 SUPER SERIES – Porto Cervo – Range Rover regatta after the first two windward-leeward races. With Italy’s Francesco Bruni calling tactics and aided by six-time America’s Cup winner Murray Jones, Sled finished with a fourth and a second, earning a one-point margin over Hasso and Tina Plattner’s Phoenix. Phoenix welcomes Tom Slingsby as tactician, alongside fellow Australian gold medallist Will Ryan.
After winning Race 1, Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation faced difficulties in Race 2 when they were struck by Gladiator during the starting sequence, which led to the race being recalled. Platoon had to return to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda dock for repairs due to a crew injury and damage to the boat, resulting in them receiving average points (6.5) and placing third overall.
In the first race, the French team on Paprec made the best start and led down the first run. They battled closely with the German team, but Platoon Aviation, led by tactician Vasco Vascotto, found more breeze on the final sprint, narrowly overtaking Paprec to secure second place. In Race 2, a strong start off the pin end of the line allowed Shawn and Tina Kang’s Hong Kong team on Alpha + to win, following a poor performance in the first race.
American Magic Quantum Racing, under Doug DeVos, had a modest start with a 10th and an 8th place finish. They initially recovered from the back of the fleet to fifth but fell back down the ranks towards the finish. DeVos remarked on the competitive nature of the racing, noting the need for improvement across all aspects of their performance.
Bruni commented on Sled’s performance, stating they had two good races despite not excelling at the starts. The team is pleased with their speed, particularly upwind, and credited Okura for his excellent steering despite joining the team last minute.
Platoon Aviation’s Víctor Mariño explained the collision during a tight start, describing how Gladiator’s bowsprit hit their stern and injured a crew member, although fortunately, it was only a bruise. Their shore team faced a long night of repairs.
52 SUPER SERIES-Porto Cervo-Range Rover Leaderboard
1. Sled, USA, Takashi Okura, 4+2= 6
2. Phoenix, RSA, Tina & Hasso Plattner, 3+4= 7
3. Platoon Aviation, GER, Harm Müller-Spreer, 1+6.5(RDG)= 7.5
4. Alegre, GBR, Andy Soriano, 6+3= 9
5. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 2+9 = 11
6. Alpha+, HKG, Shawn & Tina Kang, 13+1= 14
7. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 11+5= 16
8. Crioula, BRA, Eduardo & Renato Plass, 5+11= 16
9. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley, 7+6(+3)= 16
10. Alkedo, ITA, Andrea Lacorte, 8+7 = 16
11. American Magic Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos, 10+8 = 18
12. Vayu, THA, Whitcraft Family, 8+10= 18
13. Teasing Machine, FRA, Eric de Turckheim, 12+12= 24
52 SUPER SERIES – Pure Performance
www.52superseries.com
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