44Cup season sets sail next week in Puerto Calero
by 44Cup 1 Feb 07:30 PST
4-8 February 2026
44Cup Marina Jandía 2025 © Nico Martimez / Martinez Studio
The 44Cup begins its new season next week in a venue that for years has formed a cornerstone of the circuit: Puerto Calero in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, owned and operated by the RC44 class' long term partner Calero Marinas. Racing will take place over 5-8 February preceded by a practice day on Wednesday 4th.
The 2025 season concluded with the 44Cup for the first time visiting Calero Marina's newest facility, Marina Jandía in the southern tip of Lanzarote's neighbouring island, Fuerteventura. That event was won by Markus Tornqvist's GeMera. Coming home second though was Team Nika, and thanks to their finishing on the podium at every event throughout 2025, Vladimir Prosikhin and his crew led by British tactician Nic Asher, comfortably topped the podium at the end of the season.
2026 marks the 19th year of racing for the high performance RC44s, making it one of the longest surviving large one-design yachts of all time, participants drawn to the 'owner-driver' aspect of the racing combined with the highest level of competition on the water and great camaraderie ashore as well as the value it provides.
Next week's 44Cup Calero Marinas will be the 13th occasion the circuit has visited Lanzarote since 2008. Two years later, as a newly World Sailing-recognised class, Puerto Calero was chosen as the host venue for the first ever RC44 World Championship, won by Larry Ellison's Oracle Racing. Over the previous years there have been eight different winners here, of which, remarkably, six will be competing again next week including Torbjörn Törnqvist's Artemis Racing (2011), Chris Bake's Team Aqua (2009 and 2012), John Bassadone's Peninsula Racing (2017) and Nico Poons' Charisma (2018).
While Team Nika is the defending champion in Puerto Calero and remains favourite, carrying the 44Cup leader's 'yellow jersey' in the form of the golden steering wheels Vladimir Prosikhin so relishes having on his boat, Hugues Lepic's Aleph Racing is one of the few double winners at this event, having topped the podium in both 2023 and 2021.
After Aleph Racing ended last season runner-up to Team Nika, Lepic is handing over the helm to Pietro Loro Piana for the 2026 season. This shouldn't be a problem as Loro Piana has been sharing driving duties with him since 2023. "Hugues is still super involved. He remains the owner and soul of the team. He will be back in 2027," says Aleph Racing tactician Michele Ivaldi. "Over the last two and a half years they alternated, so they both know the boat pretty well which makes it easy for us to change from one driver to the other, which is really good."
They also have a change of offside trimmer with Britain's Joe Drake stepping into the role. Other than that, the team will remain the same. "The trick is to keep stability in the crew," Ivaldi continues. "The 44 is one of the few boats where solid crew work really makes a big difference, so the less you change, the better you'll be. One thing I can always count on on Aleph is the solid crew work. They've pulled me out of tough situations many, many times. Speed and crew work make me look good!"
Ivaldi enjoys the racing off Puerto Calero where the trade winds, if they are blowing, are typically from between the north or northeast in direction. "It's tricky because most of the time it is just in the lee of island, so the normal wind direction is offshore which means it is very shifty and puffy. If it's good trade winds, it's super fun because it's strong wind, flat water, and a lot of opportunity for big wins, but big losses obviously too. But it's a very open course and there's plenty of opportunities if you don't have a good start and just manage to stay in phase. I like it a lot."
The RC44 teams can expect the usual warm welcome from the Calero family and the Calero Marinas team. Calero operations in the Canaries Islands began in the late 1980s, led by family patriarch José Calero. Today Calero Marinas operates two marinas in Lanzarote, plus others in La Palma and Fuerteventura, run by elder son José Juan. Younger brother Daniel and a regular competitor in the 44Cup, runs the family's real estate company Calmar Developments.
José Juan Calero, CEO of Calero Marinas, expressed his pride in welcoming the RC44 Class back to Puerto Calero following the 2025 final event in Fuerteventura: "It is a great pleasure for Calero Marinas to host the RC44 Class once again in Puerto Calero. This fleet embodies excellence and top-level competition, values that strongly align with our philosophy."
He also highlighted the long-standing relationship between both organisations: "Over the years, a strong and trusted relationship has developed between the RC44 Class and Calero Marinas. Puerto Calero has become a familiar and valued venue for the class, and we look forward to continuing this successful collaboration in the future."
44Cup 2026 Schedule:
4-8 February - 44CUP CALERO MARINAS, Lanzarote
22-26 April - 44CUP PUNTALDIA - Sardinia
24-28 June - 44CUP MARSTRAND - Sweden
23-27 September - 2026 44CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COWES - UK
4-8 November - 44CUP CARTAGENA - Spain
www.44cup.org