The Puerto Calero Lanzarote 52 SUPER SERIES Royal Cup delivered five days of tightly contested TP52 racing, with 13 teams facing changing conditions across ten races from 25 to 29 August. The regatta began in a light and streaky offshore breeze before building into stronger conditions later in the week, producing a leaderboard that changed rapidly in the opening stages. By the finish, it was Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation that emerged as the dominant force, securing the Royal Cup with 34 points and claiming the team’s fourth title in the event.
The opening day belonged to Vayu. Racing in an offshore breeze that peaked at around 12 knots, the Whitcraft family’s Thai-flagged team recovered impressively from an early setback in Race 1 to finish second behind Provezza, before adding a third in Race 2. Those results put Vayu on five points and at the top of the standings after two races, ahead of Provezza and Platoon Aviation, who were level on eight. The opening day immediately highlighted the tactical demands of Puerto Calero, where shifts in pressure and direction made positioning and timing as important as raw boatspeed.
The second day reshaped the fight at the front. Paprec claimed Race 3, while Provezza continued to score consistently and Platoon Aviation responded with a victory in Race 4. By the end of the fourth race, Provezza and Platoon were tied on 15 points, with Vayu only two points behind on 17. The light, shifty offshore breeze continued to test the fleet, but Platoon’s ability to recover from its opening sixth-place result and add a second and a race win put the German team firmly into the developing battle for the Royal Cup.
Platoon then began to separate itself on the third day. Racing moved into a stronger 15–16-knot breeze with an awkward choppy swell, and Provezza opened the day with a race win before slipping to tenth in the second contest. Platoon, meanwhile, produced two second-place finishes, giving the team a 19-point total after six races and a seven-point advantage over Provezza. Their consistency became the defining feature of the regatta: while rivals were trading victories with high scores, Platoon continued to accumulate low numbers and moved from joint leaders into clear control.
The fourth day strengthened that advantage. Platoon Aviation won the opening race of the day and followed it with a fourth, extending their lead to 16 points after eight races. Crioula climbed to third overall after producing a fourth and third, marking the Brazilian team’s strongest position of the season to that point. The day also brought a major setback for Sled, the reigning circuit leaders and 2026 Rolex TP52 World Champions. During the second race, the team suffered a forestay ram failure, forcing them to retire and record 13 points. After eight races, Platoon led on 24 points, with Provezza on 40 and Crioula on 43.
The final day confirmed Platoon Aviation as Royal Cup champions. Platoon won Race 9, while Crioula scored 12th and Provezza eighth, giving the German team an unassailable advantage before the final race. Platoon then finished ninth in Race 10, but it was enough to secure the regatta on 34 points. Crioula completed a breakthrough performance to take second on 59 points, while Provezza finished third on 60. Behind them, Trinity Racing was fourth on 61 and Sled fifth on 62, while Vayu finished sixth on 66. Platoon’s ten-race scoreline — 6, 2, 6, 1, 2, 2, 1, 4, 1, 9 — underlined the consistency that ultimately separated them from the fleet.
The result in Lanzarote also changes the complexion of the 2026 championship. Platoon Aviation arrived in Puerto Calero second in the season standings behind Sled, but leave Lanzarote at the top after adding 34 points to their championship total. After four of the five scheduled regattas, Platoon stands on 171 points, 11 ahead of Sled on 182, with the 2026 season now heading to Valencia for its final event from 5–10 October. The Royal Cup therefore represents more than a fourth regatta victory for Platoon: it places the German team in control of the championship with one final regatta remaining.
