The Vayu sailing team claimed the overall lead at the 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week after four completed races, capitalizing on steady performance in fluctuating winds off the coast of Valencia, Spain.
Vayu Seizes the Provisional Standings Through Steady Sailing
Sailing under the Thai flag for the Whitcraft family with Mallorcan tactician Manu Weiller aboard, Vayu climbed to the top of the leaderboard without securing a single race victory across the first two days of competition. The team recorded a consistent scoreline of 8, 2, 5, and 2, accumulating 17 points total to edge out the competition in a record-sized fleet of 16 TP52 yachts representing 11 nationalities.
Reporting on the fleet’s movements, regional sports outlets noted that unstable breeze and shifting wind directions created tactical hurdles across the racecourse near the Playa de la Malvarrosa.
Today was a bit more crazy than yesterday, because there were more pressure changes and the shifts were bigger, but pretty similar,
Manu Weiller said regarding the variable conditions. In days like this, you always sail your own race, you sail the breeze you have, you try to stay in phase until you run out of margin on the sides, and the one who manages to stay in the middle without reaching an extreme in phase is the one who gets to the top well. In a fleet like this, consistency is key, the important thing is not to score any double-digit results. And, for now, we are doing very well.
Platoon Aviation and Alkedo Cetilar Trade Blows in Variable Winds
Platoon Aviation held second place overall with 18 points after posting finishes of 6, 6, 1, and 5. The German entry, backed by Harm Müller-Spreer, momentarily claimed the overall lead in Valencia during the opening race of the second round before finishing behind American newcomer Katana in a photo finish. Víctor Mariño, working the runners for Platoon Aviation, described the opening test as a contest of endurance against the elements. Today was a day of patience and looking for options,
Mariño stated. It was more about trying not to lose, not falling off the back of the regata. There were so many wind shifts that you have to stay alert all the time to not lose rhythm.
Meanwhile, Alkedo Cetilar climbed into a third-place tie with Sled at 19 points apiece, bolstered by a race victory in the day’s second outing. The triumph served as a birthday celebration for Italian owner Andrea Lacorte. Álvaro Marinho, the Portuguese former Olympian serving as Alkedo Cetilar’s strategist, acknowledged the difficulty of equipment selection as the pressure built over the water. It was a very difficult day,
Marinho remarked upon returning to the docks at the Veles e Vents building in Marina de València. It was complicated to choose sails depending on how much the wind pressure was going to rise, but we had a good plan and we got it right.
Standings After Four Races
The provisional leaderboard sees a tight contest at the top of the 16-boat fleet following two days of racing in Spain:
1. Vayu (THA) – 17 points
2. Platoon Aviation (GER) – 18 points
3. Alkedo Cetilar (ITA) – 19 points
4. Sled – 19 points
5. Trinity Racing (SWE) – 23 points
Public Fan Zone Activities at Marina de València
Away from the starting area, the public Fan Zone situated at the base of the Veles e Vents structure continued operations for spectators visiting the port. The open-access area features giant screens broadcasting the live action on the water. Organizers scheduled evening entertainment featuring a DJ starting at 16:30 local time, alongside complimentary distributions of local horchata and ice cream as the racing crews return to port and shore teams begin maintenance on the TP52 fleet.
Schedule for Thursday Competition
Racing resumes on Thursday with two fleet races scheduled to begin at 14:00 local time off the Valencia coastline. Live broadcasts of the competition remain accessible through the official circuit portal and its video channels, featuring commentary in both English and Spanish.
