RC44 World Championships - Regatta of the Year

by Bernard Schopfer on 5 Oct 2010 The regatta of the year': this is how Team Aqua’s pro skipper Cameron Appleton describes the RC44 World Championships Islas Canarias Puerto Calero Cup.

The event will take place next week (October 11-16) in Lanzarote, on the Canary Islands. It will be the RC44 Class’ first official World Championship, recognized by the International Sailing Federation.

Team Aqua is currently second overall, on a tie with both Pieter Heerema’s Team No Way Back and Torbjon Tornqvist’s Artemis, just one point behind Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing.

'The Worlds in Lanzarote is going to be a very tough event, with great conditions to test the teams', says Appleton. 'With the class now reaching 13 teams, Team Aqua is looking at this as the regatta of the year! We think we will see some very tight racing with many different race winners. Consistency over the week in the strong testing trades that blow off Puerto Calero will treat teams to some highs and lows. We have two more events to finish the year and with the leader board so tight we are just looking to our own ability to finish strong. Chris Bake has been a fantastic owner and he is looking forward to some fun and fast down wind sailing.'

Also amongst the favorites for the world champion title, Ray Davies, the pro skipper onboard Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back, just arrived in Lanzarote. 'We have planned an extensive training session to evaluate some new sails and refresh our crew maneuvers', he says. 'We know we have the team required to win the worlds; we just have to string together a good regatta, we are really looking forward to it!'

Two new teams join the Championship Tour in Lanzarote: Synergy Russian Sailing Team and Peninsula Petroleum. Their objective is obviously different, as explains Maxim Logutenko, from Synergy: 'For us it is a great opportunity to race in the first RC 44 World Championship. We do not expect a good result, as we haven’t had enough time to practice. Our main goal is to be ready for the USA Series.'

The RC 44 World Championships Islas Canarias Puerto Calero Cup will be broadcast live on Internet. 'We are tremendously excited about this first RC44 World Championship and profoundly honored to know that the world will be watching the very best of the sailing élite in Puerto Calero', says Daniel Calero, the owner of the local team Puerto Calero Islas Canarias and organizer of the event. 'We have been working hard with Virtual Eye and Technosound to produce an optimum viewing platform for enthusiasts with the aim of constantly improving the accessibility of this fantastic sport to a worldwide audience. The first tests have been successful. There will be one camera on the water and another one on top of the highest hotel in Arrecife. Images will be mixed with 3D Virtual Eye and the footage will be available online in real time. There will also be an interactive element so that people who download the programme will be able to focus on the boats of their choice, opting for a specific viewpoint.'

Live commentary will be available in both English and Spanish, with Dobbs Davis doing the live commentary in English.

The RC 44 World Championship is the second-to-last stage of the RC 44 Championship Tour, currently led by BMW Oracle Racing one point ahead of Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis and Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back. The annual championship will see its conclusion on December 7-12 during the Oracle RC 44 Cup Miami.

RC 44 2010 SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP

(After four of six regattas, one discard)

1. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA), 6 points
2. Team Aqua (UAE), 7 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 7 points
4. No Way Back (NED), 7 points
5. 17 (USA), 11 points
6. Team Sea Dubai (UAE), 13 points
7. Katusha (RUS), 17 points
8. Ceeref (SLO), 19 points
9. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 24 points
10. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT), 28 points
11. Mascalzone Latino (ITA), 34 points

Joining the Class in Lanzarote for the first time:

Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS)
Peninsula Petroleum (ESP)