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Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week – Day 2


We have lift off! Platoon Aviation extends regatta lead

During the second consecutive day of racing at the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week, Platoon Aviation, the 2023 circuit champions, emerged as the boat of the day. They showcased impressive performance among the 13-boat fleet representing nine nations.

With a fourth and a first place finish, Harm Müller-Spreer’s German-flagged team has widened their lead at the top of the standings to 11 points. Their consistent high-level performance indicates that they are getting to grips with their powerful new boat, which was launched earlier this spring.

After four races in good sea breezes on the Bay of Palma, Platoon Aviation has secured two victories, positioning themselves strongly as they enter the middle phase of the ten-race regatta. Their improved speed and growing confidence among the crew—who won both the Rolex TP52 World Championship and the overall 2023 52 SUPER SERIES title last year—are key factors in their success.

Jordi Calafat, the team’s Palma-based strategist, shared his optimism about their progress, noting, “I think we are finally getting some momentum. The two previous events in Newport were not bad, but the first regatta of the season at PalmaVela was terrible. Now, everything is working better, and a bit of luck on the race course is helping us out.” He mentions the challenge of adapting from a Vrolijk design to a Botin, emphasizing the learning curve they have gone through with the new boat.

While Platoon maintained their record of finishing all races in the top four, their nearest competitors had mixed results. Gladiator, with Tony Langley at the helm, faced an off day with finishes of tenth and fifth, leaving them 11 points behind in second place. Quantum Racing had a tougher time, struggling with mistakes that resulted in a 12th in the second race, dropping them to sixth overall.

The second-best boat of the day was Jean Luc Petithuguenin’s Paprec, who successfully paired a second and a fourth finish, now sitting third overall. Mainsheet trimmer Stephane Névé expressed satisfaction with their team’s performance, particularly in stronger wind conditions, indicating significant improvement in their starts and overall speed.

Tina and Hasso Plattner’s Phoenix sailed to a comfortable victory in Race 3, while Platoon overcame a quick Provezza XI in the second beat of Race 4. As the wind shifted during the last run, Platoon doused their spinnaker first and sailed through to victory, with Provezza finishing second in only their second day of racing.

Provezza’s navigator, Nacho Postigo, remarked on their surprise at being so competitive early in their new boat’s debut, highlighting the challenges of learning to maneuver in a larger fleet. He anticipates better conditions for tomorrow’s sailing.

Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week Standings after Day 2:

1. PLATOON AVIATION (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 1+2+4+1 = 8pts
2. GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 3+1+10+5 = 19pts
3. PAPREC (FRA), Jean-Luc Pethuguenin, 6+8+2+4 = 20pts
4. INTERLODGE (USA), Austin & Gwen Fragomen, 8+3+9+3 = 23pts
5. PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso & Tina Plattner, 11+7+1+6 = 25pts
6. QUANTUM RACING POWERED BY AMERICAN MAGIC (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+6+3+12 = 25pts
7. SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 5+9+8+11 = 33pts
8. ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 10+10+5+8 = 33pts
9. PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 7+13+12+2 = 34pts
10. CRIOULA (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 2+12+13+7 = 34pts
11. VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 9+5+11+9 = 34pts
12. ALPHA+ (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 12+4+7+13 = 36pts
13. TEASING MACHINE (FRA), Eric De Turckheim, 13+11+6+10 = 40pts


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