The 19th season of the 44Cup begins tomorrow, Thursday 5th of February, at Puerto Calero Marina in Lanzarote.
Irish trimmers Cian Guilfoyle and Oisin McClleland are at the top of the leaderboard of the 44Cup Marina Jandía, with Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing taking the lead after today’s first race.
Unusually heavy rainfall has transformed the island’s volcanic landscape, replacing its familiar barren look with lush green vegetation. The weather will also defy expectations. A deep Atlantic depression has pushed the Azores High south, bringing south-westerly winds instead of the usual trade winds.
Ten teams will contest the 2026 season. After Lanzarote, the circuit heads to Puntaldia in Sardinia, Marstrand in Sweden, Cowes in the UK, and finishes in Cartagena, Spain, in November.
Defending champions Team Nika arrive with momentum and the coveted golden wheels, awarded to the overall leader.
Owner Vladimir Prosikhin said, “We want to keep the golden wheels as long as we can. They are very attached to Nika, but everyone wants them.” Prosikhin expects intense competition. “The boats are very equal, and the crews are very experienced. To win, everything has to come together,” he said. He also welcomed the return to Lanzarote. “It is so nice, so clean, so special. This time it was a huge surprise – everything was green,” he added.
Team Nika tactician Nic Asher said the focus remains internal. “We’re really just concentrating on ourselves and trusting our process,” he said.
The team has one crew change, with Britain’s Hannah Peters joining as floater, bringing experience from keelboats and international match racing.
Team Aleph finished second last season and returns with Pietro Loro Piano at the helm for the full campaign. GeMera ended 2025 strongly, winning the final event in Lanzarote, and is widely seen as a rising threat. Helmsman Markus Törnqvist said, “Winning the last event gives confidence. Steering here is about very small adjustments and being in sync with the team.”
GeMera tactician Francesco Bruni noted minor crew adjustments. “It’s all going well. Markus comes back and knows the game,” he said.
Artemis Racing, GeMera’s sister team, also remains a podium contender after a strong finish last season. Racing gets underway at 1200 UTC tomorrow, with mixed conditions forecast over the four-day regatta.
