With a record fleet the 2026 Rolex TP52 World Championship title is wide open

Rolex TP52 World Championship in Cascais - Day 4 © Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series

From a record sized fleet, 15 boats from 11 nations, more than half will start next week's Rolex TP52 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Sardinia with a realistic hope of winning the 2026 world title.

The level is so universally high that it will be the team which avoids the 'big numbers' which will win.

"Banking the thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths is going to be so important in a fleet of this size now, you cannot, cannot, drop a 12th or a 13th on your scorecard. Realistically there are only three or four boats you would discount from an overall win." Highlights Simon Fry the Gladiator trimmer, world champion in 2024.

Points racing starts Tuesday, after Monday's official practice day. The last time the Rolex TP52 World Championship was hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was in 2014 when Ed Baird steered Quantum Racing to a narrow, two points victory ahead of the home club's Azzurra over the same June time window.

So it is reasonable to expect the weather to be similar next week as it was then, a real mix of strong Mistral, very light winds and some sea breeze, suggesting the regatta will prove a real test of speed and skills across the wind range.

Three competing teams have won the world title before, Takashi Okura's Sled in 2021 in Palma, Tony Langley's British boat Gladiator in Newport RI in 2024 and Harm Müller-Spreer's German flagged Platoon Aviation, winners in 2017 in Scarlino, Italy, in 2019 in Puerto Portals, Mallorca and in 2023 in Barcelona.

All three past world champions have every chance of winning this year. Sled will be pitching to win their third regatta in a row, in fact, after winning the last event of 2025 on these same beautiful waters off the north east of Sardinia, and most recently opening their season with victory in Puerto Portals last month.

"It will be a great event because the 52 SUPER SERIES has never been so healthy and so there are a lot of high expectations through the fleet. Being in Porto Cervo is special and everyone wants to make a great result there. Things are going well on our team but you can be last in any race. We need to keep focused all the way through." Says Sled's Sardinia based tactician Francesco Bruni, "Our boat is going well but it is more how we sail the boat. We have been doing well in all departments and speed is just one thing. But we know there will be bad moments coming for sure, you have to deal with them, we have to be tight as team. With more boats the risk management is a key factor and we have a great team around us, and so it is not just down to me. I get great input and a lot of support and that makes a big difference. You work less with a lot less pressure and can trust your instincts a lot more."

Olympic gold medallist Jordi Calafat, strategist on Platoon Aviation, is pleased with the team's progress, finishing runners up last month behind Sled. He believes they can win in Porto Cervo but are still working hard to get the very best from their boat,

"We don't have the fastest boat out there so we still have a little bit of work to do. There are boats out there with an edge on us. If we want to win races and regattas we still have to improve here and there. When I have been to Porto Cervo this time of year there has been not always the same conditions each day, some light days, then the Mistral usually lasts more than one day normally. I hope we can just get to the last day with chances to win, at least we feel good now and there are conditions where we are fast. And now with more boats you start well and sail well that gives you chances. I think we are managing to get our speed back."

Like Calafat, Gladiator's Fry is low key, objective, not over promising. They return to the set up with which they won in the USA, with Guille Parada steering. But as owner Tony Langley was sidelined in Puerto Portals by injury, he and Victor Diaz de Leon - 2025 world champion with American Magic Quantum Racing - have not yet had as much race time to fine tune their communications and decision making processes.

"We have a chance to win. We would have to give ourselves the chance to sail our modes. We have to find our feet as Victor and Tony have not really sailed together in the roles they are doing. I genuinely think the level is so impressive." Fry concludes.

Pieter Heerema and his No Way Back team have every chance of winning too. With a crew consisting of 75 per cent former American Magic/Quantum Racing they have a roster of world champions on board. They finished third in Puerto Portals and this week welcome the return of 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Lucas Calabrese as strategist.

But for sure the leading contenders should include Andrea Lacorte's Italian Alkedo Vitamina which is widely recognized as one of the quickest boats on the race course. They were the only team to win two races in Mallorca last month. Ergin Imre's Provezza topped the interim leaderboard in Portals with Cole Parada and Santi Lange combining as a potent afterguard. And might past world champion John Kostecki 'the iceman' prove the missing piece of the jigsaw on Andy Soriano's Alegre.

Putting a toe in the water, racing in the 52 SUPER SERIES for the first time, will be the Italian flagged, Scarlino based Vudu of owner-driver Mauro Gestri. Launched as Azzurra in 2015 the boat is quick and well sorted having just finished second at the ORC World Chmpionships. Gestri is ambitious and has a team to match led by tactician Michele Regolo.

"We have trained a lot out of Scarlino and did the ORC Worlds, an interesting event with a very hot fleet. We are looking to enjoy Porto Cervo with a view to moving in the right direction in the future. Our owner is still relatively new, this is our second season together and his second season ever racing. So right now we are looking to learn as much as we can. Step by step we are learning together." Concludes Giovanni Sanfelice, downwind trimmer.

Racing starts Tuesday. Follow all the racing live on the 52 SUPER SERIES platforms

Entries Rolex TP52 World Championship Porto Cervo 2026

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 (GBR), 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), Whitcraft Family
15. Vudu (ITA), Mauro Gestri