Rolex TP52 World Championship in Cascais - Overall
by 52 Super Series 7 Jul 04:54 AEST
1-6 July 2025
Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal.
The US flagged team is a potent mix of long serving, experienced past winners anchored by tactician Terry Hutchinson along with the likes of Sean Clarkson, James Dagg, Matt Cassidy and Greg Gendell who have all won the many TP52 worlds along with a new, young generation which includes Harry Melges IV who at 24 becomes the youngest helm ever to steer the title winning boat and Sara Stone, the first ever female navigator to win the worlds.
It is the eighth time the Quantum crew have lifted the world title but veteran Hutchinson admitted on the dock in Cascais Marina that this one was the hardest. They were pushed to the final leg of a dicey, difficult 10th and final race by Jean-Luc Petithugeunin's hard driving, much improved French team on Paprec.
Having led during the week and been mostly in the top three 'les bleus' finished popular runners up just one tantalising point short of the Americans and at one point in the finale had a hand on the world championship.
Returning to Cascais again in search of the legendary big winds and waves for the premier regatta of the year the 11 boats from nine nations were not disappointed. Only in the middle of the event was there one light winds, single race day. But today required the course area to be moved into the river mouth slightly on to a thrilling arena which saw big gust peppered with areas of much lighter winds.
It's the Cascais hat trick, mental toughness is key....
Cascais has a particular allure for the class and for Hutchinson and American Magic Quantum Racing. Indeed it is the third time that the New York YC team have won the Rolex TP52 World Championship title at this big winds grand prix yachting mecca. Hutchinson enthused, "This world title is super special. Harry and the guys did such an incredible job today. It was a really challenging day and when I reflect on it we had a lot of things go our way and boy when it didn't go our way it could not have gone any worse. So I give us all high marks for mental toughness and fortitude. Paprec sailed a great regatta and especially today they asked the question of us and we answered, but it was not easy. But really two of these events are more special than the others. This win along with the win with Doug DeVos in 2022 and so to do this with this group and to understand how much potential we have, but to keep running into our own wall. The discussion this morning was 'we are racing ourselves, there are all these other great teams out there but we have to do our day as best we can. There is no feeling that beats winning, it is an awesome feeling. And this one was the hardest because of this last day. In 2022 we did an entire regatta on the J1 and J1.5 and then on the last day it got windy. Here you really did not know what was going to happen. And our sailing style, the corners is not us. We are meat and potatoes, getting a good start and sailing the middle and trying to chip your're way through and there was none of that today."
Je ne regrette rien...
The French team led by ocean racing legend Loïck Peyron leave Cascais with their heads high having consistently asked questions of the Americans and frequently coming off better. They seemed happy to back themselves and go up against the benchmark team showing great all round speed, especially downwind in the breeze. Peyron, who at 65 years old retains the zest and hunger to keep learning in this demanding pressure cooker atmosphere of grand prix racing, was happy, "I am happy. I am here to learn. And I learn with a very good, nice crew, a happy owner on a marvellous boat against a group of other marvellous teams and boats. I love it. I never use the word 'regret' even if there are so many reasons to use it. But we have such a great crew. We were efficient, more consistent. Second is a good position and Terry and American Magic. Terry is still the one!"
And Takashi Okura's Sled team finish on the worlds podium for the second year in a row. In the shifty, gusty conditions - something of a casino at times - they were unable to claw back the points needed to wrest the title from the clutches of the top two crews.
Don Cowie (NZL) mainsail trimmer on Sled concluded, "We are a little disappointed because we came here to win but didn't. We are happy because that is two years in a row we have finished on the podium at the worlds. But that was one very tricky final day. It was a hard day for the afterguard for sure, going from 27 knots to eight knots of breeze. We broke a spinnaker in the last race which did not help. But we are going well on the circuit, we are going to have to make a bit of a move on American Magic now to catch them but we are happy to be in second after three regattas."
Tony Norris of the Plattners' Phoenix team finished top owner driver.
Rolex TP52 World Championship Cascais 2025 Final Standings:
1. American Magic Quantum Racing (USA), Doug DeVos, 3+2+1+3+6+2+2+8+8+7= 42pts
2. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 4+1+5+2+2+3+5+10+5+6 = 43pts
3. Sled (USA), Takashi Okura, 1+3+9+8+8+1+3+3+6+9 = 51pts
4. Phoenix (RSA), Tina & Hasso Plattner, 8+10+2+11+1+9+6+7+1+5 = 60pts
5. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 10+6+8+1+3+6+9+1+7+10 = 61pts
6. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 2+5+11+5+10+5+8+4+4+8 = 62pts
7. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 11+4+6+6+7+11+1+5+9+3 = 63pts
8. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 5+11+4+9+4+4+10+2+3+11 = 63pts
9. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 9+9+3+4+9+7+4+6+10+4 = 65pts
10. Alpha+ (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 7+8+7+10+11+8+7+9+2+2 = 71pts
11. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 6+7+10+7+5+10+11+11(+2)+11+1 = 81pts
52 SUPER SERIES 2025 Standings: (after 3 events)
1. American Magic Quantum Racing, USA, Doug DeVos, 18+23+42 = 93pts
2. Sled, USA, Takashi Okura, 13+58+51 = 122pts
3. Paprec, FRA, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 23,5+ 63+43 = 129,5pts
4. Alkedo, ITA, Andrea Lacorte, 28+49+61 = 138pts
5. Platoon Aviation, GER, Harm Müller-Spreer, 36+44+63 = 143pts
6. Vayu, THA, Whitcraft Family, 27+68+65 = 160pts
7. Alpha+, HKG, Shawn & Tina Kang, 21,5+68+71 = 160,5pts
8. Alegre, GBR, Andy Soriano, 30+71+62 = 163pts
9. Provezza, TUR, Ergin Imre, 30+64+81 = 175pts
10. Phoenix, RSA, Tina & Hasso Plattner, 48+69+60 = 177pts
11. Gladiator, GBR, Tony Langley, 12+120+63 = 195pts
12. Teasing Machine, FRA, Eric de Turckheim, 48+73+120 = 241pts
13. Crioula, BRA, Eduardo & Renato Plass, 28+120+120 = 268pts