An 11-point buffer at the start of the final round should feel comfortable. For Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation, heading to Valencia with the 52 Super Series title within reach, it doesn’t feel that way at all. The German-flagged boat knows that 2024’s heart-stopping finale, when Quantum Racing claimed victory by a single point on the dying breath of the season, set the template for how this championship plays out. In Spain’s America’s Cup city, another thriller is brewing.
Platoon arrive as leaders after a commanding display at Puerto Calero in Lanzarote, where they found form that had been missing for years. Yet Takashi Okura’s Sled, this year’s world champions and winners of the opening two regattas, refuse to concede. A heartbreaking technical breakdown at the most recent event cost them dearly, but they know nine points can evaporate in a single bad day on the water.
The battle for the podium steps amplifies the intrigue further. Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Cetilar cling to third, also 11 points clear, while France’s Paprec—third overall last year—sit just one point ahead of Swedish newcomers Trinity, who are mounting a genuine podium assault in their debut season. Ed Baird, Trinity’s America’s Cup-winning tactician, captures the mood perfectly: “Valencia will be about who brings the magic. Every top team has had their moments. Platoon have been coming strong, Provezza just finished on the podium, so there will be dogfights, and that helps the rest of us.”
Müller-Spreer radiates confidence. “We feel we can win. We started the season with that objective and nothing has changed. It’s been a while getting this boat working well, but now I feel we have the package—the boat and the team with experience and drive.” His tactician Vasco Vascotto adds: “It’s a privilege leading at this stage. If you’d told me this at the start I’d have signed up immediately.”
Sled’s Don Cowie, mainsheet trimmer and project manager, knows the fight isn’t over. “We’re going out swinging. We need to avoid silly penalties and sail solid races. Our starts need work.” The crew’s determination remains undimmed despite recent setbacks.
Valencia’s notoriously variable conditions—shifty offshore breezes, light airs, sometimes too much wind—reward opportunists and punish formulaic strategies. The race area off Malvarrosa Beach offers no guarantees. Alkedo Cetilar’s bowman Matteo De Luca expects fairer racing than the chaotic Canaries conditions, whilst French tactician Loïck Peyron, now partnered with navigator Yoann Richomme, believes Paprec are still climbing the curve. “We want to finish on the podium like last year, but there are so many good teams it won’t be easy.”
With 16 teams from 11 nations—the fleet’s largest turnout—and John Huhn’s American Katana stepping up with a strong crew aboard the well-sorted 2018 boat that won Platoon the 2023 title, the competition has never been deeper. Racing runs Tuesday 6th to Saturday 10th October. Expect the unexpected.
