Encouraging start for Calero Sailing Team at 44Cup Baiona

Calero Sailing Team at 44Cup Baiona - Day 1 © Nico Martinez / 44Cup

Daniel Calero's Calero Sailing Team is still the greenest of the elite teams competing on the 44Cup circuit for the high-performance owner-driver RC44 one designs.

However unexpectedly the Lanzarote team ended day one of the 2024 44Cup's second event in Baiona in Spain's northwestern Galicia region tied on points and ahead, on countback, of class veterans and past World Champions Team Aqua, helmed by Chris Bake.

The Lanzarote team had a troublesome first race when they got caught out on the right side of the course where the wind died. However, they properly redeemed themselves in race two when they reached the top mark in third place in the nine-boat fleet and went on to finish the race a creditable fifth - equalling their best result at the season's opening event held out of their own Puerto Calero in Lanzarote.

Daniel Calero's Calero Sailing Team 'competitive and in the fight' at the end of day one of 44Cup Baiona - photo © Nico Martinez / 44Cup

"We are enjoying the venue a lot," commented Daniel Calero. The previous incarnation of his team raced a GP42 here in Baiona in 2008. "We know the place - it is beautiful, it is not only the view but the people are super good as is the food. We are enjoying it."

Of their unfortunate first race, tactician Alfredo Gonzalez admitted: "We made a mistake on the first downwind because we didn't have pressure on the right side and the race finished on the second upwind..."

However in the second race, Gonzalez continued, "We made a good decision to go on the right side of the course and we were third at the top mark. Our downwind was good but we made a little mistake at the gate. On the second upwind we ended up in fifth at the top mark and were fifth overall. But we were racing with the big teams like Aleph Racing and Ceeref, so we are very happy."

Calero Sailing Team on the first day of racing in Baiona, Galicia - photo © Nico Martinez / 44Cup

Daniel Calero continued; "We are very happy to be competitive and to be in the fight, but let's see what happens tomorrow. I am enjoyed being back in the RC44 - you cannot imagine! It is where we want to be. In the beginning it was a challenge to race in Puerto Calero. While we were there we decided to come here and now you never know what we are going to do." At present a decision has not been made about whether the popular Calero team will be continuing for the third event of the 2024 44Cup that takes place in Marstrand, Sweden.

Team Website: calerosailingteam.com
Event Website: www.44cup.org