Skunked at RC44 World Champs

Scarlino, Italy (October 7, 2021) – While the forecast indicated that it might be sailable, the opening day of this 11th RC44 World Championship was blown out with the northerly winds regularly reaching the high 20s and gusting into the high 30s.

After a wait out on the water the race committee sent the boats back to the Marina di Scarlino to see if conditions would abate and when instead the wind built, soon after 1400 racing was abandoned for the day.

“We knew the forecast was for strong wind, but we didn’t expect it to be SO strong – we were expecting a maximum of 22-23 knots, but we had gusts up to 39,” noted 44Cup Principle Race Office Maria Torrijo. “The average wind was very high as well – there was no way we could start a race. It was not even marginal.”

America’s Cup winning helmsman American Ed Baird, tactician on John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing, concurred with the PRO’s decisions: “When we left the dock we had 15 knots-ish; by the time we got sails up and got moving it was in the low 20s and we went for a little sail around the race track but then the low 20s became the bottom of the wind and the top was around 30. And it increased from there. It was just too windy for these boats…”

Tomorrow the forecast is for marginally lighter conditions. Racing is planned for October 7-10.

Series information – Event details – Results

Entry List:

2021 44Cup Schedule
May 19-23 – 44Cup Portoroz, Slovenia
June 30-July 4 – 44Cup Marstrand, Sweden
August 11-15 – 44Cup Cowes, UK
October 7-10 – 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