As the 52 SUPER SERIES heads to Lanzarote for the first time in the history of the world’s leading grand prix monohull circuit, for the Marina Rubicon Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week, Takashi Okura’s recently crowned World Champions Sled are the team to beat.
After winning last month’s Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo, albeit by a slender two points, Sled will be looking to complete their fourth regatta victory in a row. The team, which counts on six-time America’s Cup winning Kiwi Murray Jones and Italian Francesco Bruni as strategist and tactician, won the final event of 2025 and remains unbeaten this season. If Okura’s crew could achieve this milestone, they would equal the streak of Quantum Racing from ten years ago in 2016.
The Sled team have shown great all-round speed and consistently sail smart, minimising risk. Historically, they have always excelled in uprange winds and bigger waves, which are expected in the Canary Islands’ trade winds zone.
Project manager Don Cowie and the entire team, however, take nothing for granted and approach each regatta afresh. Cowie expresses hope that the lighter wind regattas are behind them, stating, “As a new spot for the circuit, Lanzarote levels the playing field a bit, making it interesting. The weather studies show between 10 and 18 knots, and hopefully, we see that or maybe a bit more.”
Confidence is high, but Cowie remains cautious, noting, “Look back, and the worlds were a classic situation for the 52 SUPER SERIES right now; Alpha Plus went into the last day with a one-point lead, and then the Swedish boat Trinity came through as well on the last day. Momentum is nice, but you just cannot take it for granted. We take every regatta as they come, one by one. The fleet is definitely getting tougher every event.”
For this new venue, racing will take place in open water between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura offshore of Marina Rubicon and Playa Blanca. All teams have conducted their background research and weather studies to prepare.
A total of thirteen boats from eleven different nations are mustering in Lanzarote, with many observers believing any of them could win the regatta. Stronger breezes may favour more experienced teams capable of solid, mistake-free boat handling. Potential contenders include Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation, Ergin Imre’s Provezza, and Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec, who narrowly missed out on the world title at a windy Cascais event last year.
Newcomers No Way Back, led by Pieter Heerema, will face a significant test in these conditions. The crew recently laid the groundwork for their season in strong breezes in Majorca and welcomes back Argentinian Olympic bronze medallist Lucas Calabrese as strategist, working alongside tactician Terry Hutchinson and navigator Michele Ivaldi.
Ivaldi acknowledges Sled’s prowess while asserting, “We don’t think Sled are unbeatable. I honestly believe ten boats can win an event. Every time we start a regatta, it is back to zero, with no history.”
He emphasises their return to the original configuration from 2021, stating, “Lucas has a very good eye and has a very good relationship with Terry, who trusts him 100%. It is a solid pillar to build strategy and tactics on.”
Ivaldi foresees potentially more wind than anticipated, looking forward to high-adrenaline racing, confident they can improve on their disappointing seventh at last month’s worlds.
The French team on Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec have consistently performed well in stronger winds. They welcome double Route du Rhum winner and Vendée Globe runner-up Yoann Richomme as navigator for this event. Richomme’s experience will be tested as he transitions to crewed grand prix monohull racing.
Stephane Névé, project manager and mainsail trimmer for Paprec, expresses optimism: “We like the wind and hope to do better if there is more wind. We tend to perform well in these conditions.”
The Marina Rubicon Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week also marks the midpoint of the five-regatta season, with Sled commencing with a 15-point lead over Platoon Aviation.
Official practice race day is set for Monday, 20th July, with racing scheduled from Tuesday, 21st July to Saturday, 26th July. All racing will be streamed LIVE on the 52 SUPER SERIES platforms with commentary in English and Spanish.
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