Irish sailors Simon Johnson and Cian Guilfoyle, who are fresh from the success (as runners-up on Sled) in last week's TP52 Super Series TP52 in Saint-Tropez, France, will return to the RC44 circuit in Italy next week.
As regular readers know, County Wicklow's Johnson sails on Black Star racing and Guilfoyle on French boat Aleph.
Donaghdee's Oisin McClelland (also on Aleph) and Royal Cork's Grattan Roberts on Team Ceeref Vaider are joining the duo from Ireland.
With the RC44 fleet now safely returned from the Caribbean, competition on the 44Cup resumes again next week with the second event of the 2025 season taking place in the Italian sailing mecca of Porto Cervo.
The initiatives taken and investment made by the 44Cup’s loyal owners over recent seasons is now paying dividends with the fleet of high performance owner-driver one designs once again growing. For the first time since 2016, the RC44 fleet competing next week will number 11, two more than started the season, with the return of Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team and Mehmet Taki’s Wow! Sailing Team from Turkey.
Wow! Sailing Team tried the RC44 at the last event of the 2024 season in Nanny Cay, in the British Virgin Islands with Spain’s double Olympic 49er gold medallist and round the world sailor Iker Martinez calling tactics. They have now decided to go all-in and have acquired hull #25, formerly Team Aqua of RC44 Class President Chris Bake, who now campaigns in hull #28.
Taki, who comes from Istanbul, has been yacht racing for more than a decade now, including a ClubSwan 36 and 50 and a Jason Ker-designed Bolt 37. In the BVI he was blown away by the performance of the RC44 as well as the closeness of the racing: “I have never sailed such a good boat in all my life. Especially the helm - it is top. I cannot talk about the rest of the boat - the crew is struggling still, but it is a very nice boat.”
The 44Cup Nanny Cay at the end of 2024 was the first occasion Iker Martinez had sailed the RC44, having campaigned most other genres of keelboats and one designs from Olympic classes, notably the 49er, up to Volvo Ocean Race boats and IMOCAs. However in terms of his Olympic credentials, Martinez is not alone in the 44Cup fleet notably with Artemis Racing’s main trimmer Iain Percy also having two Olympic golds plus a silver, Black Star main trimmer Will Ryan (Olympic 470 Gold and silver medallist), Peninsula Racing’s main trimmer Jordi Calafat (470 Gold) and Anders Ekström (Star bronze).
Christian Zuerrer returns with his Black Star Sailing Team, comprising the exact same crew led by his New Zealand tactician Cameron Dunn. “We have the same team, the same goal and we will be fighting. I am looking forward to the event and welcoming all the new teams. I am excited by having 11 boats on the starting line,” says Zuerrer.
Once again the 44Cup will be visiting one of yacht racing’s premier destinations. The potential of the Costa Smeralda in northeast Sardinia as a spectacular sailing venue was first identified by His Late Highness Aga Khan IV in the 1970s – with the azure blue waters around La Maddalena archipelago and its often fresh breeze, thanks to the prevailing winds funnelling through the Strait of Bonifacio. The Aga Khan was behind the development of Porto Cervo founded in 1962 followed a few years later, in 1967, by the magnificent Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), which will be organising the 44Cup Porto Cervo over 12-18 May in collaboration with the Class. Annually the YCCS organises the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup along with many other of the world’s leading championships and regattas.
The RC44 class visited Porto Cervo previously in 2017 when it was won by Alexander Novoselov’s Katusha. Andy Horton was calling tactics on board on that occasion and returns next week on board Nico Poons’ Charisma.
“We have sailed a lot in Porto Cervo over the years with the Maxis and the TP52s,” says Horton, who with Katusha eight years ago won in Porto Cervo and Cascais, ending the season third overall. “I haven’t been there this early in the year, because normally we are there in June or September. June is normally pretty light, but you can have anything if I remember right.” In 2017 a Mistral brought 30-40 knot winds on the Saturday but this year the long term forecast is indicating a wide range of conditions and wind directions.
Horton is looking forward to returning to Porto Cervo: “It is iconic. The scenery, the wind, the little town and the club – the whole thing is just awesome. It is a pretty special place to go sailing.”
Practice races at the 44Cup Porto Cervo will take place on Wednesday, 14 May with racing proper over Thursday to Sunday 15-18 May
44CUP OVERALL RANKING 2025: (After one event)
- Charisma - 1
- Aleph Racing - 2
- Team Nika - 3
- Team CEEREF Vaider - 4
- Team Aqua - 5
- Artemis Racing - 6
- Peninsula Racing - 7
- GeMera - 8
- Lanzarote Calero Sailing - 9
- Black Star Sailing Team - 11DNC
- WOW! Sailing Team - 11DNC
