44Cup Calero Marinas 2024

The 16th season for the RC44 Class got underway on February 29-March 3 in the Canary Islands. Four bullets from nine races was enough to secure Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika victory in the event of the 2024 44Cup.

All four days of racing in the Canary Islands were in maximum conditions for the high performance owner-driver one design – in fact no one can remember an event requiring their smallest headsail, the J3, to be used in every race. Even for the final day (forecast to be the lightest), teams were still subjected to gusts into the high 20s blowing from the north, over Lanzarote’s barren lunar landscape.

The final day began with Team Nika first, three points clear of Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref Vaider. However, initially both teams made a meal of it: In the first race Team Nika was second at the first top mark rounding, had dropped to fourth by the second but went the wrong side of the course on the last run to finish sixth place – her worst result. Fortunately her principal rival had fared even worse being OCS and then suffering spinnaker damage. She finished last.

Matters got worse for Team Nika in the second race, once again held in wind ranging from 14 knots to 24. In this, once again, she started well and was second to Charisma at the top mark. However, approaching the leeward gate, she dramatically broached, dropping her from second to sixth, losing a further position by the finish. Meanwhile, a third for Team Ceeref Vaider left them two points clear overall going into the regatta’s deciding race.

Sadly, the much anticipated final show-down never materialized. Team Ceeref Vaider won the pin but once she tacked wasn’t sufficiently advanced to cross Artemis Racing and Calero Sailing Team. In ducking, they struck the host team’s stern and were awarded a penalty turn and two penalty points. Salvaging fifth was enough for them to retain second overall, a slender point ahead of John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing.

Meanwhile, Team Nika got the last race right. Peninsula Racing was first to the top mark, but she was in her wake. The two split at the leeward gate with Peninsula Racing taking the favored right, but Team Nika covered well, nosed into the lead and was gone. Winning by 45 seconds she was followed by a deluge – second placed Peninsula Racing and sixth placed Charisma separated by just four seconds.

“It was a very good regatta – challenging, strong winds,” commented Prosikhin, who last won in Oman in 2022. “We finished the previous one second and this one first – I hope we can stay consistent. We have two new crew – they smile, are full of energy and very strong.” Hull #10, Team Nika is the oldest RC44 competing, now 17 years old.

Sporting a new mast, Team Nika clearly had speed which helped tactician Nic Asher: “In both the first and second races we started well. In the first I was a bit impatient and we had that broach: The kite went through the jib so up the second beat we couldn’t sheet the jib on.”

The 2024 44Cup resumes over 8-12 May in Baiona, Spain.

Details: 44Cup information – Event details – Facebook

2024 44Cup Schedule
February 28-March 3 – 44Cup Calero Marinas, Canary Islands
May 8-12 – 44Cup Baiona, Spain
June 19-23 – 44Cup Marstrand, Sweden
August 21-25 – RC44 World Championship Brunnen, Switzerland
November 20-24 – 44Cup Tortola, British Virgin 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