RC44 season sets sail this week

Racing gets underway on Wednesday in Virgin Gorda

The RC44 fleet will be welcomed in Virgin Gorda, for the first event of the 2014 season from 12-16 February; nine teams out of the 14 strong fleet will compete at the opening Championship Tour event.

The Virgin Gorda Cup will kick off with a day of match racing, where either the professional tactician or owner can take the helm. The remaining four days will be fleet racing, with the addition of a long distance race on the Friday, that will see the teams complete a windward leeward in the Sound before racing 25 nautical miles around the island. A typically sailing day in Virgin Gorda sees 15-20 knot winds from the northeast, perfect racing conditions for the highly competitive one design fleet.

Dominating the leaderboard for the third consecutive year, Team Aqua will once again start the season as the defending Tour Champion; after an outstanding year in 2013, Chris Bake’s team took home both the match and fleet racing titles.

Hot on the heels of Team Aqua in 2013 was Valentin Zavadnikov’s Synergy Russian Sailing Team. Tactician Ed Baird (USA) is calling tactics for the otherwise all-Russian team again this season and will be planning to go one better this season after finishing runner up in both the fleet and match racing last year.

New to the class for 2014 is the Italian team Bombarda Racing, owned by Andera Pozzi , which is sailing with an all-Italian crew led by tactician Gabriele Benussi. Also joining the fleet as helmsman of Russia’s Team Katusha will be Vladimir Sokolov; despite this being his first experience of yacht racing, Sokolov is a keen sportsman, avid tennis player and has extensive experience in motor and car racing. Calling the shots on board Katusha this year will be Andy Horton.

Stepping back into the fleet will be class founder Russell Coutts sailing onboard Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika for the Virgin Gorda Cup.

“Having the event hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Virgin Gorda is going to be spectacular," said Coutts." The competition within the fleet is phenomenal and with a new season beginning I’m looking forward to getting on the water with Team Nika.”

The Virgin Gorda Cup has been supported by Moorings Yacht Charter, racing will be run out of the beautiful Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, with their race team supporting the classes very own Principal Race Officer, Peter ‘Luigi’ Reggio.

Racing runs from Wednesday 12 February for five days until Sunday 16 February.

Team line-up:

Lunajets Aleph Racing  (FRA17)
Pierre Eric Destroyat (FRA)/ Mathieu Richard (FRA)

Artemis Racing  (SWE44)
Torbjorn Tornqvist  (SWE) / Iain Percy (GBR)

Bombarda Racing  (ITA42)
Andrea Pozzi (ITA)/ Gabriele Benussi (ITA)

Gazprom Youth Sailing Challenge (RUS7)
Vladimir Liubomirov (RUS) / Igor Lisovenko (RUS)

Katusha (RUS007)
Vladimir Sokolov (RUS) / Andy Horton (USA)

Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team (GBR1)
John Bassadone (GBR) / Vasco Vascotto (ITA)

Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS13)
Valentin Zavadnikov (RUS) / Ed Baird (USA)

Team Aqua (GBR2041)
Chris Bake (GBR) / Cameron Appleton (NZL)

Team Nika (RUS10)
Vladimir Prosikhin (RUS) / Russell Coutts (NZL)