Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine 2019 728x90

RC44 Marstrand Cup – Bronenosec the master of Marstrand

by RC44 Class Association on 2 Aug 2015
Bronenosec Sailing Team claim the cup - 2015 RC44 Marstrand Cup Pedro Martinez / Martinez Studio / RC44
RC44 Marstrand Cup – Further impeccable sailing from Vladimir Liubomirov and the crew of his light blue RC44 saw Bronenosec Sailing Team claim the cup for the second year running. This came after a challenging fourth day of fleet racing off Marstrand Island on Sweden’s west coast with a light 10 knot wind and a ‘boat disappearing’ sized swell that dropped off over today’s final three races.

Bronenosec’s overall victory was helped by their winning today’s second race, largely the result of an excellent start. This left them six points clear of arch-rivals Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika in second with Nico Poons’ Charisma a further two points back in the third. For the last race, the strategy was clear, as Italian tactician Michele Ivaldi explained: “We needed to be in the same piece of water at Nika and Charisma. Luckily we managed to do that.”

In the final race, Bronenosec came home sixth with Charisma fifth and Team Nika seventh, enabling Bronenosec to win by seven points.

“I am very happy. It is our second win in Marstrand and my third time here,” said a beaming Vladimir Liubomirov. “I like this place, the people and the organisation. Many thanks to Stena for their hospitality. Now it is a good time to drink something!”

Ivaldi also complimented the crew: “It wasn’t an easy last race because the wind was very light and shifty and it was very stressful. This has been the ‘week of the team’. The speed guys, Flipper [Paul Westlake], Cicco [Maciel Cichetti] and Vladimir, did a great job, Alby [Alberto Barovier] put us on the line really well and the guys did the manoeuvres very well. We made very few mistakes.”

Team Nika and Charisma claimed the remaining podium steps, tied on points, with Nika coming second on countback. However as a consolation prize for Vladimir Prosikhin, Team Nika has now moves into pole position in 2015 RC44 Championship and can claim the leader’s golden steering wheels.

The first race of the day was won by Chris Bake’s Team Aqua on which Swede Richard Goransson has been helming for this regatta. The oldest team on the RC44 circuit has been building up steam slowly. After a slow start to their fleet racing, this morning’s result followed a win in yesterday’s final race and they were today’s top performing boat posting a 1-3-3. However this only bumped the team up a single place, to fifth, one point ahead of John Bassadone’s Peninsula Petroleum.

For the Swedish regatta on the RC44 Championship Tour, the final race’s results could not have been staged better. At the first top mark rounding, there was the unfamiliar sight of Gustaf Lidvall’s Artemis Racing Youth rounding first, immediately ahead of Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing.

The Youth team line-up includes four up and coming Swedish sailors, but also two Olympic gold medallists, Paul Goodison and Swede Freddie Lööf.

Of the RC44, Lööf, who won gold in the Star keelboat at London 2012, says: “It is an excellent boat and it starts ripping when it is windy. And it is quite tweaky - it is not easy. The whole crew needs to be involved in the racing, it is challenging for the whole group which is what makes it exciting.”

Sadly Artemis Racing Youth’s five minutes of fame was not to last and the seniors’ team pulled ahead on the first run and held this position for the next lap and on to win at the spectacular finish among the rocks in Marstrand Fjord.

Artemis Racing’s Torbjörn Törnqvist was elated by the result. “It was exactly what I planned!” he joked. “It has been a good regatta, even though we didn’t make it to the podium which was due to two marginal penalties.” Artemis Racing finished two points short of Team Nika and Charisma. “We have made many improvements just in this regatta. We feel we have the speed and the whole package is working better than it has done for quite some time.”

As host, Törnqvist was pleased with the way the event had gone. “It is really popular. We are not coming back next year, but that doesn’t mean we are never coming back. We have now been here five years in a row which is more than any other place.”

Bringing up the rear today was the Polish crew on MAG Racing, who clearly weren’t enjoying the giant swell and the lightest wind of the week. Their Croatian tactician Tomislav Basic admitted: “I did a really bad job, but it was hard conditions for everyone. The rest of the week I am satisfied because we improved some things like our boat speed and now we feel a lot more comfortable and the owner is getting more experience.”

MAG Racing has joint owners and here Artur Kasner was helming. As a Basic put it: “This is only his tenth racing day in his life!”

The next event is the RC44 Cascais World Championship on 30th September until October 4th.



RC44 Marstrand Cup Results
Pos Boat R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 Tot
1 Bronenosec Sailing Team (RUS 18) 3 3 5 1 3 3 6 2 2 5 1 6 40
2 Team Nika (RUS 10) 5 1 1 2 2 8 1 4 8 6 2 7 47
3 Charisma (MON 69) 2 2 4 10 1 5 4 1 7 2 4 5 47
4 Artemis Racing (SWE44) 1 5 2 3 9 2 3 5 10 3 5 1 49
5 Team Aqua (GBR 2041) 10 10 3 6 7 4 5 6 1 1 3 3 59
6 Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team (GBR 1) 4 6 6 5 5 1 2 3 5 8 6 9 60
7 Katusha (RUS 21) 6 8 11 9 6 6 8 7 3 7 8 2 81
8 Artemis Racing Youth (SWE 4) 7 4 7 4 8 9 7 10 4 9 9 4 82
9 RUS - 7 Anywayanyday (RUS 7) 8 9 8 7 4 7 11 9 9 4 7 8 91
10 MAG Racing (POL 44) 9 7 9 8 10 10 9 8 6 10 10 10 106

Overall RC44 Championship Tour Results (After three events)
Pos Team VALLETTA CUP AUDI PORTO CERVO CUP MARSTRAND CUP Pts
1 Team Nika (RUS 10) 2 4 2 8
2 Bronenosec Sailing Team (RUS 18) 3 6 1 10
3 Team Aqua (GBR 2041) 4 1 5 10
4 Charisma (MON 69) 1 8 3 12
5 Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team (GBR 1) 7 2 6 15
6 Artemis Racing (SWE44) 9 7 4 20
7 TEAM CEEREF (SLO 11) 5 3 13 21
8 Katusha (RUS 21) 6 9 7 22
9 RUS - 7 Anywayanyday (RUS 7) 8 10 9 27
10 Artemis Racing Youth (SWE 4) 10 11 8 29
11 Aleph Racing (FRA 17) 13 5 13 31
12 MAG Racing (POL 44) 11 12 10 33









Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignRooster 2025Rolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTER

Related Articles

Hamilton Island Race Week Accommodation Deals
Our most popular race week properties available now at reduced rates Hamilton Island Race Week is fast approaching and if you're quick, we have some prime race week viewing spots available where you can watch some of the world's best racing yachts sail by and be close to all the celebrations.
Posted today at 9:05 pm
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 4
Bergmann with Wille keep their nerve to move into FX lead Olympic veterans in the 49erFX Marla Bergmann with Hanna Wille (GER) kept their nerve and used their speed to move into the lead, scoring the fewest points on day 4.
Posted today at 7:49 pm
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 4
Hutchinson adding the missing element as American Magic Quantum Racing close in on title Now holding a 13-points lead after today's two races contested at the Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup, American Magic Quantum Racing crew are on the cusp of completing their first 52 SUPER SERIES regatta win since victory in Barcelona in September 2022.
Posted today at 5:39 pm
Rooster Sailing's 2025 Collection Just Dropped
From the redesigned Technical Shorts to the all-new SB2 Deck Trainers From the redesigned Technical Shorts to the all-new SB2 Deck Trainers, the 2025 collection has been developed with real sailors, for real conditions.
Posted today at 4:00 pm
Expanding horizons with West System Epoxy
Working on D-Class boats over the years sparked Jonathan Minnebo's love of sailing Returning to his roots, Jonathan Minnebo has broadened his sights from solely shipwright work to creating bespoke furniture and staircase design and installation.
Posted today at 6:54 am
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 2
Final four skippers emerge from a competitive qualifying double-round robin stage A thrilling second day of racing at the 2025 Santa Maria Cup saw the final four skippers emerge from a competitive qualifying double-round robin stage.
Posted today at 4:47 am
SailGP to Kick Off Summer in New York
With this Weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix An unforgettable weekend of high-speed, close-to-shore racing and world-class entertainment will take place this weekend when the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix takes place in front of the most famous skyline in the world.
Posted on 5 Jun
Scandinavian Gold Cup at Sopot, Poland Day 1
A slow start with very little wind The Scandinavian Gold Cup opened Thursday in Sopot, Poland, with seven 5.5 Metres competing for this historic and iconic trophy that dates back to 1922. Unfortunately, there was not enough wind to even complete one race.
Posted on 5 Jun
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 3
A six-hour bake on the water Veteran and multi-Olympic race officer Sulis was clear at the morning briefing, "Our priority is to get three races for the 49er so they can progress to the gold fleet."
Posted on 5 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 3
Platoon Aviation turn up the heat but don't dent American Magic Quantum Racing's lead After a disappointing first regatta of the season when they finished in an uncharacteristic last position in Saint-Tropez, the fortunes of the German flagged 2023 52 SUPER SERIES overall champions Platoon Aviation seem to have turned for the better.
Posted on 5 Jun