Sled wins TP52 World Championship title

Takashi Okura’s Sled team clinched the 2026 Rolex TP52 World Championship title over 11 nations on June 16-20 in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

It is their second world championship title, after last winning in strong breezes in Palma, Majorca in November 2021, but this time they faced a fleet of 15 very evenly matched boats and crews competing across five very similar consecutive days of light sea breeze conditions and flat water.

For Sled it is their second world championship title after last winning in strong breezes in Palma, Majorca in November 2021. This time they mastered the intense tactical challenge presented by a fleet of 15 very evenly matched boats and crews competing across five very similar consecutive days of light sea breeze conditions and flat water.

Shawn and Tina Kang’s Hong Kong crew on Alpha Plus entered the final day leading by just one point ahead of Sled, but a 12th in the lone race opened the door for Okura’s international team led by Italian Francesco Bruni and six times America’s Cup winner, Kiwi Murray Jones.

While Sweden’s Trinity Racing, newcomers to the 52 SUPER SERIES this season, went on to win the race and take second overall, Sled stayed in touch to lift the title by two clear points from the Swedes who forged a late title charge winning the last two races of the regatta.

“For any team to win a world championship especially from such a tight regatta, like with five or six boats going into the final day with an opportunity to win, by having a really good last race that makes you feel really good,” noted Team manager, mainsheet trimmer Don Cowie.

“I think in that last race we finally started well when it really counted. We had not started really that well this week, in the lighter air it is a little trickier, we had a nice start and we all did a good job I think.”

There was big disappointment for the Alpha Plus team which started to the left of their two main title rivals and could not get to the favored right faster than Sled and Trinity Racing. They were rolled by Paprec, losing speed at a key stage early in the first downwind and could not recover.

“It is gutting,” admitted rimaced Alpha Plus’ Luke Van Der Kamp. “It is so tough in this fleet and everyone pushes so hard.”

Sled extend their 52 SUPER SERIES circuit lead to 15 points over Platoon Aviation while Andrea Lacrorte’s Alkedo Vitamina are now third ten points behind Platoon.

Details: https://www.52superseries.com/event/porto-cervo/#schedule

Final Results
1. Sled (USA), Takashi Okura, 5+1+6+12+5+2+4+9+3 = 47
2. Trinity (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 10+13+3+2+12+4+3+1+1 = 49
3. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 4+6+9+6+2+6+10+8+2 = 53
4. Alpha + (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 12+12+2+1+3+1+5+7+12 = 55
5. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 1+9+10+5+6+14+2+4+5 = 56
6. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 13+4+1+3+4+9+8+11+8 = 61
7. No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 6+2+7+8+8+3+13+15+7 = 69
8. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10+5+13+7+5+11+3+9 = 71
9. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 11+8+4+10+11+7+9+6+6 = 72
10. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 3+3+14+11+9+10+1+12+10 = 73
11. Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 7+11+13+14+1+8+6+2+14 = 76
12. Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 2+14+11+9+10+11+7+5+13 = 82
13. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 15+5+8+4+15+15+12+10+4 = 88
14. Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim, 9+7+15+7+13+13+14+13+11 = 102
15. Vudu (ITA), Mauro Gestri, 14+15+12+15+14+12+15+14+15 = 126

52 SUPER SERIES 2026 (After 2 of 5 events)
1. Sled, Takashi Okura, 42+47 = 89 points
2. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 51+53 = 104
3. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 58+56 = 114
4. No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 52+69 = 121
5. Trinity Racing (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 73+49 = 122
6. Alpha + (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 67+55 = 122
7. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 56+71 = 127
8. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 72+61 = 133
9. Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 59+76 = 135
10. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 59+88 = 147
11. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 86+73 = 159
12. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 90+72 = 162
13. Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 83+82 = 165
14. Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim, 100+102 = 202
15. Vudu (ITA), Mauro Gestri, 135+126 = 261

Series information – YouTube – Facebook

2026 52 SUPER SERIES
May 5-9 – Mallorca, Spain
June 15-20 – Sardinia, Italy (World Championship)
July 20-25 – Canary Islands, Spain
August 24-29 – Canary Islands, Spain
October 5-10 – Valencia, Spain

The 52 SUPER SERIES was established in 2012 and is considered the world’s leading grand prix monohull yacht racing circuit. The circuit grew from the ashes of the TP52 MedCup which hit the stops in 2011 when the principal sponsor withdrew.

Source: 52SS