A record fleet of 15 boats from 11 nations is gathering in Porto Cervo next week, and the 2026 Rolex TP52 World Championship looks wide open. The competition has become so evenly matched that more than half the fleet genuinely believes they can take the title, with the difference between winning and fifth place likely to hinge on consistency across a full series rather than single breakthrough races.
The key to victory, according to Simon Fry, Gladiator’s trimmer and 2024 world champion, lies in avoiding the catastrophic scorecard. “Banking the thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths is going to be so important in a fleet of this size now. You cannot drop a 12th or 13th on your scorecard. Realistically there are only three or four boats you would discount from an overall win,” he says.
Three previous world champions return to defend their credentials. Takashi Okura’s Sled won in 2021 and comes in hot after claiming victory at this same venue last season and again in Puerto Portals last month. Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation holds three world titles dating back to 2017, while Gladiator’s Tony Langley captured the crown in Newport just two years ago. That pedigree matters, but it offers no guarantee in a fleet this tight.
Sled’s tactician Francesco Bruni frames the challenge plainly. “Our boat is going well but it is more how we sail the boat. With more boats the risk management is a key factor. You have to deal with the bad moments. We have a great team around us, and that makes a big difference. You work with a lot less pressure and can trust your instincts a lot more,” Bruni explains.
Platoon Aviation finished runners-up last month in Mallorca. Jordi Calafat, an Olympic gold medallist now serving as their strategist, is honest about where they stand. “We don’t have the fastest boat out there so we still have a little bit of work to do. But there are conditions where we are fast, and with more boats, if you start well and sail well that gives you chances.”
Gladiator returns with the setup that won them the world title in the USA, but owner Langley’s injury sidelined him in Puerto Portals. That means new strategist Victor Diaz de Leon, the 2025 world champion with American Magic Quantum Racing, hasn’t had race time to build rapport with skipper Guille Parada. Fry remains measured. “We have a chance to win. The level is so impressive.”
Andrea Lacorte’s Italian boat Alkedo Vitamina is widely recognised as one of the quickest hulls in the fleet, the only team to win two races in Mallorca. Ergin Imre’s Provezza topped the standings after the opening event, while Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back fielded a crew consisting of 75 per cent former American Magic/Quantum Racing talent. The team welcomes back Lucas Calabrese, a 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, as strategist this week.
Porto Cervo last hosted the world championship in 2014, when Ed Baird’s Quantum Racing edged Azzurra by just two points. Expect similar conditions: strong Mistral winds one day, glassy calms the next, with sea breeze thrown in. That variable pattern will reward consistency and punish the fleet willing to take risks.
One newcomer, Vudu, is making its 52 Super Series debut. Owner-driver Mauro Gestri’s Italian boat was relaunched from its previous life as Azzurra and recently finished second at the ORC World Championships. “Our owner is still relatively new, this is our second season together and his second season ever racing. We are looking to learn as much as we can,” says Giovanni Sanfelice, their downwind trimmer.
Racing begins Tuesday after Monday’s practice day. With eight different winners possible across the fleet and margins measured in single-digit points, Porto Cervo promises a genuine championship open to the field.
