Enticing international yachting to the Canaries

Daniel Calero discusses his move from the GP42 to the RC44

A team in transition this winter is that of the Calero family’s Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. Brothers Daniel, 30 and Jose Juan, 33, have competed in the GP42 class for four seasons, won the class on the Audi MedCup in 2009 and ended up second last season. But with the GP42s set to be replaced on that circuit in favour of the one design Soto 40s this year, so their days in the GP42 class are numbered and their boat is currently up for sale.

Daniel Calero is hugely enthusiastic about the RC44 circuit. His team has been involved since 2009 when they finished 7th while they ended up 9th in 2010 albeit in an enlarged fleet.

“The level is really high so as soon as you commit any small error you are paying for everything,” states Daniel Calero.

The two boats are markedly different. While the GP42 is a proper ‘yacht’ capable of sailing offshore, the RC44 is more a nimble inshore/lake racer, lighter with more sail area and optimised ideally for racing in light to moderate breeze and flat water.

“The classes and boats are completely different,” agrees Daniel Calero. “The RC44s are narrower and they are faster and also in light conditions are faster. I think in terms of square metres of sails, the RC44 is bigger. It is a very physical boat to sail as well and the way you hike is completely different. I like it a lot, this boat. In my opinion it is not the perfect boat for everyone - the RC44 is really good boat, but there are people who say it would be better with a fixed bowsprit.

“The GP42 is more like a regular boat. It is incredible the speed in 30 knots of wind and 2m waves for example which you wouldn’t enjoy in an RC44, but you can race in that in a GP42. In Cartegena, in the final last year, we were sailing there in 35 knots. It was incredible with the big waves...”

The Calero team’s part in the GP42 circuit this coming season is uncertain. The class is in the process of putting a circuit together outside of the Audi MedCup, probably involving a number of existing regattas such as Copa del Rey. With around 15 GP42s in existence and having less demands being placed on owners, this could prove ultimately to be better for the class in the long run. But as Calero points out trying to keep classes going in these times of economic crisis is difficult. For the Calero’s team it also depends upon their backers – for this is not just them, but also the Canary Islands tourist board – and this also depends upon the sale of their boat.

The Calero family are well known in the Canary Islands. Back in 1983, their father Jose Calero had the vision to turn a barren stretch of coast on the relatively protected south side of Lanzarote into a luxury marina, residential development and golf course. Construction of the marina at Puerto Calero - at the time with 200 berths, but since expanded to 500 – began in 1986 and was completed in 1989.

Today both sons are heavily involved in the family business. While Jose Calero continues to run the company, Daniel personally works on the construction and marketing sides. In addition to their operations in Lanzarote they recently opened another marina on the Canary Island of La Palma, which Daniel says is very different to their Lanzarote operation. In La Palma the marina is smaller with 180 berths and in the main town. “It is a different concept. It is an urban marina in the middle of the capital. La Palma isn’t a big capital but it is inside the commercial port. So it is different.”

Sailing, with their team that today includes the likes of their skipper, Spanish match racer José Maria Ponce and tactician Gustavo Martinez Doreste (brother of double 470 gold medallist Luis), is principally the passion of the two brothers. The brothers have regularly raced against each other in J/80s, of which there is a sizable local fleet of 36. They raced a Sydney 46 at regattas around the Canary Island before, around 10 years ago, slowly easing their way into the upper end of Spanish yachting when they acquired the former Cam, Farr 50 IMS boat.

“Then we realised that the handicap, IMS, was going down, so we jumped into the box rule where whoever comes first wins the race. That attracted us and also the process of designing and then building your boat was really attractive for us as well. I really enjoy the designing process, trying to get an advantage.”

Today they typically take turns being on board at regattas.

To help fund their habit, they are also obviously using their sailing campaign for commercial reasons - to put Puerto Calero on the map in the sailing world, but also to help push Canary Islands tourism as a whole.

Over the years Puerto Calero has attracted a wealth of different regattas. We first visited back in the late 1990s when the Mini Transat stopped there (it has since moved to Madeira). The GP42 and TP52s have both held World Championships out of Puerto Calero and for the RC44 class it is now a regular feature on their annual calendar having held a regatta there in October with plans to return in December this year. Furthermore the Ericsson Racing Team used Puerto Calero as their training base prior to the last Volvo Ocean Race something which Franck Cammas’ Groupama team are repeating at present prior to the next race.

“What we want is to receive as many boats to the Canary Islands as possible and show them it is a good place to race and to sail during the winter,” says Daniel.

Presumably with yachting events attracting a number of wealthy owners to Puerto Calero, they might be potential clients for their development too? Daniel admits he would very much like this to be the case, but it hasn’t happened to date.

So for 2011 the Caleros will be focussing on the RC44 class. In December they competed in the class’ first regatta in the USA, in Miami where they finished eighth, despite breaking their mast on the opening day. They aren’t one of the five RC44 entered in Key West – which isn’t part of the official circuit - but will be competing in the rest of the RC44 regattas starting with San Diego during the first week in March, before the jamboree returns to Europe, ultimately returning to their home.