Going into the final day of the Rolex TP52 World Championship at Porto Cervo, Shawn and Tina Kang's Hong Kong crew on Alpha Plus hold the lead by a single point from 2021 world champions Sled, with Swedish newcomers Trinity Racing a further four back in third.
Thursday was the tightest racing of the championship so far. In light sea breezes over flat water, the 15-boat fleet was impossibly close upwind and down, positions changing hands across two races.
Trinity had the best day of anyone, posting a third and a first to move to 48 points, five off the top. Tactician Ed Baird has his crew executing a disciplined, uncomplicated plan: start towards the right end of the line, stay on starboard, and avoid the traffic. "We are excited to have had a great day," he said. "Even though it is not summer yet the Swedes celebrate midsummer today so we are very focused and fired up with lots of fans watching the team at home. Our formula is to stay out of trouble and we stayed out of trouble today. I know it is going to be a little lighter tomorrow but we are just going to try and stay away from problem situations."
Alpha Plus and Sled traded the championship lead across the two races. Vayu won Race 7, with Sled fourth and Alpha Plus fifth, which briefly handed Sled the top spot. In Race 8, Sled attempted a pin-end start but were caught between Crioula and Platoon Aviation and had to bail, finishing ninth. Alpha Plus also had work to do by the first windward mark, but finished seventh with Sled two places back. One boat between them, and that was enough.
It is new ground for the Alpha Plus programme. They finished fourth at the 2024 Worlds in Newport RI and stepped onto the circuit podium for the first time at Puerto Portals, but leading a world championship into the final day is something else entirely. Project manager Luke Van Der Kamp was candid: "Today was definitely a bit tougher. The whole fleet really came out to play. The first top mark of Race 1 I was both scared and excited, even watching it back on the replay. Every boat has stepped up and can get you at any time." He credited afterguard members Ado Stead and Ian Moore as central to the campaign. "We have fantastic guys at the back of the boat, they put us in the right spot."
Sled's Francesco Bruni was measured. "We had two starts which were not brilliant and we fought our way through. We had two OK results which put us in second overall and that puts us in the fight on the last day. It is not going to be easy but we will give it everything."
Two races remain. One point separates first from second, and with Alkedo Vitamina and Platoon Aviation both on 51 points and Paprec two further back, the title could shift almost anywhere before the final gun.
Rolex TP52 World Championship Porto Cervo 2026 Provisional Standings after eight of 10 races
1. Alpha Plus (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 12+12+2+1+3+1+5+7 = 43 2. Sled, Takashi Okura, 5+1+6+12+5+2+4+9 = 44 3. Trinity (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 10+13+3+2+12+4+3+1 = 48 4. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 1+9+10+5+6+14+2+4 = 51 5. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 4+6+9+6+2+6+10+8 = 51 6. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 13+4+1+3+4+9+8+11 = 53 7. Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 7+11+13+14+1+8+6+2 = 62 8. No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 6+2+7+8+8+3+13+15 = 62 9. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10+5+13+7+5+11+3 = 62 10. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 3+3+14+11+9+10+1+12 = 63 11. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 11+8+4+10+11+7+9+6 = 66 12. Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 2+14+11+9+10+11+7+5 = 69 13. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 15+5+8+4+15+15+12+10 = 84 14. Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim, 9+7+15+7+13+13+14+13 = 91 15. Vudu (ITA), Mauro Gestri, 14+15+12+15+14+12+15+14 = 111
