French team Paprec moved into the overall lead of the Rolex TP52 World Championship after a strong second day of racing in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. A race win and a third-place finish in Wednesday's two races lifted the team, with Loïck Peyron calling tactics, to the top of the standings on 21 points.
After four races, Dutch entry No Way Back sits second on 23 points, while overnight leader Sled drops to third on 24 points. Racing took place in light easterly conditions of 8-10 knots, providing another tactical test for the 15-boat fleet.
In the first race of the day, Paprec made a clean start at the pin end and quickly established control. The French boat rounded the first windward mark ahead of Hong Kong's Alpha+ and Sweden's Trinity Racing.
Fleet Pressure — The TP52 fleet converges at the mark in Porto Cervo, with every boat fighting for clean air and valuable championship points. Photo: Kurt Arrigo
The leading trio traded places throughout the race, but Paprec held firm to secure victory despite pressure from Alpha+. Further back, positions changed constantly as crews fought for clear air in one of the most competitive TP52 fleets assembled.
The second race saw Alpha+ take the honours after edging out Trinity Racing in a close contest. Paprec finished third, recording the best aggregate score of the day. A favourable shift to the right side of the course made the committee boat end attractive at the start, creating congestion and leaving some boats, including Sled, struggling to recover.
Gladiator climbed back to fourth after capitalising on the shift, while No Way Back recovered from the back of the fleet to finish eighth, strengthening its overall position. Sled surrendered the championship lead after finishing 12th in the day's final race.
The Rolex TP52 World Championship is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the 52 Super Series and the TP52 Class. Racing resumes on Thursday with another two races scheduled from 1pm local time. The event is being streamed live via the official 52 Super Series platform.
