As the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week passed its midpoint today with two challenging races in an offshore breeze on the Bay of Palma, the 2021 circuit champions, Sled, have moved clear at the top of the 14 boats fleet.
The record-sized fleet is proving to be unmercifully tough. Ergin Imre’s overnight leaders Provezza had their run of top 5 finishes interrupted in the first race when they dropped to 13th, which now places them third overall. Andrea Lacorte’s Italian team, who had a double bullet day of two back-to-back race wins on Alkedo Vitamina, also faced a tough day, finishing with a total of 20 points.
Sled’s team, led by Takashi Okura, consistently positioned themselves well on a shifty day, achieving third and second places, showcasing their excellent speed in the 12-16 knots wind range and assured tactics from afterguard members Murray Jones and Francesco Bruni.
Bruni expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, noting that they managed well after a challenging moment earlier in the event. He highlighted the importance of good starts and the ability to hit the line hard, which facilitated their access to the wind shifts.
Eric de Turckheim’s Teasing Machine, having faced a setback on day one, came back strong, winning the first race of the day against Alpha Plus, while Plass brothers’ Brazilian flagged Crioula, with tactician Sam Albrecht, also scored their first race win since the last regatta of 2024 in Valencia.
As it stands, Sled leads with 25 points, Provezza is in second with 34 points, and German flagged three-time world champions Platoon Aviation are steadily climbing the leaderboard, now in third.
Samuel Albrecht of Crioula commented on the day being difficult but noted that they had a clear understanding of the wind patterns, leading to a successful second race. He remarked that the team feels more comfortable in stronger winds above 12 knots.
Víctor Marino from Platoon Aviation praised the team’s communication and decision-making, noting the need for changes in strategy given the competitive nature of the fleet. He acknowledged Sled and Alkedo for their standout speed.
Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week Provisional Leaderboard after six races:
- Sled, Takashi Okura, 2+7+9+2+3+2 = 25
- Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 5+2+3+4+13+7 = 34
- Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 7+11+5+3+5+3 = 34
- Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 10+5+4+6+9+1 = 35
- Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 6+3+8+5+8+6 = 36
- No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 3+8+6+10+7+4 = 38
- Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 9+9+1+1+6+14 = 40
- Trinity Racing (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 8+1+15(DNS)+8+4+9 = 45
- Alpha + (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 4+10+10+9+2+11 = 46
- Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 1+4+12+14+11+13 = 55
- Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 14+6+2+13+10+12 = 57
- Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 11+12+7+11+12+5 = 58
- Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 12+15(DNF)+1(PEN)+11+12+1+8 = 60
- Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim, 13+13+13+7+14+10 = 70
52 SUPER SERIES – Pure Performance
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