Aleph Racing leads 44Cup Cowes

Cowes, UK (August 12, 2021) – What the opening day of 44Cup Cowes lacked in sunshine it more than made up for with close racing for the eight international teams. The morning had started with just 8-10 knots of breeze and flat seas but, as the day played out a series of subtle changes took place that kept everyone from trimmers to tacticians on their toes.

The two most notable factors involved the breeze building to a peak of around 15 knots and the tide turning in the middle of the day. Both helped to deliver some very close racing and revealed one team in particular that was clearly in the groove.

Scoring the first win of the event was Team Aqua, but owner Chris Bake was taking nothing for granted.
“Coming back to the UK and sailing in the Solent was always going to be special for us, but to start off strong with a win in the first race was especially satisfying,” he said.

“We had a few issues today with our mast track and it didn’t feel as if we ever started that well but we managed to hang in there. So, to finish the day in second overall is a good place to be.”

An even better place to be was aboard Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing that finished the day leading overall having been on the podium for all three races.

“We liked the flat water and 12-15 knots of breeze,” said tactician Michele Ivaldi, “Three, two, one is always a good way to start a regatta, but while we came away with a good scoreline it wasn’t that easy.

“On the first round of the last race halfway down the downwind leg we were 300m ahead and by the bottom gate we were just one length in front of the second boat. That’s the spirit of this class, this is what happens every regatta, we find we’re fighting for every centimetre.”

Team CEEREF’s tactician Adrian Stead knows this feeling well and having ended the day in third overall was clear on what their goal should be. “For me the key to these events is being in the top three every day,” he said. “If you can do that for four days, you’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Racing is from August 12-15.

Series information – Event details – Results

2021 44Cup Schedule
May 19-23 – 44Cup Portoroz, Slovenia
June 30-July 4 – 44Cup Marstrand, Sweden
August 11-15 – 44Cup Cowes, UK
October 6-10 – 44Cup Scarlino, Italy
November 17-21 – 44Cup Calero Marinas, Puerto Calero, Lanzarote

About the RC44 boat
Five-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts conceived the design of the light-displacement, high-performance one-design RC44 with naval architect Andrej Justin in 2005.

Created for top level one design racing in international regattas under strictly controlled Class Rules, the concept and design features of the RC44 are aimed at the amateur helmsmen with professional crews. For its thirteenth season in 2019, the RC44 Championship Tour was rebranded the 44Cup. https://www.44cup.org/

Source: 44Cup