Charisma leads 44Cup 2023

With rollmops unfurling in the big breeze, the decision was made to cancel the final day of racing at the 44Cup Marstrand, with 8-races completed on June 29-July 2. The eight-boat fleet was handily won by Nico Poons’ Charisma, defending champion of the 44Cup’s Swedish stopover as well as being the 2022 44Cup overall winner.

As a result Charisma won her first event of the 2023 season. “It wasn’t because we were so good, but because Ceeref was not so good this week,” modestly explained Nico Poons of his rival Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860, winner of the 44Cup Oman in March but which finished a disappointing fifth here.

“It was a good week. We had eight races and three bullets. We were quite stable and ended up with a good lead over the others. It is about keeping the team together and keeping the focus.”

Australian main sheet trimmer Chris Hoskins explained their success: “There are so many great people and great teams in this fleet, it is just a matter of sticking to your processes; trying to get off the start line in good shape; going the right way up the race track and keeping your boat going fast.

“This week was quite puffy and shifty, but Pepsi [Hamish Pepper, tactician] did a remarkable job getting us around the race track and we were all working hard as a team trying to keep the boat going as quickly as possible through all the transitions. One thing we do well as a team: We never give up, we are always fighting like dogs.”

Equally pleased with their result was John Bassadone, tactician Vasco Vascotto and his crew on Peninsula Racing. They ended up second, one crucial point ahead of Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing. The Gibraltarian team won the final event of the 2017 season but ever since have been off the boil, finishing in the bottom half of the fleet.

But now with Vascotto back from duties with the Italian America’s Cup team and with the key addition of 470 gold medalist and America’s Cup winner Jordi Calafat on main sheet, Peninsula Racing appears to be enjoying a renaissance.

“It has been a long time coming,” observed Bassadone. “The guys have worked pretty hard. It’s almost been there for quite a while, but now I am happy to be in a better position, fighting for the podium, which is what the guys deserve since they put in so much hard work. We are all very happy and enjoying the sailing, which is most important.

“This week every day has been an improvement and it has not been like other times when you don’t understand why you are not performing. We know we have to improve lots of things. It is a nice position to be in – going into the next regatta with some confidence.”

Team Nika was fourth, five points from the podium with stand-in tactician American Bill Hardesty, just one ahead of Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860, while Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team ended the regatta on a high with two third places, the first signs of promise from the newbie team from Switzerland.

Series Information – Event Details – Results

2023 44Cup Schedule
March 1-5 – 44Cup Oman, Muscat
June 28 – July 2 – 44Cup Marstrand, Sweden
August 9-13 – 44Cup Cowes, UK
October 18-22 – 44Cup Alcaidesa Marina, Gibraltar Straight
November 22-26 – 44Cup Calero Marinas, Canary Islands

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