Reigning world champions Sled arrive in Lanzarote as the team to beat, carrying unbeaten form into the 52 SUPER SERIES' first-ever visit to the Canary Islands.
Takashi Okura's crew claimed the Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo last month by two points, winning their fourth consecutive regatta counting the final event of 2025. A fourth straight victory at the Marina Rubicon Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week would equal the streak Quantum Racing set a decade ago in 2016. The team counts Kiwi Murray Jones, six-times America's Cup winner, as strategist alongside Italian Francesco Bruni as tactician.
The Canary Islands trade wind corridor is expected to deliver 10 to 18 knots and potentially more, conditions that historically suit Sled's all-round pace. Project manager Don Cowie is characteristically measured. "Hopefully that is the light winds regattas done for the year," he grins, adding that the new venue may level things out. "As a new spot for the circuit, Lanzarote levels the playing field a bit, that will make it interesting."
He is equally quick to dismiss momentum as a reliable asset. "Look back and the worlds was a classic situation for the 52 SUPER SERIES right now, Alpha Plus went into the last day with a one point lead and then the Swedish boat Trinity came through as well on the last day, so momentum is a nice thing, but you have to be cautious as you just cannot take it for granted. We take every regatta as they come one by one. The fleet is definitely getting tougher every event. There are several boats can win in Lanzarote and that makes it exciting."
Thirteen boats from 11 nations are assembled for racing in the open water between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, off Marina Rubicon and Playa Blanca. Sled lead the 2026 standings on 89 points, 15 clear of Harm Müller-Spreer's Platoon Aviation, who finished third in Porto Cervo. Andrea Lacorte's Alkedo Vitamina sit a further ten points back in third.
Dutch entry No Way Back has been built around Pieter Heerema, new to the class this year, with a roster drawn largely from Quantum Racing alumni. Navigator Michele Ivaldi welcomes back Argentinian Olympic bronze medallist Lucas Calabrese as strategist, working alongside tactician Terry Hutchinson. Ivaldi rates Sled but sees no reason to concede the regatta. "They are a team which has been together for a long, long time. Adam Beashel is doing a good job driving the boat and he is putting in the one per cent that makes a difference in a lot of situations. But we don't think Sled are unbeatable. I honestly think ten boats can win an event. Every time we start a regatta it is back to zero, with no history."
No Way Back's seventh at the worlds was largely defined by one bad day that cost 28 points out of 30 available, Ivaldi says, and doesn't reflect how the team sailed. He expects conditions in Lanzarote to suit a more physical, demanding style of racing. "It could be very windy with big waves, maybe not quite as windy and wavy as Cascais but it will be fun racing."
The French Paprec squad are equally at home in breeze, having come within a mark rounding of winning last year's worlds at a windy Cascais. They add double Route du Rhum winner, Vendée Globe runner-up and two-times La Solitaire du Figaro winner Yoann Richomme as navigator, his first experience of crewed grand prix monohull racing at this level. Project manager and mainsail trimmer Stephane Névé is straightforward about where Paprec finds speed. "Between 20 and 25kts we are good as we showed in the last race in Puerto Portals."
Racing runs Tuesday 21 July through Saturday 26 July, with a practice race on Monday 20 July.
