TP52 World Championship: Half a dozen favourites for gold, “Platoon Aviation” on the attack

Harm Müller-Spreer and his Platoon Aviation racing team have already won the TP52 World Championship title three times: 2017, 2019 and 2023. The Hamburg-based owner and helmsman of the only German racing yacht in the 52 Super Series – which is also regarded as the America’s Cup’s ‘little sister’ – is among the many joint favourites for the world championship gold medal in next week’s record-breaking field of 15 boats from eleven nations.

TP52 World Championship: three world champion teams in the line-up

The standard is high at the world championship in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Three teams from the current World Championship fleet have already won the title in the history of the 52 Super Series: Takashi Okura’s “Sled” triumphed in Palma in 2021, while Tony Langley’s “Gladiator” claimed the title in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2024. Harm Müller Spreer’s Platoon team triumphed in Scarlino, Italy (2017), in Puerto Portals (2019) and in Barcelona (2023).

All three former world champions have a good chance of victory this year. Leading the way is the crew on “Sled”, who could win their third regatta in a row at the World Championships. This bodes well for the Okura team: they won the last event in 2025 in the stunning World Championship venue on the Costa Smeralda, having already demonstrated their expertise there. They also won the opening regatta of the current season off Puerto Portals last month.

“It’s going to be a fantastic event, because the 52 Super Series has never been as strong as it is now.” Francesco Bruni

Italian “Sled” tactician Francesco Bruni is looking forward to the TP52 World Championship with his characteristic dynamic energy. The former “Luna Rossa” helmsman from the America’s Cup challenger series in Barcelona said: “Expectations are very high across the entire fleet. Being in Porto Cervo is always something special. Everyone wants to achieve a great result there. Things are going well for our team, but you can finish last in any race. We need to stay focused right until the end.”

Risk management as a key factor

Francesco Bruni, who lives in Sardinia, said: “Our boat is performing well. It’s more about how we sail it. We’ve done a good job in all areas, and speed is just one aspect. But we know there are bound to be tough moments too; you have to deal with that. We need to stick together as a team. With more boats, risk management is a crucial factor. We have a great team, so it’s not just down to me. I get valuable input and a lot of support. That makes a huge difference. You work with much less pressure and can rely much more on your instincts.”

Jordi Calafat, the 470-class Olympic champion at the 1992 Barcelona Games and strategist on Harm Müller-Spreer’s “Platoon Aviation”, is also pleased with the progress made by the team sailing under the German flag. Coming second behind “Sled” the team had The new season got off to a promising start off Puerto Portals in early May. Calafat, along with the crew who are continuing to work hard on optimising the Botin-TP, believes they have a chance of winning the TP52 World Championship.

"I think we'll manage to get our speed back." Jordi Calafat

Calafat also admitted: “We don’t have the fastest boat out there, so we’ve still got a bit of work to do. There are boats out there that are better than us. If we want to win races and regattas, we need to improve here and there.” Together with Artemis Technologies, the team has developed a new keel. “We’ve revised all the profiles, several new rudder blades, a new fin and a new keel,” Harm Müller-Spreer explained at the start of the season.

TP52 World Championship: more boats, more opportunities

Calafat is as familiar with the potential World Championship conditions as many other professionals in the fleet. His view: “Whenever I’ve been in Porto Cervo at this time of year in the past, the conditions haven’t been the same every day – sometimes there’s been no wind, whilst at other times the Mistral usually lasts for more than a day. I hope we can keep our chances of winning alive right up to the last day. At least we’re feeling good now. There are conditions in which we’re fast. Now that there are more boats on the start line, there are opportunities if you get off to a good start and sail well.”

“As always, we want to fight for the world title. That goes without saying!” Harm Müller-Spreer

Like Calafat, “Gladiator” trimmer Simon Fry is hopeful, though he is careful not to promise too much. The team is reverting to the line-up that won them the World Championship in the USA. The British TP is helmed by Guille Parada. However, as owner Tony Langley recently had to take a break in Puerto Portals due to injury, he and Victor Diaz de Leon – 2025 world champion with Team American Magic Quantum Racing – have not yet had much time racing together on the boat to fine-tune their communication and decision-making for the TP52 World Championship.

Simn Fry said: “We have a chance of winning. We need to create the opportunity to put our strategies into action. We need to find our rhythm first, as Victor and Tony haven’t really sailed together in their respective roles yet.” Commenting on the standard of performance at the TP52 World Championship, Fry said: “I find the standard really impressive.”

The World Championship titles will be decided in Porto Cervo at the start of Kiel Week

Pieter Heeremas’s “No Way Back” has emerged as another co-favourite for the TP52 World Championship, with a crew comprising roughly two-thirds of the Team American Magic Quantum Racing squad – no longer active in the 52 Super Series – which won the TP52 World Championship and the season championship in 2025. Following a third-place finish at the season opener, Lucas Calabrese is also joining the team for the World Championship. The 470 class bronze medallist from the 2012 Olympic Games is coming on board as strategist.

Andrea Lacorte’s “Alkedo Vitamina”, considered the fastest boat in the 52 Super Series, also has a chance of winning the title and securing a medal. They were the only team to win two races at the season opener off Puerto Portals. Ergin Imre’s “Provezza”, which had briefly taken the lead in Puerto Portals, is also a contender to be reckoned with. Here, Cole Parada and Santi Lange form the afterguard. It will also be fascinating to see whether John Kostecki, once victorious in the Volvo Ocean Race with “illbruck” and previously successful with “Platoon”, can now bring about winning changes on Andy Soriano’s “Alegre”.

The official test and practice races on Monday will give us a first taste of what’s to come. The TP52 World Championship gets underway on Tuesday with the first races. The title will be decided off the coast of Porto Cervo on 20 June, just as Kieler Woche gets underway in northern Germany. The host is the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, based in Via della Marina in Porto Cervo, which has just the Sardinia Cup and has already hosted a TP52 World Championship in 2011.

The participants in the TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo:

1. “Alegre” (GBR), Andy Soriano
2. “Alkedo” (ITA), Andrea Lacorte
3. “Alpha +” (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang
4. “Caballo Loco” (BRA), Mauro Dottori & Fabio Cotrim
5. “Crioula” (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass
6. “Gladiator” (UK), Tony Langley
7. “Paprec” (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin
8. “Platoon Aviation” (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer
9. “Provezza” (TUR), Ergin Imre
10. “No Way Back” (NED), Pieter Heerema
11. “Sled”, Takashi Okura
12. “Teasing Machine” (FRA), Eric de Turckheim
13. “Trinity” (SWE), Joakim Sundberg
14. “Vayu” (THA), the Whitcraft family
15. “Vudu” (ITA), Mauro Gestri

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