American Magic Quantum Racing continues to lead, Kiwis regroup
As the Rolex TP52 World Championship CASCAIS 2025 passed the halfway point, American team American Magic Quantum Racing remains top of the leaderboard, both for the Cascais event and for the overall series. Their tactical consistency and team cohesion helped them edge out Paprec after eight races. Although both teams remain in the middle of the overall leaderboard, Kiwi sailors Nick Egnot-Johnson (helming Alpha+) and the experienced pair of John Cutler and Hamish Pepper (Provezza) are struggling to maintain form in Cascais, slipping to the bottom of the standings. With strong northwesterlies forecast for the final weekend, teams saw opportunity for redemption, reshuffling, and high-speed drama.
Super Saturday delivers classic Cascais conditions
The Rolex TP52 World Championship CASCAIS 2025 came alive on yesterday (Saturday, 5 July 2025) with three big-breeze races off Cascais. Winds hit 28 knots, the Atlantic swell was up, and teams battled both elements and each other.
American Magic Quantum Racing, led by Doug DeVos, seized the moment. They posted two second-place finishes early on, showing smart tactics and clean boat handling.
But in Race 8, they were over the line at the start and later tangled with Paprec at the top mark, forcing both boats to bail out. Quantum clawed back to finish eighth; Paprec slid to tenth. That drama widened Quantum’s overall lead to five points. Paprec’s downfall came through overfocus. Tactician Loïck Peyron and the French crew were locked into a match-race mindset with Quantum. As they fought each other, they missed the bigger picture. Project manager Stéphane Névé admitted the mistake:
“We made a big mistake… We need to learn and refocus.”
The French team had looked unstoppable early in the regatta. Now, they sit second in Cascais with it all to play for.
Sled finds speed again
Sled returned to form on Saturday. After a mid-regatta slump, Takashi Okura’s team, helmed by Adam Beashel, delivered a commanding 1-3-3 across the three races. The performance lifted them to third overall and reignited their title hopes.
Coach James Lyne noted the team stayed positive and executed precisely in the testing conditions. Navigator Andrea Visintini credited clear lanes, strong starts, and good vibes on board. With another breezy day forecast, Sled is poised to push hard for a podium — or better.
Kiwi campaigns: Trouble at the tail
Unfortunately for New Zealand fans, Provezza and Alpha+ remain rooted to the bottom of the Cascais standings.
Alpha+, helmed by Nick Egnot-Johnson, sits in 10th place. After a strong start at the start of the series, the team has struggled with consistency in breeze. Downwind pace and tactical errors have hurt their scoreline.
Provezza, featuring John Cutler and Hamish Pepper, lies 11th. The boat shows glimpses of potential, but poor starts and traffic have left them chasing the fleet. The crew will need to rethink their approach if they’re to salvage anything from Sunday.
Everything on the line
With one day to go at the Rolex TP52 World Championship CASCAIS 2025, American Magic Quantum Racing leads on 27 points, followed by Paprec (32) and Sled (36).
Behind them, Italian team Alkedo Vitamina did well by winning yesterday’s third race, and has climbed steadily into fourth place. Five different teams have won the last five races. Interestingly, Alkedo V. has won twice in Cascais; they may well be the team to keep an eye on, as long as they can show not only dashes of brilliance, but also remain consistent with it. Really, it’s a wide-open field, where one mistake can cost five positions.
Sunday promises strong winds and fierce competition. For Quantum, it’s a shot at an eighth world title. For Paprec, it’s a chance to prove their resilience. For Sled</em&gt;, it’s redemption. For the Kiwi crews, it’s now or never.
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Boating New Zealand will be back tomorrow to cover more the the Rolex TP52 World Championship CASCAIS 2025 racing.
