52 SUPER SERIES – Porto Cervo – Range Rover DAY 3
With a race win which they delivered with a near perfect execution in brisk Mistral conditions, Takashi Okura’s Sled today moved further ahead at the top of the leaderboard at the 52 SUPER SERIES Porto Cervo Range Rover regatta on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda.
The US-flagged team which races in the colours of the New York Yacht Club made a solid, well-timed start towards the pin end of the line to round the top mark in second place behind Andy Soriano’s Alegre. Sled got ahead on the second upwind and down the final run had enough in hand to not be stressed by the spirited scrap over second, third and fourth places between Alegre, American Magic Quantum Racing and Paprec.
Sled’s first winning gun of this final regatta of the 52 SUPER SERIES season sees Okura’s crew strengthen their grip on second overall for 2025, whilst a much better race for Doug DeVos and the American Magic Quantum Racing team, taking second, returns their circuit title quest to schedule after a shaky opening day, Tuesday.
Boat and sail handling was put to the test today with the wind topping 28kts as the two lap race progressed. Sled showed typically exemplary, polished form as befits the team that won the last time the 52 SUPER SERIES was on the Costa Smeralda in 2019.
Conversely, after their trials and tribulations in yesterday’s aborted Race 2 start – when they had to abandon with crew and boat injuries – just when it looked like Platoon Aviation had worked themselves into a strong position, third or fourth down the first run, the German flagged team lost control of the spinnaker at the leeward mark drop and slumped way down the fleet.
With yesterday’s fourth and second places added to their victory today Sled now lead by five points ahead of Andy Soriano’s Alegre which is going well, new strategist Italian ace Pietro Sibello now supporting Brit Paul Goodison and Italian Francesco Mongelli, tactician and navigator respectively.
Don Cowie, mainsheet trimmer, beamed, “It was a great day for Sled. Lots of fun, pure Porto Cervo. We reached 21.5 knots of speed downwind. But it’s very tough, very windy and with lots of gusts, we’re very happy with how the boat performed. At the start of the day we agreed that we had to be careful, be cautious. We reminded ourselves that “to finish first, first you have to finish”. Porto Cervo has been good to us in the past, but there is still a long way to go in the championship.”
American Magic Quantum Racing sailed an impressive first run, staying offshore to the left of the downwind to move up to second which they held despite a minor, heart-stopping mini broach which they recovered from quickly on the final run.
The 52 SUPER SERIES – Porto Cervo – Range Rover continues tomorrow, Thursday with up to three races scheduled after a warning signal planned for 1200hrs local times
The 52 SUPER SERIES – Porto Cervo – Range Rover competition is broadcast live on the official 52 SUPER SERIES website and on https://www.youtube.com/user/52SuperSeries.
52 SUPER SERIES – Porto Cervo – Range Rover standings after three races
1. Sled, USA, Takashi Okura, 4+2+1= 7
2. Alegre, GBR, Andy Soriano, 6+3+3= 12
3. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 2+9+4 = 15
4. Phoenix, RSA, Tina and Hasso Plattner, 3+4+8= 15
5. Platoon Aviation, GER, Harm Müller-Spreer, 1+6.5(RDG)+11= 18.5
6. American Magic Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos, 10+8+2 = 20
7. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley, 7+6(+3)+5 = 21
8. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 11+5+6= 22
9. Alpha+, HKG, Shawn and Tina Kang, 13+1+9= 23
10. Alkedo, ITA, Andrea Lacorte, 9+7+7 = 23
11. Vayu, THA, Whitcraft family, 8+10+10= 28
12. Crioula, BRA, Eduardo and Renato Plass, 5+11+13= 29
13. Teasing Machine, FRA, Eric de Turckheim, 12+12+12= 36
