Rolex TP52 World Championship in Cascais - Day 4
by 52 Super Series 5 Jul 2025 11:45 PDT
1-6 July 2025
After three spectacular races today on Cascais, Portugal's showcase high winds arena, Doug DeVos' seven times world title winners American Magic Quantum Racing lead into the final day of the 2025 Rolex TP52 World Championship with a hard earned five points buffer.
The US-team, which won the worlds last time they were sailed here in 2018, may seem to be on course to add an eighth to their long list of honours, but they had to work extra hard today after being over the start line in the final contest of the day. Then, having fought their way back into contention, both American Magic and their nearest title rivals, Paprec, had to bail out spectacularly from a late port tack approach at the top mark losing multiple places in a costly error.
And so while Takashi Okura's Sled sailed an impeccable day in the 20-28kts winds and big seas, going 1,3,3 to substantially enhance their world title challenge, the resulting eighth place finish for American Magic Quantum Racing and tenth for the French Paprec crew means they both finished the long, hard three race day ruing that costly mistake which came about because they were so locked into fighting each other.
After leading into the day with a lead of one point, the French team now lie second. Their project manager and mainsheet trimmer Stepahane Névé grimaced, "We made a big mistake on the second upwind. We were too focused on American Magic instead of looking big picture at the others and in the end it was a mess. It is our fault, we made a mistake and we need to learn from it. We need to focus on what we can gain and lose during a race like that. We need to focus more. Tomorrow will be big, we need to learn from today, continue to fight. We are are still in a good position. Anything can happen."
American Magic Quantum Racing had just gone 2,2 from the first two races, tactician Terry Hutchinson and strategist Victor Diaz de Leon, combining to manage their risk quite precisely, working the favoured side of the course.
Super Sled
Sled won the first race by a country mile ahead of American Magic. After a technical breakdown left them trailing home a distant 11th the three times world champions Platoon Aviation then reeled off an equally comprehensive race win before Andrea Lacorte's Alkeda Vitamina won the final contest to keep the pressure on the top three. The Italian team are now only eight points off their second consecutive podium after taking third in Baiona.
For Sunday's big finale the forecasts promise potentially the strongest breezes of the week, possibly up to 30 knots.
Reviewing their day James Lyne the coach of American Magic Quantum Racing reflected, "It was top end conditions today and that last race was as much fun as it gets. We were over the start line at the start, we sailed right back into and into a great match with Paprec and then at the top mark it went wrong. We will debrief what happened but nonetheless we are going into the last day of the worlds leading and with a chance of winning and that is all you want. So we are there in that respect, now we will see what the weather gods give us for tomorrow but it will be fresh, pretty fresh."
Navigator on third placed Sled, Italy's Andrea Visintini added, "The key for us today was having a lot of fun, a lot of positive energy on board, and most of all getting one thing after another correct. The first thing was being able to start in our own lane, being able to get to the right side of the first beat as that was the favoured side, and then managing the crew work which has been exceptional, Francesco (Bruni) has been amazing, Beasho (Adam Beashel helm) was great and everybody did their jobs really well. For me as navigator it was hard as with the sea state it was hard to see the marks on the first part of the upwinds for example, you have to trust the instruments on the first part of the leg. We closed the gap to American Magic and Paprec and also it's good for the season. And so now it is all on tomorrow."
Rolex TP52 World Championship Cascais 2025 Provisional Leaderboard after Day 4:
1. American Magic Quantum Racing (USA), Doug DeVos, 3+2+1+3+6 +2+28= 27pts
2. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 4+1+5+2+2+3+5+10 = 32pts
3. Sled (USA), Takashi Okura, 1+3+9+8+8+1+3+3 = 36pts
4. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 10+6+8+1+3+6+9+1 = 44pts
5. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 5+11+4+9+4+4+10+2 = 49pts
6. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 2+5+11+5+10+5+8+4 = 50pts
7. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 11+4+6+6+7+11+1+5 = 51pts
8. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 9+9+3+4+9+7+4+6 = 51pts
9. Phoenix (RSA), Tina & Hasso Plattner, 8+10+2+11+1+9+6+7 = 54pts
10. Alpha+ (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 7+8+7+10+11+8+7+9 = 67pts
11. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 6+7+10+7+5+10+11+11(+2) = 69pts