No racing today in Valencia but title is still wide open between Sled and Platoon
With no racing possible today at the 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week due to winds which proved too light or too unsettled, German flagged Platoon Aviation now carry a 12 points lead into the penultimate day of the 2026 season. Thailand’s Whitcraft family still top the regatta leaderboard after four races.
With time ebbing away so it might seem are the possibilities of Takashi Okura’s second placed Sled, the world champions, closing that deficit. But with a record sized 16 boat fleet lining up in Valencia the 2026 title could clearly still go either way.
“Today was a long day waiting for the wind to stabilise. We had some pressure but it really was shifting around and it was difficult to st a fair race course. We were hoping the sea breeze might fill right in at a certain point as most forecasts were predicting. But it didn’t happen. There are two more days to go and so it is getting a little bit difficult for us. The forecast for tomorrow is light again. But we are a strong team we are in good spirits.” Said Sled’s Italian navigator Andrea Visintini back on the dock.
Visintini’s opposite number, Platoon Aviation’s America’s Cup winning navigator Juan Vila added, “It was very shifty, we waited until late but no go. For us then it is still the same, nothing changes. 12 points is nothing, we could lose that in one race.”
Meantime now on an aggregate if 236 points, a 16 points lead over both Trinity Racing of Sweden and Paprec of France which are tied on 252 points, Andrea Lacorte’s Italian Alkedo Cetilar is looking slightly more secure in their challenge for the third overall.
The intention is to race later in the day Friday with a warning signal around 1400hrs local time Valencia.
52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week. Standings after four races.
1. Vayu (THA), familia Whitcraft, 8+2+5+2 = 17
2. Platoon Aviation (GER), Harm Müller-Spreer, 6+6+1+5 = 18
3. Alkedo Cetilar (ITA), Andrea Lacorte, 10+1+7+1 = 19
4. Sled, Takashi Okura, 5+5+3+6 = 19
5. Trinity Racing (SWE), Joakim Sundberg, 1+14+4+4 = 23
6. Paprec (FRA), Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, 2+3+12+7 = 24
7. No Way Back (NED), Pieter Heerema, 4+7+13+3 = 27
8. Katana (USA), John Huhn, 9+9+2+12 = 32
9. Alpha + (HKG), Shawn & Tina Kang, 11+11+9+8 = 39
10. Gladiator (GBR), Tony Langley, 3+13+15+9 = 40
11. Provezza (TUR), Ergin Imre, 14+4+14+11 = 43
12. Teasing Machine (FRA), Eric de Turckheim, 7+8+16+14 = 45
13. Caballo Loco (BRA), Mauro Dottori, 16+15+6+10 = 47
14. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 13+12+10+13 = 48
15. Crioula (BRA), Eduardo & Renato Plass, 12+16+8+15 = 51
16. Vudu (ITA), Mauro Gestri, 15+10+11+16 = 52
Circuit title standings, top five at Thursday 08/10
1 Platoon Aviation 189 pts
2 Sled 201 pts
3 Alkedo Cetilar 236pts
4 Trinity Racing 252 pts
5 Paprec 252 pts