52 SUPER SERIES 2026: Sled wins in Puerto Portals and takes the first overall lead of the season
The 2026 52 SUPER SERIES season opened under the banner of Sled. Takashi Okura’s team secured victory at the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week after nine races marked by changing conditions and a final day sailed in strong breeze and rough seas.
With 42 points overall, Sled finished ahead of Platoon Aviation, owned by Harm Müller-Spreer, and No Way Back of Pieter Heerema. Further back were Provezza and Alkedo Vitamina, owned by Andrea Lacorte, both of which nevertheless remained competitive throughout a week of close racing at the top of the fleet.
The final day of racing began with ideal conditions to complete the programme: easterly breeze between 17 and 19 knots and a well-developed sea state. Right from the first start, Sled, Paprec and Platoon Aviation engaged in a tight battle on the left side of the course, while Alkedo initially suffered from Platoon Aviation’s cover, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics. The opening race quickly turned into a direct duel between Sled and Paprec, with No Way Back and Alpha+ also joining the fight for the leading positions. Only on the second beat did the American team manage to extend enough to control the race to the finish, taking the win ahead of Paprec and Platoon Aviation. The second race of the day was sailed in even tougher conditions, with gusts above 20 knots and shifting breeze. Paprec was forced to restart after being called OCS at the start, while Provezza, Alpha+ and Gladiator found better pace on the left-hand side of the course.
Teasing Machine emerged as the early leader, followed closely by Paprec, which mounted an impressive comeback after its starting penalty. Sweden’s Trinity Racing, highly competitive during the opening days of the regatta, lost ground after a gennaker failure. With the breeze continuing to build and boats planing at over 20 knots, the second beat developed into a match-race-style duel between Paprec and Teasing Machine. The French team eventually completed its comeback to win the race ahead of Teasing Machine and Sled, whose third-place finish was enough to secure overall victory. Conditions further intensified late in the afternoon, with gusts exceeding 25 knots, leading the Race Committee to conclude the event after nine races.
Commenting on the win, Francesco Bruni, tactician aboard Sled, said: "It’s an impressive victory. It was truly a team effort. At the end of the first race of the day we had a mainsail halyard failure. Our bowman Ivan Peute climbed the mast and fixed it with only two minutes left before the second start. He was definitely the man of the day." Bruni also explained that the team had focused on handling the strong-breeze conditions after mistakes made the previous day, which ended with a 13th-place finish. There was also satisfaction aboard Platoon Aviation. Víctor Mariño highlighted the team’s steady progress throughout the event, noting the growing confidence gained following technical modifications introduced over the winter.
After Mallorca, the circuit now heads to Sardinia for the Rolex TP52 World Championship Porto Cervo 2026, scheduled from June 15 to 20 in Porto Cervo. The fleet will also welcome a new entry, Vudo, owned by Italian owner Mauro Gestri, bringing the total number of competing boats to 15 — the largest fleet in the history of the circuit.
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