Even without DRUPA – from which it opted out – it’s been a busy and successful period for Langley Holdings, the UK company that owns manroland Sheetfed.

Its Gladiator sailing team – one of ten in the competition – became the first from the UK to win the Rolex TP52 World Championship title, securing the prize on the last of five nail-biting days of intense competition off Newport, Rhode Island.

In a dramatic three-race finale, the Gladiator team eventually emerged victorious with a six-point lead over 2021 world champion Sled, and an eight-point advantage over 2023 world champion Platoon Aviation, who finished in third place.

Team boss Tony Langley – who called tactics with Argentinian helmsman Guillermo Parada steering – heads the family-owned UK-based engineering and industrial manufacturing group that bought manroland’s Offenbach, Germany-based sheetfed division in 2012.

Instead of exhibiting in Düsseldorf, manroland Sheetfed opened its doors to around 1,000 delegates from around the world, with seminars, press demonstrations and factory tours. The company has subsidiaries in more than 40 countries.

The TP 52 Super Series has become the world’s premier monohull yacht racing circuit, with Langley Gladiator also competing in other yacht racing in the UK and the USA, again with a focus on best-in-field technology.

Pictured: Visitors to the Offenbach factory toured manufacturing facilities from foundry through machine shops to electro manufacturing and assembly; this group attended China Day’ at Offenbach