Sled dominate in Porto Cervo as Mistral delivers drama

Day 2 in Porto Cervo saw the 52 Super Series finale come alive under a blasting Mistral. Gusts topping 28 knots turned the regatta into a test of control, composure, and boat handling. Takashi Okura’s Sled rose to the challenge, delivering a flawless display that left rivals chasing their wake.

Starting cleanly near the pin end, Sled rounded the top mark just behind Andy Soriano’s Alegre. By the second upwind, Francesco Bruni and Kiwi Murray Jones had guided Sled into the lead. From there the American-flagged boat stretched away, reaching speeds over 21 knots downwind to secure their first gun of the week.

“It was a great day, pure Porto Cervo,” said mainsheet trimmer and fellow Kiwi Don Cowie. “Lots of fun, pure Porto Cervo. We reached 21.5 knots of speed downwind. But it’s very tough, very windy and with lots of gusts, we’re very happy with how the boat performed. At the start of the day we agreed that we had to be careful, be cautious. We reminded ourselves that “to finish first, first you have to finish”. Porto Cervo has been good to us in the past, but there is still a long way to go in the championship.”

American Magic steady the ship

For American Magic Quantum Racing, Day 2 offered much-needed redemption. After a disappointing opening day, Doug DeVos and his crew returned to form with a controlled second place. Their offshore positioning down the first run paid off, though a brief broach added late drama. Even so, the performance steadied their march towards the season title.

Alegre, meanwhile, continued their quietly consistent run, banking another podium finish in third. With strategist Pietro Sibello now supporting tactician Paul Goodison and navigator Francesco Mongelli, the British team remain firmly in the hunt.

Paprec also held strong, finishing fourth to keep pressure on the podium race. For Phoenix, however, the story was less encouraging. The South African team, reinforced by SailGP stars Tom Slingsby, Will Ryan, and Kyle Langford, battled but could only manage eighth in the heavy breeze, slipping to fourth overall.

Trouble for Platoon

Germany’s Platoon Aviation endured another setback. After the collision damage of Day 1, Harm Müller-Spreer’s crew appeared to be regrouping when disaster struck again. A botched spinnaker drop at the leeward mark unravelled their race, sending them tumbling down the fleet from third to an eventual eleventh, and deepening their woes.

Alpha+, the heroes of Day 1 with a stunning race win, settled for mid-fleet with ninth, but remain tied on points with Italy’s Alkedo.

Standings after Day 2

Sled’s storming victory catapulted them five points clear of Alegre, with Paprec and Phoenix tied on 15 points in third and fourth. American Magic’s return to form lifted them to sixth, while Platoon’s podium ambitions are fading fast.

Leaderboard after Day 2

1. Sled, USA, Takashi Okura, 4+2+1= 7
2. Alegre, GBR, Andy Soriano, 6+3+3= 12
3. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 2+9+4 = 15
4. Phoenix, RSA, Tina and Hasso Plattner, 3+4+8= 15
5. Platoon Aviation, GER, Harm Müller-Spreer, 1+6.5(RDG)+11= 18.5
6. American Magic Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos, 10+8+2 = 20
7. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley, 7+6(+3)+5 = 21
8. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 11+5+6= 22
9. Alpha+, HKG, Shawn and Tina Kang, 13+1+9= 23
10. Alkedo, ITA, Andrea Lacorte, 9+7+7 = 23
11. Vayu, THA, Whitcraft family, 8+10+10= 28
12. Crioula, BRA, Eduardo and Renato Plass, 5+11+13= 29
13. Teasing Machine, FRA, Eric de Turckheim, 12+12+12= 36

With Sled flying high and Alegre proving resilient, the podium fight is heating up. Paprec and Phoenix are locked together, while American Magic will want to build on their Day 2 recovery. If the Mistral continues to blow, the 52 Super Series finale in Porto Cervo promises more speed, spray, and shaken nerves before the week is out.

2025 Season Points

These are the points for the 2025 52 Super Series season including Race Days 1 and 2,  Porto Cervo.

1. American Magic Quantum Racing, 151 points
2. Sled, 179 points
3. Paprec, 214.5 points
4. Alkedo, 220 points
5. Platoon Aviation, 225.5 points
6. Alpha+, 237.5 points
7. Alegre, 241 points
8. Vayu, 249 points
9. Provezza, 267 points
10. Gladiator, 295 points
11. Phoenix, 322 points
12. Crioula, 368 points
13. Teasing Machine, 381 points