Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

RC44 World Championship at Sotogrande, Spain - Day 1

by Jessica Gray 11 May 2016 19:26 BST 11-15 May 2016
Michele Ivaldi at the RC44 World Championship Marina de Sotogrande © Pedro Martinez / Martinez Studio

Squally Sotogrande stunts match racing day

'The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain', but for the opening day of match racing, prior to the start of the RC44 World Championship Marina de Sotogrande fleet racing tomorrow, the Andalusian port received an unseasonal, but thorough soaking.

25km away, Gibraltar was obscured by cloud, as the match racing, which rolls from regatta to regatta over the RC44's annual championship, only reached its second flight before there was a giant shift, the wind shut down completely and the boats were sent in.

With just one and a half flights sailed, two boats still managed to end the day on two wins – 2015 RC44 fleet racing champion, Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika, and Chris Bake's Team Aqua, winner of both the match racing and the fleet racing at this seasons' opening event in Bermuda in March.

Owner Chris Bake, who helmed Team Aqua through today's grey conditions, described their races: "In the first against Bronenosec Sailing Team, there was a dial-up at the start and we just managed to get ahead of them off the line. Against Aleph Racing in race two we did a tacking duel up the windward leg, but for the rest of the race it was a fool's game - anything could have happened."

Another team doing well today was Artemis Racing Youth which won its first match against Alexander Novoselov's Katusha and then appeared to be leading against wily Dutchman Nico Poons on Charisma. "Unfortunately we had a penalty from an unforced error at the start," explained Artemis Racing Youth's helmsman, Gustaf Lidvall. "We were leading, but at the gate the wind completely shut down. We parked and then Charisma came in, got the new breeze and took off!"

Lidvall believes Artemis Racing Youth, Torbjörn Törnqvist's campaign that seeks to develop young Swedish sailors, is improved this year. They have new sails, are making less errors and fellow Swede and three time Olympic medallist Freddie Lööf is now calling tactics. "When we raced Katusha today, we were definitely faster than her. But it's really all the little things," said Lidvall.

The consensus in the fleet was that Principal Race Officer, Maria Torrijo, was right to send the fleet in. As Katusha's American tactician, explained: "The clouds were coming right to left, so when they were coming there would be seven knots out of the right and then the cloud would come over and it would completely stop and then it would be three knots out of the left with probably a 120 degrees shift between and there was about a knot of current as well."

Fleet racing, counting towards the RC44 World Championship Marina de Sotogrande, begins tomorrow at 1130 CET and will run for four days.

Find out more at www.RC44.com

RC44 World Championship Marina de Sotogrande - Match Race Results: (after one flight and three matches of flight two)

Team Aqua 2-0
Team Nika 2-0
Artemis Racing Youth 1-1
Artemis Racing 1-0
BlackWater Team 1-0
Katusha 0-1
Peninsula Petroleum 0-1
TEAM CEEREF 0-1
Aleph Racing 0-2
Bronenosec Sailing Team 0-2

Related Articles

Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team at 44Cup Nanny Cay
Closing with solid progress and eyes set on Porto Cervo Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team concluded its participation in the 44Cup Nanny Cay after a final day in which all races were completed under ideal wind conditions, with 15-18 knots and bright sunshine. Posted on 17 Feb
44Cup Nanny Cay overall
Charisma wrestles her way on top in season opener In perfect conditions, brilliant sunshine and a 15-18 knot easterly to take the edge off the Caribbean heat, the final day of racing at the 44Cup Nanny Cay, run by PRO Maria Torrijo and the Royal BVI Yacht Club team, was also one of perfect symmetry. Posted on 17 Feb
Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team at 44Cup Nanny Cay
Progress, challenges and a steady path forward Another intense day of racing at the 44Cup Nanny Cay saw the Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team continue its steep learning curve in one of the most demanding circuits in professional sailing. Posted on 16 Feb
44Cup Nanny Cay Day 3
Team Nika's day in the sun After an average day on Friday at the 44Cup Nanny Cay, which left them fifth overall, the 2024 44Cup champions, Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika, recovered their mojo today on St Francis Drake Channel. Posted on 15 Feb
Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team at 44Cup Nanny Cay
Big breeze and challenging conditions on day 2 After an opening day without racing due to strong winds exceeding 25 knots, the 44Cup Nanny Cay finally kicked off with a spectacular second day of competition. Posted on 15 Feb
44Cup Nanny Cay Day 2
Big Breeze and Yee-Haw conditions After the opening day of RC44 competition in the British Virgin Islands was lost to excess winds, the breezy relentless easterly trade winds abated enough on day two to permit three races to be sailed in winds ranging from 18 to 28 knots. Posted on 15 Feb
Lanzarote Calero Team kicks off 44Cup campaign
An intense final training session, filled with well-executed manoeuvres and an unexpected setback The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team successfully completed its final training session before the official start of the 44Cup Nanny Cay, the opening event of the 2025 season in the prestigious RC44 international circuit. Posted on 13 Feb
44Cup Nanny Cay Day 1
Overly breezy opening day in the British Virgin Island After a light wind 44Cup Nanny Cay concluded the 2024 season, it was with great anticipation that the 44Cup teams awaited 2025's opening event in the British Virgin Island, for which stiff trade winds have been forecast for some days. Posted on 13 Feb
Foam-up forecast for 44Cup Nanny Cay Season opener
Of the nine teams competing, favourite is Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika It's why racing yachts congregate from all parts of the world in the Caribbean - incessant sunshine; stiff breeze, soaring temperatures, warm azure water all combining to provide an alluring cocktail with which to escape the freezing gloom of winter. Posted on 12 Feb
Lanzarote Calero Team kicks off its 44Cup campaign
Presenting a refreshed crew with a strong local presence The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team has officially set sail in the 44Cup 2025, kicking off their campaign with the first training sessions in Nanny Cay. Posted on 11 Feb