Loïck Peyron’s tactical nous has steered Paprec to the top of the Rolex TP52 World Championship standings after two days of racing off the Sardinian coast. The French team holds a two-point lead over No Way Back, with Sled slipping to third following a disappointing twelfth-place finish in day two’s final race.
Wednesday’s conditions in Porto Cervo brought moderate easterly breezes of eight to ten knots, producing the kind of racing where tactical positioning and crew execution separated the contenders. Paprec demonstrated both in Race Three, claiming the pin end at the start and never relinquishing the lead despite sustained pressure from Hong Kong’s Alpha+ and Sweden’s Trinity Racing, where Ed Baird called tactics. The French crew held their nerve through frequent lead changes across the first windward leg, fending off Adrian Stead’s tactical manoeuvres from Alpha+ to secure the race win.
The real story of the day lay in the battle for clear air. With fifteen competitive boats in the fleet, the difference between clean wind and the dirty air of the boat ahead proved decisive. Teams that seized the lead could control the race, while those caught in the middle found themselves squeezed between an undesirable course and compromised wind. This dynamic kept positions fluid through the lower part of the fleet, where surges and reversals happened constantly.
Race Four produced a different winner. Alpha+ climbed to the top as wind shifted right and gusts favoured the committee boat end. Trinity Racing trailed closely, while Paprec locked in third to consolidate their day’s work. Guillermo Parada’s Gladiator capitalised on the same rightward wind shift on the second upwind leg, climbing back to fourth, while No Way Back recovered from mid-fleet to eighth and secured a provisional second overall.
Sled’s collapse from first to third tells the story of how quickly momentum can evaporate in the TP52 class. A twelfth-place result wiped away their overnight advantage, handing the initiative to Peyron’s crew.
Racing continues tomorrow at 1 p.m. CEST with similar wind patterns expected. Paprec will need to maintain their consistency through the remaining races, but their two-point buffer and proven tactical execution suggest they have the tools to keep their rivals at bay. The championship is far from settled, yet the French team has positioned itself exactly where they want to be.
