Lanzarote’s south coast is about to deliver a very different story from last month’s wild ride. After the high-wind chaos that gripped the fleet four weeks ago, this week’s Puerto Calero Royal Cup is shaping up as far more tactical racing, at least until Friday brings muscular conditions back to the firing line.
Today’s practice races offered a glimpse of what’s to come. Two sharp windward-leeward sprints in 15 to 22 knots of offshore breeze split the honours between Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back and Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Cetilar, with three-time Royal Cup winner Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation pressing hard in both tests. Müller-Spreer feels the conditions suit his crew’s preparation. “I look back at the last regatta and we won the last two races, including one coming back from being over the start line,” he said. “Racing for a trophy with genuine history is a great additional reward.”
Heerema, who treats Puerto Calero’s waters as home ground, keeps his expectations measured. The Dutch owner-driver has spent years racing out of this marina in everything from RC44s to Dragons, and his house overlooks the race area. But he’s cautious about Platoon Aviation’s chances. “We’re still missing something in communication,” Heerema explained. “Speed in a straight line is there, but under pressure we can improve. There are several boats capable of winning. I’d say we have a five to ten per cent chance.”
Ergin Imre’s Turkish-flagged Provezza made noise in the second race after a tough month when spinnaker damage in the gusty breeze cost several teams dearly. Provezza’s navigator Nacho Postigo reckons the weather pattern is finally breaking their way. A low-pressure system over the Iberian Peninsula has been disrupting the trade winds, but Postigo expects a shift within days. “Today we saw 20 to 22 knots when we weren’t expecting more than 16,” he said. “We had good pace and solid starts in the second race. We’re more consistent now, and the speed is there. We can do much better than we have so far.”
The circuit standings tell a tight story. Takashi Okura’s Sled leads on 120 points after three of five regattas, with Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation just 17 points back. Lacorte’s Alkedo Vitamina and Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec sit close behind, while Heerema’s No Way Back remains within striking distance at 165 points. Friday and Saturday’s heavy breeze will test nerve and boat handling in equal measure. The Royal Cup’s crown may come down to who keeps their nerve when the wind fills.
