FINAL DAY – Rolex TP52 World Championship PORTO CERVO 2026
As Joakim Sundberg’s Swedish flagged Trinity Racing, newcomers to the circuit this season, composed the best scoreline of the day with a third and a first, to elevate themselves to third place on the standings five points off the top of the standings, it is Shawn and Tina Kang’s Hong Kong crew on Alpha Plus which head in the final day of the Rolex TP52 World Championship leading by just one single point ahead of 2021’s world champions Sled.
For the record 15 strong fleet this was the closest and most intense day of racing so far this season. In the light sea breezes and perfectly flat waters speeds were very, very even upwind and downwind. With Ed Baird calling tactics for the new Swedish flagged team, Trinity have executed consistently on a simple plan. They start towards the right end of the start line and getting right which has mostly given them a chance to sail to the boat’s full speed potential whilst not getting engaged with other rivals. It also maximising their time on starboard tack which gives them rights over approaching boats.
Baird explained, “We are excited to have had a great day. Even though it is not summer yet the Swedes celebrate midsummer today so we are very focused and fired up with lots of fans watching the team at home. Our formula is to stay out of trouble and we stayed out of trouble today. We got out to the right of both starts on the right side of course. It was good enough there. There were no dramatic gains but it was good enough to get us in the top group at the top mark. I know it is going to be a little lighter tomorrow but we are just going to try and stay away from problem situations.”
Alpha Plus and Sled swapped the world championship lead over the two races. With Sled fourth and Alpha Plus fifth in Race 7, which was won by Vayu, the 2021 World Champions and 2026 circuit leaders took the lead again. But as they tried to execute a pin end start on the second race and had to bail out from their position between Crioula and Platoon Aviation, they could only make a ninth. Alpha Plus also had given themselves work to do by the first windward mark, but key for the Kangs’ crew was getting one boat between them in seventh and Sled in ninth.
Fourth at the worlds in 2024 in Newport RI and then on the podium for the first time ever in Puerto Portals, Alpha Plus are in all new territory going into Saturday’s world title showdown in the lead. But they have a rock solid afterguard in Ado Stead and Ian Moore and sailing with a potent mix of speed and confidence.
Project manager Luke Van Der Kamp admitted, “Today was definitely a bit tougher. The whole fleet really came put to play. Today was some of the tightest racing we have had. The first top mark of Race 1 I was both scared and excited, even watching it back on the replay. Every boat has stepped up and can get you at any time. We are keeping our heads down and just working hard. I think when you have been to rock bottom before you learn how to climb your way out. We started our week off badly and today we got to the top mark of the second race but we have shown we can dig our way out and we did. Our mantra this week has been heads down, work hard execute all our manoeuvres, trust the afterguard. We have fantastic guys at the back of the boat they put us in the right spot.”
And Sled’s Francesco Bruni acknowledged, “We had two starts which were not brilliant and we fought our way through. We had two OK results which put us in second overall and that puts us in the fight on the last day. It is not going to be easy but we will give it everything. Now we have to keep our heads cool, do our jobs and if the results come we will be super happy.”
Rolex TP52 World Championship Porto Cervo 2026 Provisional Standings after eight of 10 races
1. Alpha Plus (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 12+12+2+1+3+1+5+7 = 43
2. Sled, Takashi Okura, 5+1+6+12+5+2+4+9 = 44
3. Trinity (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 10+13+3+2+12+4+3+1 = 48
4. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 1+9+10+5+6+14+2+4 = 51
5. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 4+6+9+6+2+6+10+8 = 51
6. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 13+4+1+3+4+9+8+11 = 53
7. Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 7+11+13+14+1+8+6+2 = 62
8. No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 6+2+7+8+8+3+13+15 = 62
9. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10+5+13+7+5+11+3 = 62
10. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 3+3+14+11+9+10+1+12 = 63
11. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 11+8+4+10+11+7+9+6 = 66
12. Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 2+14+11+9+10+11+7+5 = 69
13. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 15+5+8+4+15+15+12+10 = 84
14. Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim, 9+7+15+7+13+13+14+13 = 91
15. Vudu (ITA), Mauro Gestri, 14+15+12+15+14+12+15+14 = 111
