Sled wins 52 Super Series PortoCervo Range Rover Sailing Week
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 27 Sep 2025 18:23 BST
21-27 September 2025
Sled took victory in the 52 Super Series - Porto Cervo - Range Rover Sailing Week © Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series
The 52 Super Series - Porto Cervo - Range Rover Sailing Week, an event organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, ended with a 6-point victory for Takashi Okura's American boat Sled, with Italian Checco Bruni as tactician, ahead of Tina and Hasso Plattner's Phoenix, which had Tom Slingsby as tactician.
Third place went to Andy Soriano's Alegre, which benefited from the tactical calls of Paul Goodison and Pietro Sibello as strategist.
"Winning in Porto Cervo always has a special taste" said Checco Bruni. "We have always had excellent wind conditions, with the exception of today, and we finished the season in second place behind the championship winner, we are delighted!"
Takashi Okura also won the Best Owner Driver award at the 52 Super Series - Porto Cervo - Range Rover Sailing Week.
The 2025 52 Super Series championship was won by Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing with Terry Hutchinson as tactician. This is the seventh win for the American team since the inception of the 52 Super Series in 2012. There could be no better way for Doug DeVos's team to bid farewell to the circuit as DeVos has elected to step back from racing at this level to spend more time with his family. Second place went to Sled, the winners in Porto Cervo, and third to Jean-Luc Petithuguenin's French team Paprec with Loick Peyron as tactician.
An emotional Terry Hutchinson said: "I'm not sure I have the right words. I'm still processing the emotions of the moment and reflecting on how impressed I am with our entire team. We really are a unique family. Racing in Porto Cervo has always been a challenge and we've spent so much time here. Just a few weeks ago we raced the Rolex Maxi Worlds, which was a very special regatta - we were close, just twelve seconds away from winning. Over the years we've also raced here in the Farr 40 Worlds and experienced both wins and losses. This place, and this club in particular, has a deep meaning for us. We feel very fortunate to work with Doug and Maria (DeVos) who have supported us for the past 18 years. As we take a step back, we deeply appreciate everything they've done and the family we've built together."
Italy's Alkedo powered by Vitamina finished fourth, just missing out the podium in a debut season whose results exceeded all expectations. Owner Andrea Lacorte taking the trophy for best owner-driver. "We never thought we would achieve such a result in our first season at the highest level of Grand Prix racing" he said.
Today started with light and variable wind conditions which prevented the eighth race of the week from getting under way. As the breeze began to pick up, a series of storm cells over the mainland blocked the thermal flow and prevented today's races from taking place. However, with seven races completed, the 52 Super Series - Porto Cervo Range Rover Sailing Week underlined the high level of competition in the fleet.
YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati said: "The 52 Super Series is an exceptional circuit in terms of the quality of the owners, the crews and the sporting programme of the teams. Congratulations to Takashi Okura on his victory in Porto Cervo and to Doug DeVos on winning the 2025 title. Thank you to all thirteen teams who took part in this final stage. It was an honour for the YCCS to conclude its sporting season with the 52 Super Series. Special thanks to our partner Range Rover, main sponsor of the final event in Porto Cervo".
At the awards ceremony, YCCS Vice President Giovanni Tamburi and Secretary General Edoardo Recchi thanked all the competitors, partners Range Rover and Rolex, and the 52 Super Series, and looked forward to the class' 2026 World Championship.
The 52 Super Series - Porto Cervo - Range Rover Sailing Week marked the end of the 2025 sporting season at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
The class will return from 15-20 June next year for the Rolex TP52 World Championship Porto Cervo 2026, which will also count as an event of the 52 Super Series.
2026 will see the return of the Sardinia Cup, in addition to the other regattas for which the YCCS is internationally renowned, including the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup.
The Porto Cervo event has been supported by Range Rover, an institutional partner of the YCCS, reaffirming the brand's strong ties with the nautical world.
Rolex is Official Timekeeper of the 52 Super Series and an institutional partner of the YCCS.
More information and full results at www.52superseries.com