A loud bang below the forestay changed the shape of the Royal Cup on Friday, and by the time the fleet came ashore in Puerto Calero, Platoon Aviation had all but sealed a regatta that once looked wide open.
Harm Müller-Spreer's German crew posted a first and a fourth on the breeziest day of racing so far, adding five points to their tally and taking a 16 point lead into Saturday's final day. The three times world champions have built their season on steady scoring rather than standout wins, four points on Thursday followed by five today, while the boats around them have struggled to keep pace.
None struggled more than Sled. Takashi Okura's world champion team had been climbing steadily through a modest opening series and looked poised to push for the regatta podium when their forestay ram spear failed mid race two. The mast was shored up in a hurry, but there was no way to finish, and they collected 13 points instead.
That failure has flipped the wider circuit table too. Sled arrived in Lanzarote with a 17 point series lead. They leave Friday's racing ten points behind Platoon Aviation instead.
"The forestay ram spear broke, which is a very unusual failure," said Sled's Don Cowie. "It went with a pretty loud bang. So, obviously we couldn't finish the race. We wanted to try and do just for the one point. But we've got a good squad here and they'll try their best to fix it for us for tomorrow... I am disappointed as we're only a couple of points off fourth and nine points off third for the regatta. So we've just got to keep chipping away and maybe be the stalker in Valencia instead of the stalked, which is sometimes quite nice."
Platoon's opening race win was their most convincing of the regatta, breaking clear at the first upwind mark and never looking troubled. Paprec took the second race gun ahead of Gladiator, while Crioula, third through the line after leading at the top mark, moved up to third overall, the Brazilian team's best position of the season.
Eduardo Plass, on the helm, was smiling afterwards. "We're very happy that after a very tough week, very tough days, the team is very concentrated and we could have a very good day with a fourth and a third," he said. "We never give up... We are not really concerned about being on the podium right now. We hope we can just stay in the middle of whatever happens... We just love it."
Saturday's forecast is lighter, which should suit Platoon as they close in on a Royal Cup title they last won in Valencia in 2024, the same regatta where Crioula missed the podium by two points in their debut circuit season.
Navigator Juan Vila was measured rather than triumphant. "It's a shame to see the problems on our main competitor for the season. We know that feeling," he said. "The boat is faster than what it was... but it's never finished till it's finished. It just takes a little bit of bad luck and we see how it goes."
After eight of ten races, Platoon Aviation lead on 24 points from Provezza on 40 and Crioula on 43. Trinity Racing sit fourth on 50, with Sled dropping to fifth on 51 after the DNF. In the wider 2026 standings, Platoon Aviation head Sled by ten points, 161 to 171, with Paprec third on 212.
