2026 44Cup Calero Marinas - Day 2

The apple cart remains firmly upturned after day two of the 44Cup Puerto Calero, where the 2025 champion is currently residing at the unfamiliar bottom position on the leaderboard, while the still relatively green crew on Mehmet Taki and Murat Edin's Wow! Sailing Team from Turkey showed the fleet the way around the course in today's final race.

Conditions were markedly different from yesterday - this time strongly from the northwest, across Lanzarote and its hilly terrain, the offshore breeze turning the race course into a challenging minefield of shifts and gusts, for tacticians to figure out. The most extreme changes came in the last race which saw 10-25 knots.

While Wow! Sailing Team may have enjoyed some luck, it was mostly manufactured by the team, led by double 49er Olympic gold medallist and round the world race skipper Iker Martínez. They won the pin, were among the lead group on the left once they tacked, committed further to left where they enjoyed a magnificent lift propelling them to the top mark with a comfortable lead over Chris Bake's Team Aqua and John Bassadone's Peninsula Racing. Yesterday they had enjoyed leading a race only to lose it after incurring a penalty - not the case today and, despite some heart in mouth moments (Peninsula Racing got ahead of them at the second top mark rounding), holding on starboard gybe longer and then being able to lay the finish in one propelled the Turkish team to their first ever race win after a year campaigning on the 44Cup.

2026 44Cup Calero Marinas - photo © Nico Martinez / 44Cup

Mehmet Taki and Murat Edin alternate on the helm and today it was Edin's turn. "Today we got it, which was good," he commented. "We had a few lucky shifts, there was a bit of gambling and consistent sailing. I'm happy about it. We didn't make any big mistakes, there was no damage, we were very solid and just kept things going..."

As they crossed the line, Edin continued: "There was this adrenaline rush. I even let go of the wheel for a second to start celebrating, until I remembered we still had the kite up! We're building together something that works and functions; slowly starting to anticipate each other's needs. It's coming together nicely."

While Wow! Sailing Team won the race by 32 seconds from Peninsula Racing, the rest of the fleet arrived in a deluge - with four boats finishing within 12 seconds.

At the beginning of the day RC44 Class President Chris Bake and his Team Aqua crew had shown some of their old form (they won four consecutive seasons over 2011-14) when they claimed the first race ahead of Artemis Racing and Aleph Racing.

Team Aqua rounded the top mark in seventh, passing a devastated Team Nika, which had been leading only to incur a penalty after not answering a request for room to tack from Artemis Racing. However Team Aqua was first to gybe which elevated them to fourth coming into the starboard gate mark (as Charisma led Aleph Racing around the port mark). The groups swapped sides and as Charisma led up the starboard lay line into the top mark, Team Aqua enjoyed a lift getting the inside berth on Charisma to lead onto the run and extend away.

"We've certainly set our hopes on a good season," commented Team Aqua's tactician Cameron Appleton. "The team really sailed the boat at a high level today and we pulled off all our manoeuvres, we were going fast and never shied away from anything. Chris [Bake, helmsman] was phenomenal which was a big factor in the success of today, because I started the boat really badly..."

2026 44Cup Calero Marinas - photo © Nico Martinez / 44Cup

As to the conditions in the last race Appleton said they had seen 30-40° shifts with big streaks of pressure and the challenge had been how to deal with those. "It was incredible racing."

With six races sailed at this half way stage, there have been five different race winners. The only team to have won two is Markus Törnqvist's GeMera Racing, winner of the final event of the 2025 season in Calero Marinas' Marina Jandía on the neighbouring island, Fuerteventura.

"Consistency is key," commented Törnqvist. "Obviously it was a very tough day today - very shifty. Lots of tactical decisions had to be made and compromises, etc. But we managed, despite having a few issues in the first start when we got locked out and lost a bit there. Overall I'm still positive about the day and hopefully we can keep up our consistency tomorrow."

In race two they started at the boat end and held on starboard popping out in front when they tacked. However, still on fire, Team Aqua led around the top mark and, along with the rest of the fleet, gybed early. GeMera led a tight group into the starboard gate mark and then hung on for the rest of the race to win from Team Aqua and their teammates Artemis Racing.

With a 1-2-3 Team Aqua was top-scoring yacht of the day, elevating them to second overall, three points clear of GeMera Racing. Peninsula Racing and Artemis Racing also enjoyed solid days despite the difficult conditions.

"I made some mistakes, for sure, and that cost us some points, but, in the end, everyone here is in the same situation," commented Peninsula Racing tactician Vasco Vascotto. "This shifty breeze is something that, usually, I like. The most important thing is the boats are getting closer in speed, so everybody can win races. I think that gives this class happiness for everybody."

2026 44Cup Calero Marinas - photo © Nico Martinez / 44Cup

Artemis Racing's tactician Hamish Pepper added: "It was very tricky, testing conditions: the shifts and then the pressure coming through especially in that last race. To see the fleet so close together was pretty exciting."

Tomorrow another change in conditions is forecast as a giant area of high pressure extends over the Canary Islands. Anticipating it being too light to sail at 1200, the scheduled start has been delayed by one hour to 1300.

44Cup Calero Marinas Results after Day 2:

www.44cup.org