Rolex TP52 World Championship CASCAIS 2025 – Day 3
American Magic Quantum Racing stepped three points clear at the top of the 2025 Rolex TP52 World Championship leaderboard today in Cascais, Portugal on the strength of a first and third from two breezy races but it is also the consistency to date of the French team on Paprec which stands out as impressive.
Jean-Luc Petithuguenin’s team on the blue hulled boat had another solid day, starting well and proving they have great downwind speed, excellent starting and astute tactics, recording a 5,2 to retain second place on the 11 boat leaderboard, now nine points clear of the American boat Sled. This morning’s world championship leaders Sled had a less than stellar pair of races to drop to third only just ahead of Andy Soriano’s Alegre who are fourth.
American Magic had their best start in the first race today allowing them to lead at the top mark. In 18-20kts of breeze they were the first and only team of the leading group to gybe set and go to the left of the long downwind. That gave them a big lead by the leeward gate whilst the Whitcraft family’s Vayu -with Nick Rogers and Manu Weiler on strategy and tactics – did the same and made a gain from seventh to a second. They lost second to the Plattners’ Phoenix on the final run but the resulting third was then complemented by a fourth place which sees them move to sixth overall.
It was the offshore lane, the right of the downwind where there was much more wind, the NW’ly breeze accelerating and wrapping round the Cape to the north and into the Bay. Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Vitamina recognised the potential gain and jumped from sixth to score the Italian teams first win together in such big winds and waves, Cameron Appleton and Portugal’s four times Olympian Alvaro Marinho combining in the Alkedo afterguard. The team which only started on the circuit this season and finished third in Galicia last month move up to fith,
Owner-driver Lacorte enthused: “We did something special, we made some mistakes on the first upwind but as is normal we pushed to the max as a team, the tactician made a call to go right and we gained. It was good, I am so excited, so pleased to get that win. And we move up the leaderboard. I am looking to be best owner driver here, I can’t compete with guys equally with guys who do this for a living. I like to compare myself myself wih non professional drivers. It was a very exciting race.”
Pit man on the regatta leading American Magic-Quantum Racing Matt Cassidy said, “The goal is to be consistent and a 1,3 today fits. First race we got a good start, got ahead and just extended from then. Second race we did not have a good start and fortunately we managed to bail out on port. Round the top mark we were third and we just tried to pass boats and not be passed, we were bounced between second and fifth and so third was good. Starting on port two boat lengths back on the line was not the plan, we got hooked by Alpha Plus tacked out came back on starboard and got hooked by Alkedo so we were but parked, we found a spot to get out of there and did so. But, hey, we are only four races in from ten and so our goal is to keep doing the basics well. And tomorrow will be a lighter day and so anything can happen. And as the breeze comes back up Saturday and Sunday make sure the boat is going well, is reliable and we don’t have any breakages.”
Rolex TP52 World Championship Cascais 2025 Leaderboard after four races
1. American Magic Quantum Racing (USA), Doug DeVos, 3+2+1+3 = 9
2. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 4+1+5+2 = 12
3. Sled (USA), Takashi Okura, 1+3+9+8 = 21
4. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 2+5+11+5 = 23
5. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 10+6+8+1 = 25
6. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 9+9+3+4 = 25
7. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 11+4+6+6 = 27
8. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 5+11+4+9 = 29
9. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 6+7+10+7 = 30
10. Phoenix (RSA), Tina & Hasso Plattner, 8+10+2+11 = 31
11. Alpha+ (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 7+8+7+10 = 32
