After a day of no racing due to lack of wind followed by a storm, the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week kicked off with a spectacular day of wind and action in the bay of Palma.

El Phoenix adelantando al Alpha+ en las 52 super series
The Phoenix overtaking the Alpha+

The fleet took to the water with a three-race programme and returned to the Puerto Portals marina with a job well done. With steady winds of 12-14 knots from the southwest, the Mallorcan race course proved its reputation.

Tony Langley’s British Gladiator team stood out as the winner of the first event of the week, taking advantage of a strategic choice in the field that secured them an early lead. This victory, the team’s fifth of the season, was an impressive achievement that positioned them as serious contenders in the competition.

Collision of the Platoon and the Sled due to the Gladiator
Collision of the Platoon and the Sled due to the Gladiator

However, the second start of the day brought a dramatic twist when the German Platoon and the American Sled collided due to a risky manoeuvre by the Gladiator. This incident knocked both teams out of action, and they headed ashore to assess the damage. Meanwhile, on the race course, Hong Kong’s Alpha+, led by Shawn and Tina Kang, secured a historic victory, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with on the circuit.

The third and final race of the day saw Phoenix stand out, showing an impressive reading of the course and securing the lead from the first mark to the finish. The addition of multi-time America’s Cup winner Ed Baird as tactician seems to have revitalised the South African team, which returned to the top after a quiet start to the season.

The incident at the second start of the day resulted in penalties for Gladiator and Platoon, with the latter now in third place in the provisional event. The battle for the 52 SUPER SERIES 2023 title continues to intensify, with Provezza losing ground to Platoon.

In the provisional classification of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week, Hasso Plarner’s Phoenix leads with a total of 9 points, closely followed by Doug DeVos’ Quantum Racing powered by American Magic with 11 points. Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon is in third place with 14 points.

Excitement and competition are at an all-time high in this final event of the season, and there are still seven races to go to determine the 52 SUPER SERIES 2023 champion!

Provisional classification Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week 1. PHOENIX (RSA) Hasso Plarner, 5+3+1 = 9 2. QUANTUM RACING POWERED BY AMERICAN MAGIC (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+4+3 = 11 3. PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 3+5,5+5,5 = 14 4. ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 2+7+6 = 15 5. ALPHA+ (HKG), Shawn y Tina Kang, 7+1+9 = 17 6. PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 9+6+2 = 17 7. SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 6+5,5+5,5 = 17 8. INTERLODGE (USA), Austin y Gwen Fragomen, 8+2+8 = 18 9. VAYU (THA), Familia Whitcraft, 11+5+5 = 21 10. PAPREC (FRA), Jean-Luc Pethuguenin, 10+8+4 = 22 11. GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 1+12+7(+4) = 24

SOURCE: Gabinete de comunicación de las 52 Super Series

IMAGES: Villegas Photo