Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2021 America's Cup 728x90 TOP

Adris 44Cup Rovinj - Overall

by Jessica Gray 2 Jun 2019 16:12 PDT 30 May - 2 June 2019

This morning Hugues Lepic's Aleph Racing scored their third bullet out of four races, increasing their five point lead at the day's start to a massive 10. Ultimately a fourth place in today's second and final race handed the French team victory at the Adris 44Cup Rovinj. This was a considerable step up from their third to last place at the first 44Cup event of the season in Montenegro in April. But more spectacular was it being the first time since joining the class nine years ago that Aleph Racing has ever won an event on the high performance one design circuit.

"It is an amazing feeling," said Lepic, dripping after taking his victor's plunge in the water of the ACI Marina Rovinj. "I like the class very much - the boat, the crews, the owners and the format, but I have never managed to get to this level. It is great to have this for the first time."

The team, which has Italian maestro Michele Ivaldi calling tactics, was top scorer on Friday, won two races from three yesterday and one from two today. So how did this come about? "All of our starts were good - starting fast and with good space helped a lot," explained Lepic. "Then it was a case of executing, not losing our cool, and making sure that everything we have learned over the years came together. We had a bit of luck as well"

Ivaldi has said over the previous days that getting the boat set up well for light conditions and practicing starts also helped.

Today anticipating a difficult forecast, Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio sent the boats out an hour earlier and ultimately managed to lay on two races in a light northwesterly, albeit with a long intermission between the two and having to finish the second prematurely after the second upwind leg.

In the latter, another crew scored a prominent result. Tavatuy Sailing Team, on their inaugural 44Cup season this year, won their first ever race. This week Pavel Kuznetsov's team, on which leading match racer Evgeny Neugodnikov calls tactics, has been first to the weather mark only to lose the lead subsequently. In today's first race for example, the Russian crew got a blazing pin end start, gaining enough of an advantage banging the left to cross the fleet on port. They rounded first only to lose the lead on the run to Artemis Racing. But in race two this wasn't case and as the wind began to fade and the course was shortened, they were still in front at the line.

"I can say that this hasn't been our regatta," admitted Kuznetsov as he returned to the marina in the shadow of the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj. "We had good starts and a few times we led at the top mark, but after that we did all kinds of things to lose our position. But we won the last race so we are happy."

Looking at the nine years it has taken Aleph Racing to win an event, Kuznetsov observed: "I hope we will be a bit quicker." As to the event here he added: "The organisation is very nice. We've loved our time here."

Banging in podium positions in both today's races was enough to earn Nico Poons' Charisma second overall, a fine turnaround from their last place in Montenegro. "The team is fine - the boys are working hard. You need a good team but it is also people like JK that make a difference," said Poons. JK is America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race winner John Kostecki, the team's new addition.

"I'm very pleased! Personally going into it I was hoping for a top five. So we'll take a second all the way!" said Kostecki. "We also have a great coach in Morgan Reeser. He really painted a picture out there of every race for us and was more or less correct every time. Today was about trying to keep it simple, being patient and not panicking."

Charisma's performance was enough to displace Torbjörn Törnqvist's Artemis Racing into third. With Sarah Gundersen standing in for Törnqvist here, the Swedish team has had a generally outstanding four days and at the end of day two was tied on points for the overall lead. However a deep result in today's first race, caused them to finish a point behind Charisma.

After their soaring performance yesterday, Peninsula Petroleum had an indifferent Sunday, while as Aleph Racing was on the ascent Team CEEREF, leader at the half way stage of the Adris 44Cup Rovinj, was heading the opposite way.

Chris Bake on Team Aqua did enough to keep Bronenosec Sailing Team astern of them, but was unable to keep up with Vladimir Prosikhin's Team Nika which posted an improved 2-5 today.

"It doesn't feel like the results show our efforts," admitted Bake. "We were never in the right place at the right time. There were fingers of breeze everywhere that got the better of us. It just wasn't our regatta at the end of the day."

As to the event, Bake said: "Rovinj has been phenomenal and ACI and Adris have done a huge job in hosting us and making it very comfortable for us. It is very nice. It is probably as nice a venue as we've ever been to."

Next event is the 44Cup World Championship 2019 in Marstrand, Sweden over 9-13 July.

Adris 44Cup Rovinj Overall Results: (after nine races)

Related Articles

Marstrand challenges Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team
Team Nika claimed the overall victory after a dramatic final day in the 44Cup Marstrand Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team wrapped up their participation in the 44Cup Marstrand in 10th place after a week marked by extreme weather conditions that tested the international sailing elite. Posted on 29 Jun
44Cup Marstrand 2025 overall
Team Nika's golden wheels get shinier While the penultimate day of racing at the 44Cup Marstand was cancelled due to excess wind, today conditions off the paradise Swedish island for the final three races were still boisterous from the lumpy residual sea state after Friday's gale. Posted on 28 Jun
44Cup Marstrand 2025 day 3
Gale force winds batter the west coast of Sweden With gale force winds battering the west coast of Sweden, racing had to be cancelled on day three of the 44Cup Marstrand. Posted on 27 Jun
44Cup Marstrand 2025 day 2
Aleph Racing takes the lead after glorious four race day The 44Cup is nothing but surprises. Day two of competition for the one-design owner-driver RC44s at the 44Cup Marstrand was forecast to be light but in fact provided further magnificent conditions, with sunshine and flatter seas than yesterday. Posted on 26 Jun
Tough start for Lanzarote Calero in Marstrand
An intense day on the water, marked by gusty winds and a series of incidents The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team began their participation in the 44Cup Marstrand with an intense day on the water, marked by sunny conditions, gusty winds, and a series of incidents that impacted the day's results. Posted on 26 Jun
44Cup Marstrand 2025 day 1
Peninsula Racing and Team Nika share the limelight After a gale forced the cancellation of yesterday's practice racing, for day one of the 44Cup Marstrand, taking place off the familiar Swedish paradise island, there was a west to northwesterly that built as the afternoon progressed, to 17 knots. Posted on 25 Jun
44Cup Marstrand 2025 starts tomorrow
Fleet back up to 12 on eve of breezy Marstrand event While the RC44s were up to 11 for the last event in Porto Cervo, for this week's 44Cup Marstrand, scheduled to set sail tomorrow from the breezy west coast of Sweden, the fleet has now grown to 12. Posted on 24 Jun
Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team returns to Marstrand
The team returns to these waters with good memories The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team is heading into the third stage of the 2025 44Cup in Marstrand, Sweden, with a clear objective: to turn the season around and climb the overall rankings. Posted on 21 Jun
44Cup Marstrand 2025 preview
3rd event of the season in Sweden next week Historically this is the most consistently visited venue for the high performance owner-driver RC44 one designs and their owners, which have visited the remote picture postcard island on Sweden's west coast since 2011, with the sole exception of 2016. Posted on 20 Jun
Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team at 44Cup Porto Cervo
Heads held high and another important step forward in its journey The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team concluded its participation in the 44Cup Porto Cervo with heads held high and another important step forward in its journey within the demanding RC44 circuit. Posted on 19 May
PredictWind - GO! exec 728x90 BOTTOMMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMSwitch One Design