Final countdown for the 4th event of the 52 SUPER SERIES

The official training journey of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week reunited the 12 teams of nine nationalities in the Bay Palma, which will fight for the fourth event of the season until next Saturday, August 23rd. Mallorcan Elvira Llabrés debuted in the circuit as sailor of the Thailandese ‘Vayu’ and New Zealander model Rachel Hunter sailed as a guest aboard the ‘Alpha+’, from Hong Kong.

The official traditional training regatta was the starting gunshot for the sporting program of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week, fourth of the 5 tests that form the 2025 season of the 52 SUPER SERIES. The most visited base by the circuit hosted the morning of Monday, August 18th, the official presentation of the event minutes before the fleet would set sail to the regattas area in which they will compete until next Saturday. The menu of the day was composed of two departure procedures and test paths of two sections. Despite not being on time, these regattas are very valuable for the organization as well as for the teams, while they finish the last details before going into regatta mode.

There’s a certain superstition that shows that imposing in a training regatta can attract bad luck. That’s why some sailors do not consider the result of these tests that precede the competition very significant. It does not look like the ‘Gladiator’ and ‘American Magic Quantum Racing’ case, winners of the two training regattas of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week. Let it be used as a fact that the British team, which won in these same waters the event of 2024 and that the USA’s one leads the provisional one of the iron hand circuit, showing off the TP52 world’s crown this week, achieved last July in Cascais.

It will be interesting verifying if what happened in the training happens again when teams go into competition mode from today, August 19th. In any case, ‘American Magic Quantum Racing’ arrives to the fourth date of the season with a solid advantage of 29 points over his peer ‘Sled’ in the fight for the 2025 season. French ‘Paprec’ is the third provisional after shining in the Cascais World Champs and staying at the doors of the title, despite being at 36'5 points from the loser.

Mallorcan Elvira Llabrés debuts this week as a sailor of the 52 SUPER SERIES. She will do it as sailor of the Thailandese ‘Vayu’, sharing the deck with the tactical Balearic Manu Weiller. Winner of the America’s Cup with the BMW Oracle Racing American union in 2010, she participated in the 2024 edition as data and efficiency engineer of the British INEOS Britannia. Despite the fact that her extensive sporting success includes having worked with the land team of the Swedish TP52 ‘rán’, today she debuted in a 52 SUPER SERIES regatta: “It’s very fun, a very dynamic car, more than what I’m used to, and I’m enjoying the experience very much and learning a lot. ‘Vayu’ is like a big family and they are accepting me very, very well. The sensation is very good for now”. Elvira values the added value that means debuting in her native Mallorca positively. “Sailing at home is fantastic; what better place to initiate in this class than here. The fleet is very strong, there’s a lot of ships with a lot of good people and with a very high level”. Amongst the over 160 sailors of 23 nationalities that compete this week, she shares sailor role alongside American Sara Stone, from ‘American Magic Quantum Racing’: “I’m pleased that every time there’s more girls in the circuit”. Tomorrow she will debut in the competition.

The social area of the journey was initiated by the visit of the New Zealander model, actress and host Rachel Hunter, who sailed aboard the ‘Alpha+’, from Hong Kong, skippered by Shawn and Tina Kang. Going back to land, Rod Stewart’s ex-wife seemed thrilled with the experience: “It has been incredible. Amazing. At the beginning, a little bit stopped in place since there was no wind, but everything changed in a moment, These ships are incredible, the intensity with which the sailors work, and the fact that they trust Mother Natura to be able to sail… I’d love repeating the experience.”

The competition program of the Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week will have up to 10 qualifying tests until Saturday, August 23rd. The first of the week will take place today, Tuesday, at 1 p.m.

The competition will be retransmitted live through 52 SUPER SERIES TV LIVE.