Puerto Calero Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Royal Cup
Next week’s Puerto Calero Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Royal Cup is the fourth regatta of the five events which form the 2026 season and the second back-to-back regatta in breezy Lanzarote after last month’s Marina Rubicon Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week.
With 13 teams competing the season is now very much into its second half. It really is starting to feel like racing is tapering towards a fabulous finale in Valencia in early October, but this Puerto Calero regatta represents a number of different opportunities to the teams.
Without doubt the long-awaited fairytale French victory at Marina Rubicon for Jean-Luc Petithuguenin – Paprec’s first event win since joining the circuit in 2012 – offers a massive injection of self-belief for the teams which have come so close to a magical maiden victory so far.
Having seen up close and personal how Paprec closed out their regatta win by staying solid and mistake free on a final day over which the stars aligned, teams like Shawn and Tina Kang’s Alpha Plus, Andy Soriano’s Alegre and Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo head to Marina Rubicon with an added impetus.
Bowman and project manager of the Italian boat Alkedo which finished runners up last month by just two points, Matteo De Luca “For sure we came so close in Lanzarote last month anyway and we want to win a regatta like the French did but we don’t change anything about the calculated risk we take. Of course we want to win a regatta but we figure we sail our best all the time both goals can be achieved, doing well on the circuit standings and winning a regatta. We were very, very well prepared in Lanzarote last month, the boat was very reliable and the sails were dedicated to the conditions and very reliable.”
Crowning glory
Winning at Puerto Calero carries an additional reward is the shape of the historic Royal Cup. The trophy was originally presented to the IMS 50 class in 1995 by King Harald of Norway, Italy’s Pasqale Landolfi, Germany’s Willi Illbruck and Greece’s Yannis Kostopolous but it has become one of the most sought after trophies on the 52 SUPER SERIES circuit.
Of the fleet that will race in Lanzarote next week, Harm Müller-Spreer’s German flagged Platoon Aviation has won the prestigious cup most often, in 2021 in Menorca, in 2023 also in Menorca and most recently in 2024 in Valencia. The renowned German owner-helm, a three times world champion and overall title winner in 2023, loves the prestige and legacy attached to the Royal Cup but his primary focus in Lanzarote will be closing down the 17points gap that they trail behind the circuit leaders, Takashi Okura’s Sled.
“We are sailing well, well enough to have won at Marina Rubicon if we had not torn five or six kites. And 17 points is nothing considering there should be 20 races left to sail this season. We saw how Sled lost points in the closing stages last month. We can make up Anything can still happen. But we believe we can still win the season title. That is our objective, to win the 2026 championship.” Says Müller-Spreer. “Three good days we can make up 17 points.”
Sled keep pushing, keep the faith
After winning the first two regattas of the season, including the Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Takashi Okura’s Sled team faltered on the final races of the Marina Rubicon regatta netting 18 points over the last two races.
Francesco Bruni and the team rue the costly mistakes but Italian tactician insists their processes and approach remain the same as those which have served so well so far this season. The Italian tactician says,
“We were disappointed with our last day. We would have loved to win again but we knew a bad day would come this season. We have to accept it. It is great to win regattas along the way and in fact we were on the podium at Marina Rubicon but right now the objective is to reach Valenica and the last regatta of the season with a healthy lead. No lead is comfortable in this fleet. We have learned our lessons.”
“We will keep an eye on the guys behind us. For sur Vasco and the guys ion Platoon are sailing well now but so are Alkedo and Paprec, everyone is so close together. We need a strong event now.”
Paprec riding the wave
Meanwhile Jean-Luc Petithuguenin and the Paprec team are riding a wave of confidence. Project manager and mainsheet trimmer Stéphane Névé says he sees no reason why they could not win again!
“Let’s look at the weather. We know where we are strong and where we are weak. And if it is breezy again we can have a very strong event but now 50 per cent of the fleet can win a regatta. But now we know we can do it we will be working doubly hard.” Enthuses Névé.
Gladiator beat the clock after major rig damage at Marina Rubicon regatta
Credit to the Gladiator team which has, at the same time as campaigning their home based TP52 Gladiator ‘B Boat@ at Cowes Week, completed a significant race against time to have Gladiator ready to race at Puerto Calero. After the forestay hanger broke there was substantial damage to carbon tube around the fitting site and the British team had to sit out the event after two races.
Project manager Feargal Finlay outlines, “From the day it happened we knew that it was an irreparable on-the-spot repair. So we knew it was going to be all hands on deck to get underway. Chris Hosking jumped in on the repair side with Rig Pro. Once all the details were ironed out as to what we needed to do it was over to the shore team and Rig Pro and Carbo-Link who are the three main coordinators of the job. Even with the best in the business working together we very much needed the stars to align for us to be ready to race in Puerto Calero. The guys at Rig Pro, Southern Spars and at Carbo-Link along with our Ross Hunter, Greg Griffin and Chris Hosking from Gladiator have just worked seamlessly and tirelessly to get the job completed on time.”
“Lanzarote is famously difficult for getting things to so we’ve had to come up with unique ways of flying and shipping and driving components to the island. This was a hurdle but one that was overcome very quickly once a few clear plans were put into place. We have been very lucky to only have hit production times, curing times and weather effects everything. But all these people have been in the right spirits and very collaborative. And it is great to have had backup and support from the other 52 SUPER SERIES teams. We’ve had great support from Quantum Sails. We’ve just had everyone rallying around us. The 52 SUPER SERIES logistics partners have been incredibly helpful in enabling us to arrive to the event late. We are looking to be launching the boat this weekend. We have Carbolink and Rig Pro onsite at the moment working as one just to make sure we are going on the water which is really a big thanks to both of them for working alongside each other in order to get us back sailing again.”
“Of course it’s not just this that’s going on. It’s the same routine maintenance that we have that goes on between all these regattas. As everyone knows, we almost strip these boats apart these days. Winches come apart, systems come apart. There’s still jobs to be done from the last regatta. But a big, big thanks to everyone who made this happen.”
New but not unknown
While Marina Rubicon – 20 miles west of Calero – was a completely new venue to the 52 SUPER SERIES, many of the team sailors have raced and won at Puerto Calero so it is a better known venue, but most other class regattas have been late or early season. And the trade winds do blow most regularly in the summer.
And the TP52 World Championship were sailed from Puerto Calero Marina in October 2008.
Racing starts Tuesday 25th August and runs to Saturday 29nd August
Royal Cup winners
2012 Rán Racing, Palma
2013 Quantum Racing, Ibiza
2014 Quantum Racing, Ibiza
2015 Quantum Racing, Cascais
2016 Quantum Racing Scarlino
2017 Azzurra, Miami
2018 Luna Rossa, Zadar
2019 Provezza, Puerto Sherry
2021 Platoon, Menorca
2022 Quantum Racing, Scarlino
2023 Platoon, Menorca
2024 Platoon, Valencia
2025 American Magic, Baiona
Puerto Calero Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Royal Cup Entry List
Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano
Alpha + (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang
Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte
Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass
Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley
No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema
Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin
Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer
Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre
Sled, Takashi Okura
Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim
Trinity Racing (SWE), Joakim Sundberg
Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family
