RC44 News-Feed

After two days of sun, Atlantic swell and prevailing northwesterlies, conditions turned around for day three of the 44Cup Cascais. Overnight the wind veered into the south and in the morning the eight RC44 teams waited ashore for an extra hour and half as the wind filled in.

Out on the race track the tacticians faced the perplexing scenario of the breeze from the new southerly direction, combined with, on the upwinds, more than a knot of current against them, but still with the residual Atlantic swell from the northwest with them.

Despite the about-turn of the race track, the hard right again was favoured and in the sub-10 knot conditions it was Nico Poons' overall leader, Charisma, Chris Bake's Team Aqua and Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing that went all the way to the starboard layline before tacking. The port tackers, Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860, Team Nika and Artemis Racing picked up at the top of the beat, but thanks to a good layline call into the top mark all had to duck Aleph Racing coming across with rights on starboard.

After going the wrong way up the first beat, Charisma gybed early on the run, and finding better pressure she was propelled from seventh to second. She was able to follow Aleph around the starboard gate mark and out to the right. Both played the shifts well up the second beat and, with Ceeref in third, they gained separation which they held to the finish.

“We wanted the right,” recounted Team Aleph tactician Michele Ivaldi of their winning race. “We had a good start in the upper part of the line. The first two boats went off [to the right] and we waited another minute and then we went all the way too. Then we got a nice righty going into the mark. It was lucky we were on the layline so we didn’t have to do an extra tack.” 

According Ivaldi the contrary current and Atlantic swell made it difficult to helm: “There was more wind at the top of the swell and less at the bottom so getting it stable was key.” Fortunately Team Aleph helmsman - former Rolex Farr 40 World Champion Alex Roepers, who is standing in for Hugues Lepic at this event - did a sound job. 

Roepers himself is enjoying his first time steering an RC44 in anger. “The experience is incredibly good. It is amazing how fast they can sail in light air but we have had some very high breeze for the first couple of days and it is unbelievable to work these machines downwind. It was a bit of a learning curve for me to get the gybes right, but the Aleph team is top notch. I am very lucky and honoured to be a guest helmsman. My compliments to the RC44 management and the owners for a great class.”

A short delay saw the wind drop and return for a second race, but in continued light conditions. Charisma and Ceeref went hard right out of the start, but then on a long starboard tack across the course they managed to cross ahead of the entire fleet. Charisma rounded the top mark first with John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing pulled into second ahead of Ceeref. The lead boats all gybed early heading out to the favoured right, especially favoured thanks to a wind shift to the right. The lead trio remained the same to the finish but with Ceeref edging past Peninsula Racing on the second upwind.

Going into the final day the dominant Charisma has managed to recover the six point lead she had after her exceptional opening day here when she scored straight bullets. But with three races scheduled tomorrow in further south or southwest wind, as tactician Hamish Pepper puts it: “Any time you are leading a regatta in this fleet you are obviously sailing very well and we are just happy we are in front but it is still pretty close. Six points - you can lose that in one race and in this fleet that can easily happen and has happened in the past.” 

Team Aqua lies in fourth place having had what skipper Chris Bake described as a “truly average day for us. It was difficult - very different to yesterday, different wind direction and you had a cross current under the sea state, which created a strange motion on the boat. But it seemed to go okay.”

John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing, on which double Olympic Finn gold medallist Giles Scott calls tactics, saw a moment of brilliance when they came home third in the final race today.It was good to get a decent result there," said Bassadone. "But generally we are quite disappointed because the boat is going well and it is a combination of bad luck and a couple of boat handling things. It is good to at least to have half a smile on our face after that race today.”

Racing continues tomorrow at 1200. 

While the opening day of the 44Cup Cascais saw the rare occurrence of one boat - Nico Poons' Charisma - winning all three races, on day two it was back to the 44Cup ‘norm’ with lead changes and three different winners. Charisma performed consistently enough to maintain her lead at the half way stage, with a four point advantage over Igor Lah's Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860, today's overall winner - despite an 11th hour tactician change with British two time 470 World Champion Nic Asher flying in this morning to stand in on tactics for Adrian Stead.

With Chris Bake at the helm of Team Aqua, so the 2021 44Cup champions roared in to win today's first race ahead of Ceeref and Torbjörn Törnquist's Artemis Racing. The 10 knot northwesterly was marginally lighter than yesterday with in a diminishing north-going tide. In this teams Nika and Aleph and the newbies on Black Star Sailing Team banged the right hardest out of the start, but Team Aqua was first around the top mark and extended from there.

Race two took place in near identical conditions. At the top mark Charisma was back on form, leading at the top mark, but with Teams Aleph and Nika, once again joined at the hip, on her transom. On the run Aleph and Nika benefitted from holding longer on starboard gybe, but Nika managed to lay the favoured starboard gate mark perfectly to take a slender lead. She was then just able to nose ahead of her rivals at the second top mark rounding and hang on to the finish. 

“It was nice to finally win one,” admitted Team Nika’s tactician Francesco Bruni after they had struggled yesterday. “It was a very intense race because Aleph and Charisma were very close the whole race. The key moment was when we managed to lay the starboard gate and defend our small lead. Aleph was still very close on the second upwind, but at the top we managed to stretch a couple of lengths. 

“Today there was less bias on the line and Maria [Torrijo – PRO] did a very good job with setting up the course so that which side to go wasn’t an easy call.” 

The breeze had built marginally to 13 knots for race three. In this Christian Zuerrer’s newbies on Black Star Sailing Team enjoyed their ‘15 minutes of fame’ leading out to the right on the first upwind, but in the congestion coming into the top mark it was Ceeref that wriggled ahead, rounding with John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing outside her. The Slovenian team played the shifts to perfection on the run to hold a comfortable lead at the gate which she never relinquished. 

Ceeref’s stand-in tactician Nic Asher, arrived in Cascais having only left home in the UK at 0200 this morning. Of their winning race he said: “The line was squarer and the wind was furthest right, so we felt that the [committee] boat was the right place [on the line] to be. So we came around the fleet. We are pretty fast downwind so we extended and then the next lap was pretty straightforward.” Despite still being new to the RC44, Asher called tactics for Team Pericolosa in Lanzarote in February. 

On what was a high scoring day for all teams, Ceeref put the fewest points on the board. Igor Lah was pleased: “It was great today with our replacement tactician - everything was fine. Nic has the same dialect [as Ado] which was helpful!” 

While Charisma hangs on to second at this half way stage of the 44Cup Cascais, Ceeref has reduced its second placed deficit to four points, five ahead of Aleph Racing, on which Farr 40 World Champion Alex Roepers is standing in here for owner Hugues Lepic.

For Christian Zuerrer, owner-driver of the new 44Cup Black Star Sailing Team, the learning curve remains steep: “Today was great fun - a good day with enjoyable racing. Every day is a step-up for us, in fact every race. Today we had some small issues with a hole in a kite…In our debriefing yesterday we were talking about our downwinds and that was better today. In this everyone has the same speed and it is nice to be in the pack as the closer sailing gives you more confidence so you can slowly get more aggressive in the manouevres.” 

Together with Aleph Racing, Artemis Racing was second lowest scoring RC44 today. The Swedish team has also been working through the details – getting off the line,  putting in a good first tack and then speed building yesterday and their leebow tacks and downwind performance today. Their tactician Andy Horton is one of the most experienced on the circuit and was looking forward to the wind veering into the south for tomorrow’s racing, placing a whole new perspective on the competition. “It is pre-frontal southwesterly, slowly building over the next two days, so it will be pretty open, gradient based, so shifting back and forth,” he said. 

Racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow at 1200 local time. 

Traditionally a team of black or white results, Charisma of Monaco-based Dutchman Nico Poons was very much in the latter phase, when his team defied the odds to win all three races on the opening day the 44Cup Cascais. This annihilation of his ultra-competitive opposition comes after Charisma was on the ‘receiving end’, having suffered an eighth-placed finish at the 2022 44Cup's first event in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote back in February.

With the wind blowing down the Portugese coast from the northwest, the forecast was for 13-15 knots, gradually increasing over the afternoon. In fact the increase did not materialise with the wind only briefly hitting the teens, albeit enough for the eight RC44 teams to enjoy surfing down the Atlantic swell in blazing sunshine.

From the results it may appear Charisma had it all her way, but this was far from true. 

Due to the geography here, the right typically pays on upwind legs and it was usually those who bet hardest on this side of the course from the outset that prevailed. 

In race one it was Team Aqua which led for the first lap but Charisma cleverly put in a hitch at the end of the first run enabling her to split from Chris Bake’s team and take the starboard gate mark as Team Aqua went left. Continuing right allowed Charisma to pull ahead and then go on to take the first bullet from Team Aqua with Igor Lah’s Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 fending off Hugues Lepic’s advancing Team Aleph. 

Race two saw Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing prevail up the first beat to lead around the weather mark ahead of Team Nika with Charisma third. Once again persevering with the right more than the rest on the second upwind saw Charisma nose in front of Team Aleph at the top mark with the Swedish team falling back to third. Good covering down the run enabled Poons’ team to score their second race win, helped when Team Nika was crippled with a broken port runner. 

With adrenalin rising, so in the third race Team Aleph and John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing were over early and had to restart. Meanwhile Charisma and Team Nika, now fixed after her breakage, led the charge out to the right. Approaching the top mark Charisma had nosed in front with five other boats fighting to claim the water immediately astern. Charisma then sailed fast and safe to secure her third bullet ahead of Ceeref and Team Nika. 

So after her poor performance in the Canaries, how did this turnabout happen? “I don’t know – maybe it is just a bit more focus or whatever,” said Nico Poons, careful not to presume too much with three days of racing to go. “In Lanzarote we hardly had any wind but here we have good breeze and that makes a big difference. And we had good starts which helps. It felt good.” 

Tactician and former America’s Cup and Olympic Laser and Star sailor Hamish Pepper was less committal about their success: “Nico and the guys sailed the boat extremely well around the track. We had some good starts and luck went our way: Like in the last race, Aleph and Peninsula were over early and it opened up our lane to go right - unfortunate for them, lucky for us. It was an extremely good day.”

As to the slightly one sided race track in these conditions Pepper observed: “As you get up to the top of the course there is a bend to the right in this wind direction but Maria (Torrijo, the 44Cup PRO) knows that and she favours the pin to make it a bit more challenging. But it does change from race to race and it is not a must to go right. It just depends on how filled-in the breeze is.”
 
Going into day two Ceeref is second overall, three points clear of Team Aqua with the 44Cup’s typical ultra-tight pointscore tying up the mid-fleet immediately behind her. 
 
“Overall it was good day,” commented Team Aleph’s Michele Ivaldi, who has former Rolex Farr 40 World Champion Alex Roepers helming this week standing in for Hugues Lepic. “In the first race we made two mistakes with our manouevres, but we came out with a solid fourth. The second race was really good because we were in fifth and our boat speed was good up the top of the second beat and we came out second. In the third we made an unforced error (OCS) - we did everything very well until 20 seconds to go, defended our position, got the position we wanted but just pulled the trigger two or three seconds too early. Once you are in the back it is difficult to get back.”

Igor Lah, tactician Adrian Stead and their CEEREF powered by Hrastnik 1860 are the team with the biggest target on their back going into the 44Cup Cascais, which sets sail tomorrow. In early February the Slovenian team won the opening event of the 2022 44Cup in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote by a slender margin but a margin that nonetheless sees the 44Cup leader’s golden steering wheels sparkling welcomely aboard their high performance one design keelboat. 

This is not the first time that Lah has been in pole position having won the 44Cup overall in both 2017 and 2019. However his team’s track record racing at the Portugese sailing mecca is mixed. “The golden wheels – they have a nice grip and we will of course try and keep them, but it is a very competitive class,” states Lah. Does he feel more threatened when his boat has its special ‘bling’? Not especially: “Everyone is still attacking everyone - everyone is playing their own game. Maybe the last day there are some more ‘tactics’, but everyone can win races. I am happy with the crew and I look forward to continuing what we are doing.” 

Team CEEREF had a miserable time here in 2019 and before that had a string of frustrating second placed finishes. Despite this, Lah says: “It is brilliant, incredible – I really like the scenery here. The weather is perfect. There is no more corona (fingers crossed). I really enjoyed the conditions for today’s practice race. Hopefully it will stay that way for the week.” 

Chris Bake’s Team Aqua got off to a difficult start to this 2022 season, finishing fifth in Lanzarote but is certain to be strong this week given that they are the defending champions, having won here when the 44Cup Cascais last took place in 2019. 

But they are not the only team present to have previously lifted the 44Cup Cascais trophy. Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing won in 2016 and in an attempt to try and improve his team’s chances was on board for today’s practice racing. “Cascais is definitely one of my favourites venues,” said Törnqvist. “It is nice to be here sailing. It is always warm with good breeze - what more can you ask for?” As to today’s practicing racing he added: “I decided that I wanted to do a bit more to get a better feel for it. We were saying that we managed to tick off all of the mistakes today - so we got stuck at the top mark, etc which in fact it is good to do, because it sharpens you up!”

While most of the RC44 crews are seasoned veterans of the class and of Cascais, one who surprisingly isn’t is Giles Scott, the double Olympic Finn gold medallist turned America’s Cup tactician. The last time he raced in Cascais was 2007, his debut year in the Finn. “I don’t know this venue so well, but it is pretty readable,” admits the towering Brit. “There are certainly intricacies to it. Everyone loosely knows that is going on, but it isn’t that straightforward.”

Still relatively new to the RC44 and the class, Scott is still acclimatising, as demonstrated by what should have been a good result in Lanzarote but ended up a disappointing sixth. “We were pretty frustrated with that because it felt like we had clutched ‘defeat from the jaws of a good result’. We were in the mix and fighting for a podium spot in that last race and we got a penalty at the last mark and made a few errors - we were sailing pretty well but we just came out the wrong side in this super-tight racing.”

Even newer is the Black Star Sailing Team of Christian Zuerrer. The new Swiss owner is not only racing his first 44Cup event this week (aboard the class’ own RC44 charter boat) but this is his first time ever racing in Cascais and his first time racing a yacht with wheels. Today’s practice racing was only his fifth day sailing the speedy monohull. 

“It is great sailing,” said Zuerrer. “The first two or three days we just had to get it together as a team, find out how to sail the boat and do our manoeuvres properly, etc. So it has been great since then to race against other teams and see how close the line-up is.”

Zuerrer also campaigns a GC32 foiling catamaran, so the adrenalin rush is a little different on the RC44 monohull. “You have more time to think about things - it is not so fast. But I like the one design class with everyone having the same speed so it then comes down to crew work.” While Zuerrer is taking the opportunity try and help nurture young Swiss sailing talent, the majority of his crew, that includes Flavio Marazzi, the Swiss Olympic Star sailing legend on mainsheet, are new to the RC44. The exception is Kiwi tactician/coach Cameron Dunn who brings vast experience with him. “Employing him was the best choice I’ve made,” admits Zuerrer. “He has a lot of experience and is a nice guy and he can teach our young guys.”

Racing starts tomorrow with a first warning signal at 1200.

Next week, the 44Cup will return to the Portuguese sailing mecca of Cascais for event two of its 2022 season. Racing for the eight high-performance one-design monohulls will take place from Thursday to Sunday, 11-15 May.  

Joining the fleet for the first time in Portugal is the Swiss crew of Black Star Sailing Team. For owner Christian Zuerrer this will not only be his first time racing an RC44, but also his first time racing in the Cascais. Taking on the role of tactician to guide the team through their debut event is New Zealander Cameron Dunn. Having finished third on the podium in Cascais at the 2018 RC44 World Championship and having coached in the class too, Dunn knows how to perform well on an RC44 and acknowledges that it will be a steep learning curve for the new team which also campaigns a GC32 foiling catamaran. 

"We are under no illusions about the difficulty of joining such a high-quality fleet with all the teams having many years of experience in the class. We will first concentrate on the boat handling to get the basic manoeuvres to a good quality before we can even start to compete in this fleet," explains Dunn. "We will have our hands full, but we know the task ahead and can't wait to get started".

Cascais is renowned for its northwesterly breeze blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean and wrapping around Cabo Raso into Lisbon. On a racecourse which is set off the northern shore of the Tagus estuary, effectively in the Atlantic, the fresh winds and large oceanic swells allow the crews to surf their RC44s at 20+ knot speeds downwind. "It is one of the best sailing areas you can think of and the club is nice. What is not to like?" explains Charisma's owner Nico Poons. "And the racing is very, very close. There are minimal differences between us."

Dunn adds: "There are some major geographic features, but the placement of the racecourse can affect these quite dramatically, so it's always a good challenge, both tactically and for the boat handling. Ripping downwind in an RC44 at 20 knots in big waves is some seriously fun yacht racing."

For this event Team CEEREF powered by Hrastnik 1860 holds the 44 Cup leaders' golden wheels, followed by Team Nika in second and Artemis Racing in third. Defending 44Cup and RC44 World Champions from 2021, Chris Bake's Team Aqua is currently sixth on the overall leaderboard after an inconsistent start to the season in Lanzarote back in February, but will undoubtedly be back on winning form. 

Muscat, Oman, is to host the final and deciding event of the 2022 44Cup season, set to be held over 7 - 11 December.

Hosted by Oman Sail, Muscat will be the last event of the five-stop international tour in 2022. This started in Lanzarote in Spain in early February and continues to Cascais in Portugal, Marstrand in Sweden and is followed by its World Championship in Portoroz, Slovenia before heading for its grand finale in the Middle East. 

Muscat will extend a warm welcome to the fleet of ten high-performance one-design RC44s, which will be based in and racing on the warm waters off Al Mouj Marina in the heart of the Omani capital.

Muscat and Al Mouj Marina are well known to the 44Cup crews, having hosted the fleet here in 2013, when it was won by Chris Bake's Team Aqua and in 2014 when the top trophy went to Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika. "There is a passion for sailing in Oman and thanks to Oman Sail, a great development programme for youth sailing. As a professional racing circuit, the fact that the conditions are tricky is ideal for exciting racing. We had a lot of fun sailing there last time we went," explains Team Aqua's tactician Cameron Appleton.

Since 2009 Oman Sail has been attempting to rekindle the country’s maritime eminence and to provide opportunities for the Omani youth to learn from the sport of sailing.Oman Sail has  become a globally recognised initiative in the process. Omani high-performance sailors are now competing in several leading racing circuits and Oman Sail hosts an increasing number of key international events along their nation’s splendid coastline. In 2021 alone they hosted, among others, the Asian Windsurfing Championships, the 2021 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17 Asian and World Championships, the ILCA Radial World Championship in Mussanah and brought the sailing season to a close with the successful hosting of the Youth Sailing World Championships.

Welcoming the 44Cup to Oman, CEO of Oman Sail Oman Sail Dr. Khamis Al Jabri said: "The high-speed, high-performance racing on show during the 44Cup is always a spectacular sight to behold. With some of the world’s best professional sailors competing, the ideal winter sailing conditions will provide an excellent arena for the top prizes to be decided. We look forward to welcoming the teams to Oman and sharing our famed warm hospitality at the finale of this year’s series." 

Artemis Racing's tactician Andy Horton added: "It feels like an adventure to go to Oman for a regatta. The climate is perfect for winter racing, the culture and the people are welcoming. It's always exciting to go back.”

To find out more about Oman Sail visit https://www.omansail.com 

Effervescent Italian Vasco Vascotto made a welcome to return to one of “his sailing families” when for the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote he stepped on board Nico Poons’ Charisma as temporary stand-in tactician. At the time regular tactician Hamish Pepper was stuck in New Zealand, victim of his nation’s draconian COVID restrictions. 

For seven or so years, the short blonde haired Vascotto, one of Trieste’s most famous sailing sons, had become a surrogate Spaniard, calling the shots among an otherwise largely Spanish crew on John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing. However when he received the call-up by Patrizio Bertelli’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team to challenge for the America’s Cup he was forced to stand down from the 44Cup, his position filled by sage-like American Ed Baird, who in turn this season has been replaced by Finn double gold medallist and British America’s Cup tactician, Giles Scott. 

“It is very nice to come back because this class is amazing,” Vascotto mused as we waited for one of the 44Cup’s skippers’ briefings to begin in Puerto Calero. “It is well organised, the boats are beautiful and the people – in these crazy times which we are living through, they want to have something exactly like that – well organised and fun.”

Competition on the 44Cup between the high performance one designs is uber-tight, something that Vascotto also relishes. “All the crews have good coaches and the crews are very talented so the reality is that if someone slows down a little bit and they think they are good enough for the class, they are going to have a hard time. So you need to be very humble and all the time try to look at what the other guys are doing – because they are all smart people and everyone is trying to take a step forward.

“The boats are light so it is very important to have good balance and to sail the right angles. Obviously the technology of sails is moving forward so you need somehow to keep developing the sails. People have been working a lot on the manoeuvres and you see some people are doing outside gybes which seemed impossible a few years ago. Everyone is looking for something special, which is a nice part of the game.”

A much sought-after tactician when he is not on America’s Cup duty, Vascotto is a regular on the 52 Super Series (he won its first season as skipper of Pisco Sour in 2005) as well as aboard other one designs such as the Melges 32. He, alongside old friend, Team Aleph tactician Michele Ivaldi, was also in the afterguard aboard Dario Ferrari’s Cannonball when they won the unofficial Maxi 72 World Championship at last year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup .

Like the Maxi 72, the RC44 is an owner-driver boat and Vascotto says that because of this it has been designed to be easy to helm. “The rudder is quite big, so owners can steer the boat even if the conditions are tough - this boat can easily sail at 20-22 knots downwind and when you have waves it is great.” 

Vascotto was asked by Hamish Pepper to stand in for him and this represented a profound change going from the latin culture among the Peninsula Racing crew, or even with Luna Rossa, to the largely Kiwi/Australian/Dutch line-up manning Charisma. “Obviously it is a luxury to sail with these guys who have such huge experience. They are very passionate. They gave me all the information that I needed in order to be part of the team straight away. But in reality Hamish is the official tactician and I just try to help as much as I can. Obviously I don’t try to put my nose into technical things too much because the team has some little secrets, which is good.”

In Nico Poons they also have a hugely experienced owner with a long, long background in yacht racing at the highest level. “It is the first time that I have sailed with him,” Vascotto continues. “We have a lot of fun. He is a very funny guy, who I enjoy a lot. He loves this class and the atmosphere and the owners that are around. They make for a very nice atmosphere, which is very important – one of the reasons why this class has been going for so long is because the owners have fun, both in the good times and during the bad times when you have bad results, because everyone is together at dinner and they make jokes, which is nice. Here everyone can win races and everyone can also be last, because everybody is more or less at the same level.” 

In the intervening years while Vascotto has departed in his quest for America’s Cup glory, new teams have joined and continue to join the class and, despite the RC44 class being so well established, it has continued to evolve. Aside from the boats and the sailing techniques, it is also due to a fresh influx of people joining the circuit. “Obviously in a class like this there are people who have experience, but you can see on the water the new generation is getting stronger,” Vascotto observes. “We have Giles Scott who has two gold medals. Give him two or three more regattas and he will be on top. This is a good challenge for everybody.”

Having notched up 25 World Championships, 25 Italian Championships and 15 European titles in one designs ranging from the J/24 to the TP52 and Maxi 72, Vascotto’s ultimate ambition still remains to win the America’s Cup. In the last decade this competition has seen the advent and development of fully flying foiling boats such as the AC72, which spend most of the time sailing elevated from the water, capable of unheard of speeds of 50+ knots. This has effectively created a new branch of the sport now divided between slow boats that always sail firmly planted in the water, the flying foilers like the AC72 and others like the RC44 that fall in between, displacement boats but ones that are regularly able to plane and can achieve 20+ knot speeds.  “I am lucky to have the privilege to sail in both types,” admits Vascotto. “I think the RC44 has a strong future because people recognise that when it comes to one designs there is nothing better out there on the water.” 

While it was nice to see him Lanzarote, Vascotto is handing back tactician duties on board Charisma for next month’s continuation of the 44Cup, the second event of the 2022 season in Cascais, Portugal. We hope that one of the fresh influx of new teams will benefit from his huge enthusiasm and RC44 experience. 

Switzerland’s Black Star Sailing Team has confirmed it will join the 44Cup for the second event of the 2022 season in Cascais, Portugal, over 11-15 May. 

Led by passionate amateur sailor Christian Zuerrer, Black Star Sailing Team will be running their 44Cup program alongside their successful GC32 Racing Tour campaign, in which they finished third overall in 2021. In Cascais, the team will be racing on the class’s own RC44, which is available for potential owners to try, before their new boat, which only came out of the factory last week, is ready to race. 

Some old and new faces will join Black Star Sailing’s crew. RC44 veteran, New Zealand’s Cameron Dunn, will be calling tactics and guiding the new team through the challenges of racing their lively, high performance yacht against the fleet of eight other RC44 one designs and their highly experienced, competitive crews. Dunn brings with him onto the team fellow Kiwi, Emirates Team New Zealand grinder Guy Endean and experienced RC44 pitman Simon Johnson.  

Transferring over from Black Star Sailing’s GC32 crew will be mainsail trimmer Flavio Marazzi, trimmer Will Alloway and Swiss sailors, offside trimmer Grégoire Siegwart and bowman Nick Zeltner. 

Founded in 2019, Black Star Sailing Team initially set out as a campaign to promote amateur sailors. Owner/driver Christian Zuerrer explains: "The 44Cup's pro/am rule, the simplicity of the one-design boat and the highly professional racing circuit allows me to achieve my goal of providing a pathway for young sailors into the world of professional racing. It is the perfect platform to understand what goes into an international regatta of this level".

Despite having two teams unable to compete due to the World Sailing sanctions, the 44Cup still has at least eight regular teams confirmed as being on the start line at each of its five events this season, plus there is a ninth, the RC44 class boat, booked out for potential owners to get a taste of RC44 racing. 

One of the few professional sailing classes that maintained its full schedule of racing in 2021; plus the continued devotion to the class of it enthusiastic owners’ group and considerable interest from new teams wanting to join the 44Cup, on top of a fleet of at least nine boats – the 44Cup is bucking the trend and enjoying a period of growth, despite these troubled times. 

Photo credit: GC32 Racing Tour / Sailing Energy
Black Star Sailing at the 2021 GC32 World Championship prizegiving in Villasimius

Check out Rod Davis' feature Payback in the latest edition of Seahorse Magazine which shines the spotlight limited opportunities for up-and-coming sailors into top keelboat racing and how Team Aqua are trying to help.

https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/current-issue

Going into the final day of the 44Cup Calero Marinas, Igor Lah’s Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 held a strong 11 point lead. Normally this would have seen them packing their bags early, having won with a race to spare. However this is the 44Cup, home of high performance one designs and owner-drivers surrounded by Olympic medallists, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race winners and nothing is ever certain. Ultimately the Slovenian team did win here in Lanzarote, but for several tense minutes victory seemed to have fully slipped through their fingers. 

Today’s three races took place in a moderate easterly that built during the second race into the high teens. 

In the first race the new boys on La Pericolosa won the pin and dug left, enabling them to reach the top mark first. Down the run they were being hunted by Pavel Kuznetsov’s Atom Tavatuy and at the gate they split, going left. On the second upwind Atom Tavatuy benefitted from a big right shift and gained a strong lead going into the top mark. While the Russian team comfortably secured their second bullet of the event, there was a scramble for second with Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika sneaking in ahead of La Pericolasa.

Finally in the second race Nico Poons’ Charisma came good. They had led yesterday’s first race until having to recover a man overboard. This afternoon they redeemed themselves. As stand-in tactician Vasco Vascotto described it: “We started well, nicely at the pin and we went left, which we believed was correct. Usually there is a little band of wind there and today there was less current too.” They rounded the top mark first and then hung on, despite a charging Team Nika that finished a close second. “That was one small sweet after a very bitter week, but this is the RC44 class! If you are not consistent you are at the back.”

Meanwhile one eye was on the overall results. After a sixth in the first race, Ceeref’s margin over Team Nika was just six points. This dwindled by three more in the next. Going into the final race Ceeref’s lead was just four points over Team Nika. At the start disaster struck when they were locked out at the pin, gybed and ended up starting very late. Meanwhile Team Nika played the shifts well up the first beat to lead around the top mark ahead of Valeriya Kovalenko’s ARTTUBE and Atom Tavatuy. Prosikhin’s team consolidated and went on to take the win comfortably.

Behind them a yacht racing masterclass took place as tactician Adrian Stead, Lah and the Ceeref crew fought back. By at the top mark they had recovered to eighth, by the leeward gate were sixth and after a stunning second upwind rounded the top mark second, which they held to the finish - enough to secure them 44Cup Calero Marinas victory. 

“We wanted to keep some drama in! But I am relieved,” said Lah. “It is great to win the first event in the season. It is always like this in this class – you are never sure of anything.” 

Stead continued: “All credit to Team Nika - they have been sailing well all week. We can definitely say this regatta was won by the recoveries – how many boats you could pass.” Team Nika had performed a similar feat in today’s first race, after their OCS. “The team did fantastically well and we kept believing in what we were doing, which is the key. I would say this is the best racing we have had in this class.”

Today’s stars were certainly Team Nika, posting a 2-2-1. “We’ve started to sail downwind much better so we have been gaining upwind and downwind,” explained Prosikhin. “It was difficult, but very enjoyable. I loved every moment of it.” Of the last race he added: “I looked back only approaching the finish line. Unfortunately the first thing I saw was Ceeref – the only disappointment of the day!”

Half of the Team Nika crew are new for 2022 and Prosikhin paid special tribute to tactician Francesco Bruni. Bruni said that there had been more passing lanes today. “It was less stable with at times more pressure offshore. We sailed very well. This crew finished last season in a low moment and they needed a recovery. Here we had more practice, which really helped. Vladimir is really following my leadership of the team.” 

Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing finished a solid third having won races on the first two days.

Trying their hand at RC44 racing, were the former Melges 32 champions on La Pericolosa, who led the fleet at the top mark at least twice. “It has been really good,” said British tactician and former 470 World Champion Nic Asher. “We have loved the boat and the class is really nice, welcoming, everyone has been giving tips and advice all week.” 

Over the course of the 44Cup Calero Marinas’ 10 races, incredibly seven boats won races and after just six races, all 10 teams had podiumed. 

44Cup racing resumes at the 44Cup Cascais over 11-15 May. 

Four races were held on day three of the 44Cup Calero Marinas in perfect trade winds conditions – sun, waves and easterly winds at times gusting to 20 knots.

Discrete stars of the day were Igor Lah, tactician Adrian Stead and the crew on Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860. Despite never winning a race today, the 2017 and 2019 44Cup champions podiumed three times and scored no result lower than a fourth. Such consistency was rewarded with them going into the final day holding a massive 11 point lead over Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika. 

As testament to the intense, but surprisingly equal racing, after six races, all ten of the RC44 teams had podiumed. After today’s final race six had won races.

The even-ness of the course, in the first race especially, resulted in neither side paying, so coming into the top mark the top nine boats were separated by just 30m. Not all could fit into this space resulting in several penalties. There was also drama: Nico Poons’ Charisma was leading into the mark, when their stand-in tactician, who was holding the runner as it was released during a tack, half fell overboard.  

Surprisingly it was not an experienced team that came out best from the mark gridlock, but the newbies on La Pericolosa. However Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing was close behind, split at the gate, took the lead on the next upwind, going on to take the win.  “We didn’t have a very good start, but were fourth at the top mark,” explained tactician Michele Ivaldi. “We have made huge improvements with our downwind sailing - we noticed a few things yesterday which we corrected.”

The second race saw John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing lead around the top mark only to be overhauled by both Pavel Kuznetsov’s Atom Tavatuy and Artemis Racing. Gybing early reaped dividends for Torbjörn Törnqvist’s team, which pulled into the lead and was never caught. It was hero to zero to hero, for the Swedes having won Friday’s final race and come last in today’s first race. 

In the brisk conditions of race three, there was great joy when the 44Cup’s sole female owner Valeriya Kovalenko’s ARTTUBE, sailing just their third ever event in the class, won the pin, headed left, tacked and successfully crossed the fleet. Inevitably the big guns prevailed with Ceeref and Tavatuy rounding the top mark just ahead, however they were slow at the gate as ARTTUBE split right as Ceeref went left, to take the lead. Sadly for Kovalenko and her team, including her tactician, Igor Lisovenko, there was compression coming into the finish with Atom Tavatuy taking the win from Ceeref, as ARTTUBE finished a nose ahead of Team Nika.

“I feel very tired, but happy - I am pleased with the place of the pink RC!” admitted Kovalenko later. “This weather is very difficult for me with big waves and we have old sails and an old genniker.” 

The breeze had dropped to 10-12 knots for the fourth and final race, with the fleet down to eight after the previous race when Team Aleph had been rammed by La Pericolosa coming the top mark. Having retired, Team Aleph ultimately received redress, scored fifth for the last two races. 

For Team Nika, finally everything aligned on the race course in the final races, their tactician America’s Cup skipper Francesco Bruni bedded in. “We were coming to it - it was well deserved - finally we got in the groove!” said owner Vladimir Prosikhin. “The last race was - nothing special. We started with speed and did two tacks to the mark and had good speed upwind and good speed downwind. We weren’t even close to anyone.” They won by a very ‘un-44Cup’ 36 seconds from Peninsula Racing. 

Sadly the rest of the day had not gone so well. “In the first race, I got a penalty at the start on Ceeref because we tacked on to port and lost all steerage!” Prosikhin continued. “But somehow we were climbing, climbing, climbing and finished fourth.”

As to his new tactician Prosikhin admits: “He has a strong personality and is very demanding. He started massaging the owner, but now he is similar to Terry Hutchinson! ‘No matter what you do you, you HAVE to sail 286°!”

Slowly rediscovering their form too is Peninsula Racing’s John Bassadone, also racing with an accomplished new tactician in double Olympic Finn gold medallist turned America’s Cup sailor Giles Scott. Peninsula Racing posted two seconds today, leaving them fourth overall. 

“Today was brilliant, great fun,” said Bassadone. “It was exactly what we needed – four good races in decent wind and a bit of action, or too much action at times! We are fast and we feel competitive. When you are not competitive, it is extremely frustrating.” As to Scott, he added: “Giles is a clever guy, very calm. He is a fantastic sailor and super-good guy. His integration has been seamless.”

Racing continues tomorrow at 1200 when similar trade wind conditions are forecast and up to three races scheduled. All to play for… 

Alicante born Maria Torrijo has been involved with sailing since she was eight years old. Having built up an impressive career and reputation, Torrijo became the first women to obtain the qualifications of an International Judge, International Referee, and International regatta Officer. Torrijo has an impressive four Olympic Games to her name; two as Race Officer for Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and then two as Deputy Principal Race Officer for Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020. Starting with the 44Cup ten years ago in Lanzarote as an umpire to now working as the Principal Race Officer for the class, we spoke to Maria to gain an understanding of her responsibilities out on the water. 

How have you seen the 44Cup and the competition within the class develop in the last ten years? 

 It has not changed a lot. It has always been one of the most competitive classes around. Since the start, it has been very intense racing where all the boats pass the marks in very close range to one another in all conditions. This is because they are all very good sailors. It is unbelievable to watch sometimes. 

You were an umpire before becoming the Principal Race Officer. What adaptations have you had to make since becoming a PRO?

 It was a relatively easy change because I knew the class and I was helping out a little bit with the PRO at the time, Luigi. I have always been slightly involved with the race management, of course it was Luigi making all the decisions, but I was helping and following what he was doing. This made the transition easier as I already had an understanding of the role before. 

It can sometimes be hard to evaluate success as a PRO, in your eyes what is the biggest determinant of success?

 For me, success is when I come back ashore, and the competitors say thank you. That is a successful day. It is important for me that they enjoy being out on the water and have high-quality racing which is my main goal. 

The 44Cup are now using robotic marks. What does this add to the race management of a regatta? 

 It has added a lot of quality to the racing. We don’t need to wait when we have a big wind shift as the marks can now be moved very efficiently, which ensures the competitors aren’t waiting a long time for the racing. Sometimes when the water is very deep, the mark layers need a lot of time to reset the course but with the robotic marks, it can be done very quickly. This makes it easier to get a higher degree of accuracy, and so the quality of the racing is much higher.  

You must be one of the most in-demand people in the profession, working both as a PRO and Jury. What events have you been most proud of being involved with? 

I am very proud of the events where I have been involved with the class for a long time because it means I’m doing a good job and the competitors like me. I have been with the 44s for a long time but it’s the same with the 52 Super Series - I have been involved with them since the beginning and I’m really proud of that. 

As PRO and Jury you are very reliant on the relationships you have with the people you are working with. How do you manage these relationships?

I really like to listen to all the comments from the competitors because I am always learning. For sure they are the ones that know the boats much better than I do and when they tell me things that I should have done, I always like to listen, and then I do what I think is the fairest for the competitors. 

How do you manage working with different race management teams?

 I love to work with new people and learn how to best manage them. There are some places where it is much more difficult due to language differences. I am glad that I speak Spanish, Italian and some French because when we go to other places where I don’t understand the language, that makes me feel very stressed. 

After a zero wind opening day of the 44Cup Calero Marinas in Lanzarote, forecasts indicated day two might repeat this. In fact, after an hour’s delay, an easterly filled in and built to 12-14 knots, allowing three good races to be held. 

Chris Bake’s Team Aqua sent a strong reminder of why their RC44 is fitted with the leader’s ‘golden wheels’. They came out of the blocks strongly in the opening race and, in an immaculate display, took the first bullet of the 2022 44Cup season, from Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika. 

“We had the boat set up well and got a clean start with a decent amount of area around us,” recounted Bake. “We got on to the right side of the course and managed to stay bow ahead of everyone, got around the top mark and managed to hold on.”

The first race had seen a phenomenal performance by Igor Lah, tactician Adrian Stead and the crew on Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860, when, after being over early and restarting, they had fought their way back up the 10 boat fleet to finish third. Their hard work was further rewarded in the next race, when, with Team Aqua on track to scoring a second bullet, Ceeref overtook them on the second upwind and went on to win the race from John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing. 

After their strong start, it was Team Aqua’s turn to be OCS in the third race and, with Ceeref getting caught in traffic, Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing made the best start, led around the top mark and on around the rest of the course, coming out on top ahead of Nico Poon’s Charisma. 

“It is great to come back here to Lanzarote,” said Törnqvist. “It didn’t look like we were going to sail this morning, but then it all changed, with perfect timing, for three high quality races.” He continued: “The boat feels good. We obviously got a wake-up call last time we were here [they were second last in November] and we have done a great deal of work to improve our speed in the light winds.” 

Tactician Andy Horton added of their third race: “We had a good start and were going fast up the correct side of the course. Only Peninsula Racing and us had a  J2 up so we were able to point a bit higher and get around everyone. Then we did an awesome jib change on the run to the J1 so we were good for the second beat. It was pretty tricky out there.”

Leading by a point at this half way stage is Ceeref, a mere point ahead of Team Aqua. “It was cool – a very  nice day,” summarisedCeeref’s Igor Lah. “We enjoyed the sailing. The guy’s handling was great and Ado [Stead] did a good course. In the first race [after our OCS] we were prepared for a worse result because we messed up the start, but in the end it came out really nice. We have been together so long, that the guys know exactly what to do.” 

However this being the opening day of the season, and because of the ever-elevated competition on the 44Cup, the scoring was generally high: six teams managing podium finishes, but most also had deep results. For example after their strong place in race one, Team Nika’s resulted deteriorated. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli America’s Cup skipper Francesco Bruni, who is calling tactics this season, explained: “It wasn’t too bad. We started very well in the first race, but then had a couple of issues – a penalty turn in race three for tacking too close. In the second we were second at the gate but the second upwind was really bad for us and we were sixth at the top mark. It was a little bit painful, but otherwise I am happy with the team and the atmosphere on board.” Bruni previously was tactician on Artemis Racing. “It is great to be back. The racing is so close: There is not one leader, it changes all the time. You make the smallest mistake and you pay for it. That is the nice thing…” 

The owners are enjoying sailing in the enlarged 10 boat fleet: “I think it is nice to have new teams out there. The whole class is trying to be as supportive as we can,” said Bake, Törnqvist adding: “There is a lot of interest around the class now, which is good to see. Having 11 or 12 boats would be fantastic.” 

For the last two days of the competition the wind is forecast to fill in from the north or northeast, the direction of the trade winds, for which Lanzarote and the Canary Islands are famous. 

 

Sadly no water passed beneath the keels of the ten-strong 44Cup fleet on the opening day of their first regatta of the 2022 season off Porto Calero Lanzarote. 

There was a small hope of the wind filling in early afternoon, but this was too little and of too short duration, explained 44Cup Principal Race Officer Maria Torrijo, who cancelled racing for the day at 1400 UTC.  “Today, it was a very easy decision because there was no wind at all. We had a gust of up to five knots, but it was just for five minutes and then it dropped completely. It was like a mirror. So we decided to stop. We will try to race tomorrow.”

As usual, among the teams there was much anticipation to get the 2022 44Cup season started with a bang today. Michele Ivaldi, the tactician on board Hugues Lepic’s Team Aleph, the defending champion here in Lanzarote after winning the event here in November, added:  “There was an opportunity early on today, but it is a funny [weather] system, because there is very strong breeze on the other side of the island [Lanzarote], but nothing here. It is a bit unfortunate, but that is the way sailing is.”

America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race winner, Team CEEREF’s mainsheet trimmer Dirk de Ridder added: “It was going to be sailable at 1200 and then it was going to decrease to nothing. There was a puff at 1200 and then it disappeared.” 

For tomorrow, some forecasts are indicating that we could be in for more of the same, although others are saying 5-10 knots, which, if it transpires is more than adequate breeze in which the nimble RC44s can meaningfully race. 

The good news will come at the weekend, predicts the PRO: “We are expecting the trade winds coming from Saturday when we will have very good conditions,” says Torrijo.   

This is in line with what the sailors are seeing. “It will be good at the weekend with the trade winds coming in,” confirmed Ivaldi. “We might see ‘normal Lanzarote’ then with an offshore, shifty breeze.” 

Forecasts are predicting breeze of up to 18 knots on Saturday and Sunday as the northeasterly trade winds re-establish themselves.

In theory racing will start tomorrow at midday UTC. 

With the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote starting tomorrow, the high performance owner-driver one design class returns to having a double digit-sized fleet for the first time since 2016. Recent additions include the first team with a female owner, in Moscow lawyer Valeriya Kovalenko’s ARTTUBE, and German Christian Schwoerer's La Pericolosa. 

The first time ARTTUBE sailed in their boat was 2021’s final event here when they finished an impressive fifth. This year they start with some interesting new graphics on their otherwise fuchsia RC44, drawn by Misha Most, Moscow’s equivalent of British street artist Banksy. 

Naturally Chris Bake’s Team Aqua returns as holder of the 44Cup leader’s ‘golden wheels’ with the aim of staying on top. This is not the first time they have been in this position. “Every team learns from the last year - you reset, analyse what you did and didn’t do well and you try and develop your team,” explains Team Aqua tactician Cameron Appleton. This season they have a new crew in Dane Jonas Hviid-Nielsen. “You are always looks to see if there are ways to give a new burst of energy into the team, just to keep everyone on their toes. You have to find ways to develop,” continues Appleton. 

While Team Aqua had a dip in form a few years ago, experiencing this in 2021 was Team Nika. The class’ only triple World Champions and overall series winner in 2015, ended the 2021 season last. This year they bounce back with Italian America’s Cup skipper Francesco Bruni on tactics and new addition Pierluigi de Felice. Bruni is the latest America’s Cup legend to sail on board following Coutts, Barker, Baird, Hutchinson, Slingsby…

“I am very happy – Cecco [Bruni] is easy going, we have good communication and I feel comfortable that I understand what he wants,” said owner Vladimir Prosikhin, but also acknowledging that in the 44Cup’s present renaissance, winning will be even harder.  “I believe the 44Cup has never been as strong as now. Every crew is very experienced and the boats are equal. It is a great pleasure to sail in such a strong fleet. There are no mistakes, the boats are very fast, but enjoyable and safe, because everyone knows what they are doing.” 

Another team that has never quite found the form it had when it won the RC44 World Championship in in 2012, is John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing, which finished 2021 in eighth. However this could change in 2022 with British two time Olympic Finn gold medallist, Giles Scott now on tactics.

“The team is amazing. It is a great set of guys who are good fun to be around and work really hard on the water. Hopefully, we can string some results together,” said Scott. “I really enjoy racing in this class because it is so close. Looking at the results, boats are winning a regatta and then in the next they are in the back few which demonstrates the evenness of the boats and the high standard that every team has.”

Another change in boat dynamics will also occur on Nico Poons’ Charisma, where standing in for regular tactician Hamish Pepper is Italian 44Cup veteran Vasco Vascotto. “This is one of the classes where we feel we have the best sport,” says Vascotto, who for many years called tactics for Bassadone. “In this class is the boats are the same and when you make a mistake you are at the back of the fleet and if you do a good job you are in front.”

 Igor Lah’s Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860, the 2017 and 2019 44Cup winner, missed claiming the series title last year by a mere point. “Unfortunately sometimes you get it and sometimes you don’t,” said Lah. “This is such a  competitive class that sometimes it comes down to luck and small things. We will  try and do better this year.” For this season there have been no changes to the sailing team, once again led by Adrian Stead. “The class is growing, which shows how much people love sailing in this class. I am really happy because two years ago the class was nearing extinction but now we are back and could have 12-13 boats soon.” 

And this is not to ignore the remaining teams all also with potential to win. Notably Hugues Lepic's Aleph Racing, with Michele Ivaldi calling tactics, which in 2021 won the events in Cowes and here at the end of the year, to finish third overall. Similarly good things can be expected of Pavel Kuznetsov’s Atom Tavatuy on which Evgeny Neugodnikov calls tactics, which finished second here last year. Last but not least is Artemis Racing, skippered by Torbjorn Tornqvist and with Andy Horton calling tactics. The Swedish team twice finished on the podium at events last year. 

Racing gets underway tomorrow (Wednesday) with a first warning signal at 1200 UTC. 

 

Having started out as a youth in the 420 on the Australian sailing circuit, Brisbane born Alex Gough's apprenticeship as a sailmaker with North Australia was his first step into serious big boat racing. A three-time veteran of the Sydney-Hobart race, Gough's career took off in 2018 when he raced with the Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag campaign for the Volvo Ocean Race. Gough now races professionally internationally as a pitman onboard German 52Super Series team Platoon and on Monaco based 44Cup team Charisma. We asked Gough a few questions to get a better understanding of how he became such an instrumental part of an international team.

 

Tell me about the role of pitman? 

My main role is to control the timing of all the sails going up and down, which is key in the manoeuvres and boat handling. I also work closely with the bowman and we organise the sails onboard and set the boat up for racing. The 44 is a small boat, so we have to multi-task during racing, often doing more than one job at a time, making it very challenging and rewarding. 

What is the most important skill to have as a pro sailor?

It's defiantly important to have a solid set of boat handling skills, sail trim and understanding of how to set up the rig and the sails. If you have an extra skill like sail making, rigging or boat building to add to the team that is a huge bonus! In the end you need to be a team player, level-headed with a good work ethic. 

What makes a winning team?

A winning racing team needs individuals who can do their jobs at the highest level, who can manage their areas of the boat but come together as a team when required. This applies across all areas of the sailing team and shore crew. The team, which is made up of many small parts, must come together and work as one cohesive unit.

Who is your sailing hero?

Hard question, there was lots. Guys like Malcom Page, Nathan Outteridge, Tony Mutter, Casey Smith, Stu Banatyne where all guys I looked up to when I was young. 

Who would you like to thank for taking a chance on you?

There have been lots of people that have given me amazing opportunities along the way! People like Adrian Finglas who was my youth sailing coach, who showed me what possibilities there were in sailing from a young age, Mark Bradford who was my boss at North Sails, he guided me towards professional yacht racing. But there were countless people that helped give me opportunities and allowed me to prove myself. Someone like Chris Hoskings also was instrumental in helping me break into professional sailing and taught me what attributes make a pro sailor. I honestly feel like as long as you work hard and fit well into teams the opportunities will come your way.  

At what point did you feel like you had made it?

There is no real point of 'making it' but more so a place where you are performing well and getting good results as a team. There is always room for improvement and making yourself a better sailor. You reach one goal, and there is always another to aim for. 

What has been the most exciting moment of your career?

Finishing the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race and winning the leg from Melbourne to Hong Kong. Then recently the final race of 2021 44Cup worlds where it came down to the wire in the final downwind of the last race. We finished 2nd but it was a tough and exciting regatta. 

What advice would you give a 16-year-old wanting to follow in your footsteps?

I think it's important to have a strong dinghy background to develop the basic skills. Then be hard working, willing to learn, listen and ask questions. Also, you should pick an area of the boat you want to focus on and develop those skills as much as you can. 

What has sailing taught you?

Sailing has taught me from a young age to be able to work within a team. But also finding strengths and weaknesses as a sailor but importantly as a person.  

What do people not realise about the industry?

Probably that sailing can cater for a huge variety people and their skill sets. From the analytical ability of a navigator to the physicality and technicality of being a bowman. There is always an opportunity for someone on a yacht, and the results of having so many different types of people mean's you can make personal connections that last a lifetime. 

For its 15th season, the 44Cup will see ten teams on the start line for the first event of 2022 in Lanzarote, hosted by Calero Marinas in Puerto Calero over the 9 - 13 February.

Alongside the long-term regulars within the fleet, the new additions have come about thanks to the 44Cup's own boat, which was made available last year for teams interested in joining the circuit. 

Moscow-based lawyer Valeriya Kovelenko first tried the RC44 at the World Championship event in Scarlino 2021 and has committed her team ArtTube to the fleet by purchasing a boat for the 2022 season. Kovelenko is the circuit's first female owner-driver and is supported by her experienced crew led by tactician Igor Lisovenko.  

Taking the guest helm of the 44Cup's class boat for event one in Puerto Calero will be Melges 32 World champion Christian Schwoerer and his team La Pericolosa. "After two worlds titles in the Melges 32 class we are looking for a new challenge", Schwoerer explains. "When the opportunity came up to join the 44Cup for one event, we did not have to think about it. We are extremely excited to jump on one of the coolest boats in the race sailing world and look forward to continuing to grow as a team".

From Lanzarote, it's on to a favourite venue for the fleet – Cascais, Portugal from 11 - 15 May. At the end of July will be the 44Cup Marstrand, where the locals and sailing fans on this famous Swedish summer holiday hotspot will be rooting for Artemis Racing and her Swedish owner-driver Torbjörn Törnqvist. 

Among the enthusiastic group of owners, who remain staunchly committed to the one-design yacht there are a few changes in tactician for the 2022 season that will see fresh challenges for the fleet on well-known race courses. 

On Peninsula Racing, British double Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott joins owner John Bassadone. Standing in for Hamish Pepper on Nico Poons' Charisma will be fiery Italian Vasco Vascotto, while on Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika Francesco Bruni will call tactics.

In mid-October, it is on to the Slovenian seaside town of Portoroz for the 2022 44Cup World Championship. The team to beat this season is Chris Bake's Team Aqua, having won the 2021 44Cup championship for the season, the 44Cup Marstrand, and successfully defended their RC44 World Champions title in Scarlino last October. However, it won't be easy with closest rivals Igor Lah's Team Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 and Hugues Lepic's Aleph Racing chasing hard.

The fifth and final event of the 2022 44Cup will see the fleet leave Europe for the first time since 2016 and head to the Middle East for a regatta in December. The full announcement of the final event will be made at the end of February.

Over four of the most difficult days of racing in 44Cup history, an impressive seven races were still held at the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote frequently in 5-6 knots wind, conditions, frankly, in which most other yachts would have been unable to race. 

The schedule for the final day of racing, off the blackened alien landscape of Lanzarote’s south coast, was brought forward by two hours to 1000 UTC. PRO María Torrijo had made this call in order to provide the best window of opportunity to race given the forecast of a fourth day of light winds in this usually windy venue. 

Ultimately just one race was successfully sailed and this produced a photofinish between Pavel Kuznetsov’s Atom Tavatuy and John Bassadone’s Peninsula Petroleum, with the Russian team taking the bullet by millimetres, from the Gibraltese on which double Olympic Finn gold medallist Giles Scott was calling tactics. This was the Russian team’s third bullet in seven races sailed and was enough to leave them ending the regatta in second place – their best result since joining the 44Cup full time in 2019. However, in typical 44Cup style, this was on a complex countback, tied on points with Igor Lah's Team Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 and Chris Bake’s Team Aqua. In turn they were just one ahead of 44Cup newbies ARTTUBE, skippered by the 44Cup’s sole female helm, Valeriya Kovalenko, who finished fifth of nine in their second ever 44Cup event. 

The finish in what would be the final race of the event, and of the season, was close in typical style thanks to the boats being so even and the teams so experienced that the racing is the closest. This season for example Igor Lah's Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 won their home regatta in Portorož, Slovenia by five points at the start of the season. Otherwise this year the winner has always been decided on countback or has won by just one point after 10-12 races sailed. 

However here in Lanzarote, this trend has been shattered by Hugues Lepic’s Team Aleph. The winners of August’s 44Cup Cowes were racing here with Italian Alessandro Rombelli, standing in for Lepic on the helm. Incredibly the Rombelli-steered Team Aleph won this week’s 44Cup Calero Marina Lanzarote by a resounding 14 points after just seven races. Extrapolate this out to a 44Cup’s usual 12 races and Team Aleph’s win would have been by 24 points. This is perhaps less surprising given that Rombelli has in the past campaigned a Maxi 72 and is a recent Melges 20 and 32 World Champion.

But within the bigger picture of the 2021 44Cup season’s title, the competition was as usual as close as you would expect. Going into this event, Chris Bake’s World Championship winning team on Team Aqua were leading, two points ahead of Ceeref. A highly uncharacteristic last place in today’s only race dropped Team Aqua back to fourth, with Ceeref in third, but tied on points. Effectively separated now by just one point, meant some match racing between the two teams was certain going into the final race. Sadly, with the wind down to 3-4 knots and after a long wait, Mother Nature deprived them of this happening, handing the 2021 44Cup title to Team Aqua. 

Team Aqua was the stand-out team in the 44Cup’s early years, winning its fleet racing championship for four consecutive years over 2011-14. Recently the team has been more success as RC44 World Champions, this year successfully defending their title from 2019. This is the first time Bake’s team has won both the 44Cup and the World Championship in one season (which Ceeref managed in 2016, a year after Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika was the first team to achieve this). 

The 44Cup resumes in 2022 with five events scheduled. 

This week a shallow depression centred due west of Gibraltar has effectively shut down the famous trades, which typically provide 20+ knot winds at this time of year in the Canary Islands, making it world renowned as a water sports mecca. With a light-to-no wind forecast for the penultimate day of the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote, the weather gods did tentatively oblige and after more than an hour’s wait ashore, a race did get going but was abandoned when the wind dropped away.

While the forecast didn’t look hopeful, the nine RC44 teams were patient and the race committee persevered and eventually were rewarded with one successful race when the wind filled in to 6-7 knots. In this it was the immaculate Team Aleph that led around the top mark. But Nico Poons’ Charisma took the lead on the first downwind and then defended well to gain the Dutchman’s team its first bullet of the regatta. 

“It felt good,” said Nico Poons once returned to Puerto Calero. “We had some bad ones, so we needed that.”

Of the fortuitous first run, Charisma’s tactician [standing in for Hamish Pepper], Laser gold medallist, triple Moth World Champion turned America’s Cup sailor Paul Goodison explained: “It was a bit like the first day. There was a little bit of current running [from right to left across the course]. I didn’t want to be the last one to gybe, so I thought we would lead the gybe and as it was it was quite right shifted when we went and we had another leftie back at the end so we managed to gybe and cross them [Team Aleph]. Then we managed to get a few shifts right up the next beat and were able to extend a little bit.” 

Two attempts to get the next race underway were both general recalled. The third attempt got away successfully under the U flag. Despite this Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika and Igor Lah’s Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 were both over early and with the prospect of another attempt to hold the race looking unlikely, both returned to port, leaving seven RC44s on the race course. In this two time Olympic Finn gold medallist Giles Scott called the shifts to perfection on board John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing pulling out a commanding lead at the top mark. Sadly approaching the leeward gate the wind dropped, the race was abandoned and everyone returned to Puerto Calero. This was good news for Prosikhin and Lah’s teams as the U flag start permits them to rejoin this race when the next attempt to hold it is made tomorrow. 

A second place in today’s only race for Team Aleph, on which experienced keelboat owner-driver Alessandro Rombelli is standing in on the helm for Hugues Lepic, has left the French team holding an impressive nine point lead going into the final day. 

Another equally important battle to watch is for the overall lead in the 2021 44 Cup. In this Chris Bake’s Team Aqua is first, ahead of Igor Lah’s team by just two points going into this regatta. Looking at the results in Lanzarote, at present Bake’s lead for the season’s title is looking secure with Team Aqua second at this regatta with Ceeref two points behind. To overturn this Igor Lah’s team have their work cut out, needing to finish second at the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote with Team Aqua fifth, or worse. Stranger things have happened in this fleet. 

Conditions off Lanzarote’s moon scape south coast took on a different character for day two of the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote, with much improved sailing conditions albeit with the 8-12 knot wind blowing either along or off the shore. 

To make up the schedule, four races were planned at the beginning of the day and four races were delivered. This proved to be against all odds as the wind veered through 90° over the course of the afternoon, but was at least in part made possible by the 44Cup’s use of MarkSetBots, remote controlled robot sailing marks that, when required – as they were repeatedly today – can speed across the seas to realign the course and keep it fair. 

For most, the day was one of mixed fortunes, none more so than Pavel Kuznetsov’s Atom Tavatuy on which Evgeny Neugodnikov calls tactics. In today’s first race the Russian team nailed the right, Lanzarote, side of the first beat, which proved a winning move. The Russian team went on also to claim today’s third race, but punctuated their otherwise excellent day with seventh and eighth placed finishes.

This was similarly the case for Igor Lah’s CEEREF powered by Hrastnik 1860 which, after a long fight with Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, came home first in today’s second race. On a roll, the Slovenian team followed this with a second in the third race only to bookend these with an eighth and a seventh. 

44Cup newbie and sole female helm, Valeriya Kovalenko on ARTTUBE, sailing only her second event in the 44Cup, continues to punch above her weight with her crew, many of whom once competed aboard Kirill Podolsky’s RC44 RUS7. Incredibly at this half way stage of the 44Cup Calero Marinas Lanzarote, ARTUBE lies mid-leaderboard, in fifth place overall, ahead of several very much more experienced teams. 

But for a second day, the stand-out performance was that of Team Aleph, on which highly experienced Italian owner-driver Alessandro Rombelli is standing in for Hugues Lepic. Scoring a 2-4-4 in today’s first three races they were already top scorer of the day but they then followed this with a bullet in the final race. This has left the team holding a useful four point lead over Team Aqua going into the weekend. Chris Bake’s World Champions in turn are six in front of CEEREF – a key situation as Igor Lah’s team represents their principle threat for the overall 44Cup title for 2021. 

Racing continues tomorrow with a first warning signal at 1200 GMT.