Sled arrived in Lanzarote as the team everyone else wants to catch. Fresh off their two-point victory at last month’s Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Takashi Okura’s crew are hunting a fourth consecutive regatta win, which would match Quantum Racing’s streak from a decade ago. With Murray Jones — the six-times America’s Cup-winning Kiwi — calling strategy and Italian Francesco Bruni handling tactics, they’ve shown the kind of consistency that wins seasons, not just races.
But the Canary Islands present a different beast entirely. The trade winds funnelling between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are expected to push 10 to 18 knots, possibly more, and that’s where conditions start separating the sharp outfits from the rest. Project manager Don Cowie refuses to sound complacent, despite the unbeaten record so far this year. “Look back at the worlds — Alpha Plus went into the last day with a one-point lead and Trinity came through anyway. You can’t take momentum for granted,” he says. “The fleet is definitely getting tougher every event. Several boats can win in Lanzarote and that makes it exciting.”
He’s right. Thirteen boats from eleven nations are mustering on the water, and this isn’t a field where one team dominates. Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation sits second overall, 15 points adrift. Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec nearly claimed the world title at windy Cascais last year and love these conditions. Then there’s No Way Back, Pieter Heerema’s Dutch newcomer crewed by several Quantum Racing alumni. Heerema is learning the TP52 class this season, but his team laid solid foundations in strong breezes before Easter in Majorca.
No Way Back’s navigator Michele Ivaldi doesn’t buy the Sled narrative. “They’re sailing really well, but they’re not unbeatable,” he says flatly. “I think ten boats can win. Every time we start a regatta it’s back to zero with no history.” Ivaldi is optimistic too. His strategist Lucas Calabrese, an Argentine Olympic bronze medallist, brings fresh eyes and a proven partnership with tactician Terry Hutchinson. “Having a dedicated strategist helps because strategy and navigation really are two full-time jobs,” Ivaldi explains. “We keep working on our platform and looking for the one per cent that makes the difference.”
Paprec have added genuine star power for Lanzarote. They’ve recruited Yoann Richomme, the double Route du Rhum winner, Vendée Globe runner-up and two-times La Solitaire du Figaro victor, as navigator. It’s his first grand prix monohull racing at this level, but Stephane Névé, Paprec’s project manager, isn’t worried. “We like the wind. I think strong conditions remind us of home in Brittany and Normandy where we tend to be fast,” he says. Last year in Cascais, they made just one mistake and didn’t break a single sail all season — in this fleet, that’s the margin between winning and fifth place.
Racing runs from 21 to 26 July, with Monday serving as the official practice day. At this halfway point of the five-regatta season, Sled hold 89 points. Platoon Aviation sit on 104, with Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Vitamina third on 114. The wind is coming, the fleet is deep, and in Lanzarote, the slate really does get wiped clean.
