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Sailing News for May 06, 2026

The 52 SUPER SERIES opener in Palma wasted no time delivering surprises, with Vayu taking the early lead while brand-new Swedish entry Trinity Racing stunned the fleet by winning a race just weeks after launching its boat, proving that even in one of sailing’s toughest circuits, fresh teams can still shake things up. Offshore racing is also looking ahead in a big way, as Will Harris prepares for back-to-back Ocean Race campaigns that could mean weeks at sea on brutal, high-mileage legs stretching all the way to Auckland. Away from elite racing, sailing’s more relaxed side got a reminder too, with the unofficial “commandments” of beercan racing celebrating the idea that not every race needs protests and shouting matches to matter. Meanwhile, practical upgrades like retrofitting holding tanks and reducing single-use plastics show the quieter evolution happening around everyday sailing life. Across the sport, from packed TP52 starts to twilight club races, adaptability and good culture still go a long way.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Puerto Portals 52 Super Series Sailing Week – Day 1 (4 min read)
The 52 SUPER SERIES season opened in Palma with a lovely bit of “wait, they did what?” energy. Vayu grabbed the overall lead after two races, but the headline belongs to brand-new Swedish team Trinity Racing, which won Race 2 just a month after launching its boat. Rookie owner Joakim Sundberg, backed by tactician Ed Baird, kept it cool in the light, shifty stuff and beat Provezza by seconds. Fourteen TP52s on one start line? Deliciously crowded chaos.

Ten Commandments of Beercan Racing (3 min read)
Rob Moore’s “Ten Commandments of Beercan Racing” remains the sacred text for anyone who thinks twilight racing should be fun before it’s ferocious. The rules are simple: stay safe, don’t scream, don’t protest unless something actually broke, don’t wreck your boat for Friday night glory, and absolutely do not run out of beer. It’s a reminder that casual racing is best when it brings in spouses, kids, friends, dogs, and bad tactical decisions that become better bar stories.

Vayu lead Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week after remarkable opening day (4 min read)
The 2026 52 SUPER SERIES season opened with a proper Palma plot twist. Vayu grabbed the overall lead with a 1-4 scoreline, but brand-new Swedish team Trinity Racing stole the spotlight by winning Race 2 just one month after launching its boat. Rookie owner Joakim Sundberg, with Ed Baird calling tactics, held his nerve in light, shifty breeze and a packed 14-boat fleet. Not bad for a guy who says he’ll take out the trash if the team needs it.

Sustainability

Australian Sailing Team Targets Plastic Pollution with Cheeki (3 min read)
The Australian Sailing Team is keeping Cheeki onboard as its Official Hydration Partner through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which means fewer throwaway bottles and more reusable gear rattling around coach boats and dinghy parks. Cheeki has been part of the setup since 2021, helping athletes stay hydrated at camps and regattas worldwide. It’s a tidy fit: elite sailors need reliable bottles, and the sport needs cleaner oceans. Simple, useful, and nicely on-brand for people who race on the stuff.

Tech & Gear

Retrofitting a waste holding tank: Solving the 1980s design dilemma (5 min read)
Mike Pickles tackles a very 1980s boat problem: lovely yacht, no sensible place for a waste holding tank. The fix on an Oyster 406 involved sacrificing cupboard space, squeezing in a custom 110-litre cheese-wedge-shaped tank, and making sure future access wasn’t an afterthought from hell. Add a new electric loo, diverter valve, and some neat hatch work, and suddenly inland waterways look a lot less stressful. Not glamorous, but neither is explaining your toilet plumbing to Dutch officials.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Will Harris is juggling two very serious offshore calendars: joining Francesca Clapcich for The Ocean Race Atlantic in 2026, then switching back to Team Malizia for the 2027 round-the-world race. The Atlantic crossing sounds spicy enough, with September storms, Gulf Stream chaos, and record-breaking potential. But the real beast is Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2027, which Harris calls a 13,000-mile monster to Auckland. Five weeks at sea, brand-new Malizia 4, no hiding.