With Cole Parada and Santi Lange combining skills as tactician and strategist respectively on the orange hulled Vrolijk designed TP52, the afterguard backed themselves in choosing the left side of the upwind on the Bay of Palma and led all the way around the course to score their first race win of the regatta.
It is a particularly special success for Parada who has sailed on the circuit since the beginning in 2012, but it is his first ever win as tactician, a role he stepped up to for first time at the last regatta of last season.
Parada said, “It is always good to be getting to the last day with a chance to win the regatta. Obviously tomorrow is going to be a really tough day with up to three races in an offshore breeze, so we take the joy of my first win in this fleet as tactician but the team has done a wonderful job and the boat is going really well. Today we thought in this choppy water it was important to win one of the ends. John (Cutler, helm) and Nacho (Postigo navigator) did a fantastic job in winning us the pin and from then it was all about getting the right layline which was really tricky because of the rain we lost the box (computer) so it was manual like the old days)”
Racing was delayed until nearly 1600hrs in the afternoon as stormy cells played havoc with the gradient breeze. Provezza and Andrea Lacorte’s Alkedo Vitamina were best off the pin, left end of the start line and took first and second positions in a breeze which started at 14 knots and faded to eight on the second round.
Sled drop to second on the leaderboard whilst a super closed third place, stolen on the finish line from the new Brazilian team Caballo Loco, sees newcomer to the fleet Dutchman Pieter Heerema and his No Way Back Team up to third overall.
Having just gotten themselves up to hold third on the standings Harm Müller-Spreer’s German flagged Platoon Aviation received two penalties in quick succession first crossing too close to No Way Back and then fouling Andy Soriano’s Alegre whilst they were taking their penalty.
But with three races planned for the final day any of the teams in the top half of this very competitive fleet can realistically harbour hopes of winning the first regatta of the five which comprise the 2026 season.
Provisional Standings after seven races
1. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 5+2+3+4+13+7+1 = 35
2. Sled, Takashi Okura (USA), 2+7+9+2+3+2+13 = 38
3. No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 3+8+6+10+7+4+3 = 41
4. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 6+3+8+5+8+6+5 = 41
5. Alkedo Vitamina (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 9+9+1+1+6+14+2 = 42
6. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 7+11+5+3+5+3+10 = 44
7. Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 10+5+4+6+9+1+11 = 46
8. Trinity Racing (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 8+1+15(DNS)+8+4+9+6 = 51
9. Alpha + (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 4+10+10+9+2+11+8 = 54
10. Vayu (THA), Whitcraft Family, 1+4+12+14+11+13+9 = 64
11. Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 12+15(DNF)+1(PEN)+11+12+1+8+7 = 67
12. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 14+6+2+13+10+12+12 = 69
13. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 11+12+7+11+12+5+14 = 72
14. Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim, 13+13+13+7+14+10+4 = 74
