For Hong Kong’s Alpha+, the season-ending Porto Cervo regatta marks a milestone. Helmed by New Zealander Nick Egnot-Johnson, the team celebrated its first ever Super Series podium in Puerto Portals and now head into Sardinia full of confidence. With Shawn and Tina Kang backing the project, Alpha+ is fast becoming a fixture in the class, blending youth, talent, and steady improvement.
Egnot-Johnson’s rise from youth match racing to the grand prix circuit underscores New Zealand’s growing influence in the TP52 fleet. A second consecutive podium in Sardinia would confirm Alpha+ as genuine contenders for the long haul.
Doug DeVos’ American Magic Quantum Racing have dominated the 2025 season. With 131 points from four regattas, they hold a commanding lead and are effectively assured of their second straight overall title. A fourth consecutive regatta win would be the perfect sign-off to an already near-flawless campaign.
DeVos himself returns to the helm in Porto Cervo for the first time since Saint Tropez in May, bringing the programme full circle.
Takashi Okura’s Sled sit second on 172 points. While they are too far adrift to catch American Magic, their position looks secure. They will, however, be hungry for another Porto Cervo triumph, having famously won five races in a row here back in 2019.
The fiercest contest lies between Alkedo Vitamina (197 points) and Paprec (199.5 points). Just 2.5 points separate Andrea Lacorte’s Italian team from Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s French crew.
For Alkedo, the goal is steady consistency in light to moderate breeze, boosted by passionate home support. Paprec, meanwhile, will be hoping for stronger Mistral winds — conditions where their big-breeze strengths could tip the balance back in their favour.
Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation sit in fifth on 207 points. They would need to win the regatta and count on both Alkedo and Paprec stumbling to steal third overall. It’s a long shot, but after strong form in Puerto Portals, the possibility cannot be dismissed entirely.
Adding another layer of intrigue is the return of Hasso and Tina Plattner’s South African-flagged Phoenix. Onboard for Porto Cervo is an Australian afterguard featuring Tom Slingsby, Kyle Langford, and Will Ryan — all fresh from SailGP duties.
Slingsby arrives as the comeback king of the BONDS Flying Roos, Langford brings his foiling-honed eye, and Ryan adds Olympic precision. But how this SailGP trio will influence Phoenix’s results in the TP52 fleet is the great unknown. Until the racing begins, their true impact on the scoreboard remains speculation.
For other entries, Porto Cervo is a chance to finish 2025 on a high. Tony Langley’s Gladiator will be looking to rebound from a poor showing in Mallorca, while others in the mid-fleet simply aim to end the season with performances truer to their potential.
The opening day is forecast warm with a chance of rain, a moderate breeze, and less than half a metre of swell. Sardinia in September is famously unpredictable: the Mistral could roar through, or the fleet could be left fighting for speed in drifting airs.
From American Magic’s dominance to Alpha+’s breakthrough, from the Alkedo–Paprec duel to the unknown factor of Phoenix and its SailGP Australians, the Porto Cervo finale has storylines at every level.
Thirteen TP52s from ten nations line the docks at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, ensuring the 2025 Super Series season ends with one of the most competitive finales in years.
