The 52 SUPER SERIES fleet ready to conquer Puerto Portals

After two highly competitive races in Newport, Rhode Island, the circuit returns to Europe with an event in Puerto Portals, the most visited venue by the 52 SUPER SERIES since its inception in 2012.

Leading the provisional season standings is Tony Langley's “Gladiator”, recently crowned world champion of TP52 at the Rolex TP52 World Championship. After three events won by three different teams (“Provezza”, “Vayu”, and “Gladiator”), the fleet arrives in Mallorca reinforced with two new programs and displaying unprecedented equality that guarantees a spectacular show in the Bay of Palma. The event will bring together 13 teams from Germany, Brazil, the United States, France, Hong Kong, England, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.

After finishing runner-up in 2023 by a narrow margin and winning the first race of 2024 in Palma in early May, “Provezza” was absent from the two American events while progressing in the construction of its new boat. Its Vrolijk can be described as an evolution of its successful “Provezza X”, while the Botíns launched by “Alegre” and “Platoon Aviation” at the beginning of the season represent a completely new hull design.

“Provezza” enjoyed a full week of training before taking a brief break ahead of its final preparations for the 52 SUPER SERIES Puerto Portals Sailing Week. Only in the last few days of training prior to the race will it measure up against its rivals for the first time.

Tony Langley's “Gladiator” arrives in Mallorca leading the provisional circuit standings with a three-point advantage over Doug DeVos's “Quantum Racing powered by American Magic” and nine points over Takashi Okura's “Sled”.

According to Feargal Finlay, the young project director of “Gladiator”, this will be the toughest test of the season so far: “We all know what Puerto Portals is like now: it's 35 degrees every day, you can be sitting waiting and waiting, and you have to be ready to go at a minute's notice. And you can have anywhere from 6 to 18 knots. This race will be much more about fleet management, more tacking duels. And, with 13 boats, it's a completely different game from ten.”

Hasso and Tina Plattner's “Phoenix” was the winner of the 2023 season finale in Puerto Portals last year and in 2021. Tactician Ed Baird acknowledges they are comfortable at this venue: “It's always a fun place. It's always hard to win a 52 SUPER SERIES, let alone repeat a victory. We were lucky to have a very good week last time, and we'll do our best again this time. And it's wonderful to see the fleet growing; it should be a great regatta.”

With a third place at the Rolex TP52 World Championship in Newport, things are looking good for the new “Platoon Aviation” of Harm Müller-Spreer, a team for which the Bay of Palma has always been a good hunting ground. Tactician Vasco Vascotto is looking forward to returning to Puerto Portals: “We are very happy to be returning to Puerto Portals and to the Bay of Palma, one of the iconic places for the TP52s. And it's great to see the class gaining strength and depth again; we hope to have these kinds of numbers in the future as well. At “Platoon Aviation” we are obviously happier with the latest result; a podium is an excellent result, but we can't be satisfied with that; we need to work hard and sail smart to keep improving.”

The two teams making their debut in Puerto Portals are primarily looking to test their luck and see how they fare in this environment with an eye towards 2025. The Brazilian “Crioula” is managed by brothers Eduardo and Renato Plass, who competed with their previous TP52 – a former Paprec – in South America with considerable success and now come to the 52 SUPER SERIES with one of the fastest boats of recent years: the former “Provezza X”. The tactician and project director, two-time Olympian Sam Albrecht, leads a team that is a mix of professional and amateur sailors from the same club, Veleiros do Sul.

On the other hand, renowned French sailor Eric De Turckheim acquired the old “Gladiator” and, after many years of success in classic offshore races with his 54-foot Teasing Machine, is now set to participate in grand prix coastal races. The team is managed by ocean racing specialist Laurent Pages.

The Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week will take place from August 27 to September 1 in Puerto Portals.