American Magic Quantum Racing entered the 52 Super Series Puerto Portals 2025 with momentum building quietly through the early stages. The opening days were shared around: Andy Soriano's Alegre, guided by tactician Paul Goodison, impressed in the first race, before Takashi Okura's Sled responded with measured control on Day 2. Alpha+, carrying New Zealand connections, and Provezza wove a Kiwi thread through the competition, while American Magic Quantum Racing stayed close without yet establishing themselves as the clear front-runners.
Day 4 shifted the picture considerably. Three races were completed, three different boats won them, and by the close of play Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing had edged ahead by a single point. Their victory in the final race of the session was not, by tactician Terry Hutchinson's own admission, a polished performance. "We got lucky. We can't claim anything else," he said.
The day's first race fell to Alkedo Vitamina, whose crew found the left side of the course rewarding at the decisive moment. Gladiator claimed the middle race, with Guille Parada and Ray Davies identifying a shift on the right and converting it into victory. Each race posed a different challenge, and very few crews found solutions across all three.
Amid the shifting conditions, Alpha+ stood apart as the most consistent performers of the day. Kiwi helm Nick Egnot-Johnston was generous in his praise for his crew's efforts.
“It was really shifty, but our guys kept the boat going and played the shifts well.” Their results lifted them into second overall, just behind American Magic. Alegre struggled with ninth and tenth, slipping into a tie with Sled and Provezza on 28 points.
The standings at the end of Day 4 reflected a tight contest: American Magic 19, Alpha+ 20, with three further teams sharing 28 points. Friday's three-race programme would reveal whether that slender lead carried any real meaning.
Day 5 resolved some questions while creating fresh ones. Racing in 10 to 14 knots of sea breeze, American Magic Quantum Racing delivered their strongest day of the regatta, taking two of the three races available. Neither win came from a commanding start. Hutchinson and strategist Victor Diaz de Leon tracked pressure systems and wind shifts with enough precision to turn middling positions off the start line into race victories. Three wins from four starts across the two days handed the team an 18-point buffer over those chasing them. Hutchinson was characteristically focused in his assessment: "We are always thinking about improvements. The team is gelling really well."
Behind the Americans, the contest for the podium grew absorbing. Sled held second overall but slid to tenth in the day's final race, a result that left them vulnerable. Alpha+ faced their own setback, collecting a penalty that cost them in Race 7, though a second place in the final race kept them level with Sled and firmly in the hunt. Tactician Ado Stead acknowledged the frustration without losing perspective: "The sign of a good team is bouncing back after disappointment. We are still in a good place."
Alegre recovered well enough to take second in Race 6, but patchy results through the day consigned them to fourth overall, one point outside the podium places. Alkedo Vitamina and Brazil's Crioula both climbed the standings through assertive sailing, keeping the pressure on those ahead of them undiminished. Just four points separated second place from sixth, meaning Saturday's final races carried considerable significance.
The week at Puerto Portals produced contrasting stories across the broader fleet. Provezza, despite showing early promise, dropped back after a difficult Day 5. Platoon Aviation, champions in 2023, offered more encouraging signs with a race win and a third place, suggesting their redesign work was bearing fruit. Owner Harm Müller-Spreer expressed straightforward relief: "Finally, we have the boat going."
Gladiator and Paprec continued their mid-fleet contest, producing occasional flashes of pace without the consistency needed to threaten those higher up. Vayu, under Thai ownership with support from a Mallorcan crew, sat just behind the leading group. Teasing Machine found the racing difficult throughout the week, yet their presence contributed to what was a genuinely competitive 12-boat fleet.
The provisional leaderboard after Day 5 confirmed the extent of American Magic's advantage while underlining just how compressed the battle for the remaining positions had become.
- American Magic Quantum Racing (USA) – 27 - Sled (USA) – 45 - Alpha+ (HKG) – 45 - Alegre (GBR) – 46 - Alkedo Vitamina (ITA) – 47 - Crioula (BRA) – 49 - Provezza (TUR) – 52 - Paprec (FRA) – 53 - Vayu (THA) – 55 - Platoon Aviation (GER) – 61 - Gladiator (GBR) – 64 - Teasing Machine (FRA) – 86
American Magic now stand one regatta win away from three consecutive victories, a sequence that would put them beyond question as the season's dominant force. Sled, Alpha+, Alegre, Alkedo Vitamina, and Crioula each retain a realistic chance of a podium finish, separated as they are by just four points. Provezza, despite their Kiwi connections, face a difficult task closing the gap. Saturday's two concluding races will call for cool judgement, sharp tactical decisions, and no shortage of nerve from every crew on the water. Palma has a way of ensuring nothing is resolved before the final gun.
