One point separates the leader from second place heading into the final day of the Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo. In a fleet where six boats are covered by just 10 points, that margin tells you precisely what kind of championship this has been.
Alpha+ carries 43 points at the top of the provisional standings, but Sled sits directly behind, a single point adrift. When the fleet reconvenes for two scheduled races in forecast light breezes, any boat finishing in the top half of the results could realistically lift the trophy before the afternoon is out.
The Rolex TP52 World Championship has rarely looked this competitive heading into a closing day. Porto Cervo has produced a regatta in which no single team has found clear water to escape the rest of the fleet, and the class, always a magnet for elite offshore crews, has delivered a series that continues to resist a clear outcome right to the end.
The story of day four belonged to Trinity Racing. The Swedish outfit, competing in the 52 Super Series for the first time, posted a third place in the morning and then won the afternoon race outright. That double lifted them to third overall on 48 points, and the manner of the afternoon win was striking. With tactician Ed Baird and trimmer Ross Halcrow aboard, Trinity Racing navigated demanding breeze in the second race with the kind of precision that tends to separate the experienced from the merely quick. Clean starts and strong execution at the first windward mark were the factors that largely shaped the result.
The afternoon race illustrated how quickly the day can turn against you. Provezza, Sled, and Platoon set up well off the pin end at the start, yet Sled found themselves squeezed between two faster boats and were forced to abandon their position, spending the remainder of the race chasing. Vayu's afternoon unravelled differently: approaching the windward mark below the lay line, they luffed sharply to avoid a collision but still made contact with the mark. The resulting penalty ruled out any chance of backing up what had been a strong morning.
Those are the moments that accumulate over a series, and the standings reflect just how evenly they have been distributed across the fleet. Alkedo Vitamina and Platoon Aviation share 51 points apiece, while Paprec sit sixth on 53. Half a dozen boats can still make a legitimate claim on the title with two races to go.
The morning race had begun in modest easterly conditions of 7 to 8 knots. Thai entry Vayu, with Manu Weiller on tactics, emerged from a tightly bunched battle after the first upwind leg to take the win. Alkedo Vitamina crossed in second, Trinity Racing in third. Alpha+ and Sled, despite their positions at the head of the leaderboard, had to settle for fourth and fifth respectively, unable to capitalise when it mattered most.
Racing resumes tomorrow at 1 p.m. CEST. Light air is expected, which shifts the advantage toward precise boat handling, crew weight placement, and sharp tactical reading of the breeze. With margins this fine across the fleet, nothing is settled and nothing can be taken for granted.
