All attention is fixed on Phoenix as the 2025 52 Super Series finale opens in Porto Cervo. Hasso and Tina Plattner's South African-flagged TP52 has brought in an Australian afterguard straight from SailGP, with Tom Slingsby, Will Ryan, and Kyle Langford arriving overnight from Geneva to step into the campaign's final chapter.
Phoenix arrive at this finale with their credentials firmly intact. Proven across every condition the circuit throws at crews, they rank among the circuit's enduring top-tier outfits. Their connection with Slingsby runs deep. With him calling tactics, they won their first regatta in Puerto Portals in 2022 and went on to finish runners-up for the season. That reunion brings real pedigree back aboard, even if Slingsby is candid about returning to displacement sailing after years on foiling platforms.
"The last time I sailed a non-foiling boat was when I was last with Phoenix in 2022," Slingsby said. "It did feel a bit like I was a beginner again today! But really it is great to be back with this team. It is an accomplished team, a great team. I will make mistakes this week for sure, but everyone is supportive. I am so looking forward to it."
Asked about his expectations for the week, Slingsby kept the focus on experience over outcome. "Honestly I have not even thought about results. The team is strong and there is no reason why we can't get a good result. I think we want to enjoy ourselves."
The weather offered no favours on opening day. After a couple of worthwhile practice starts, the breeze off Porto Cervo died away completely, forcing the abandonment of the official practice races. For crews who had been putting in work over the weekend, the conditions were a source of real frustration. For Phoenix and others still bedding in personnel changes, the lost time on the water in race mode was felt even more keenly.
Principal race officer Maria Torrijo pointed to a more demanding week ahead. Forecasts suggest wind will not be in short supply, but the race team will need to stay nimble. "We need to set up to be flexible to race when the conditions are best," she cautioned. September in Porto Cervo brings its own mix of Mistral blasts and glassy calms, and managing that variability while balancing safety, competitive racing, and fairness will define the week.
The finale, officially titled the Porto Cervo Range Rover Regatta, draws together 13 teams representing nine nations. Doug DeVos is back on the helm of American Magic Quantum Racing, whose 41-point lead at the top of the standings has made them effectively untouchable for the season title. Takashi Okura's Sled, sitting on 172 points, look equally secure in second place.
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The genuine drama of this regatta lies further down the leaderboard. Andrea Lacorte's Alkedo Vitamina hold 197 points, with Jean-Luc Petithuguenin's Paprec just 2.5 points behind. For Alkedo, their best path runs through light to moderate conditions, and a passionate Italian home crowd will be willing them on. Paprec, by contrast, have historically found their form when the Mistral gets up, and a windier week could shift the balance. Every point scored in every race may ultimately determine who claims the final step on the overall podium.
One of the most talked-about developments of the regatta's build-up involves Provezza, currently placed ninth overall. Owner Ergin Imre has made a late-season call, moving three-time Olympic medallist Santi Lange from the coach boat into the racing crew. Lange takes on the role of strategist and will manage the runners, while Cole Parada steps forward as tactician, replacing Kiwi sailor Hamish Pepper.
"The team felt we needed to make a change," Parada explained. "We owe Ergin much better results and we are making this change to see how it goes. It makes sense to do this now, in advance of next season."
Lange was measured about what it means to shake things up at this stage of the season. "It is not easy to make a change like this in the season, but we have to make sure we are as competitive as we can be. It's unfortunate not to race today as right now every minute counts."
For Provezza and several other mid-fleet teams, Porto Cervo carries weight beyond simply closing out 2025. Gladiator will be hoping to finish a patchy year on a stronger note, while Alpha+, who claimed their first podium at Puerto Portals, are keen to show that result was no one-off. The closing regatta of a season often shapes the direction of the one that follows.
From the commanding position of American Magic Quantum Racing to the Kiwi-led momentum of Alpha+, the tight battle for third between Alkedo Vitamina and Paprec, and the unpredictable variable of Phoenix with its SailGP-sourced Australian afterguard, the ingredients are in place for a compelling finish to the season against the backdrop of the Costa Smeralda.
