RC44 news

Having dominated proceedings all week in the Puerto Calero RC44 Gold Cup, Igor Lah nearly let victory slip from his grasp as Team Ceeref struggled to make sense of the big windshifts that tumbled off the mountains of Lanzarote in gusts that sometimes blew up to 27 knots.

Saturday saw the RC44 fleet compete for the DHL Trophy, the long distance race which on this occasion was a 15-mile race along the coast to Arrecife Airport and back to Puerto Calero. Dean Barker called some good wind shifts up the windward leg to the first turning mark near Puerto Calero, allowing Torbjorn Tornqvist to steer Artemis into a small lead ahead of the chasing pack.

The wind just never seems to stop in Lanzarote, not that anyone’s complaining in the RC44 fleet. Why would you, when you’ve got 20 knots of breeze against a stunning backdrop that looks like you’ve landed on another planet?

More wind and more drama on the Atlantic race course for the concluding day of match racing at the Puerto Calero RC44 Gold Cup. Before the start of racing, BMW ORACLE Racing broke the gooseneck fitting on their mast, preventing owner Larry Ellison from competing in today’s five heats.

Lanzarote delivered on its promises of strong wind today, with the six RC44 teams battling to master the gusty conditions while also trying to win their five flights of intense match racing. Team Aqua won four of their five matches, losing only to Team Ceeref.

The RC 44 Gold Cup takes place in Puerto Calero (Canary Islands, Spain), on December 10-14. This event is the last regatta in the RC 44 2008 Championship Tour. The season’s match, fleet race and long distance champions will be crowned. The pressure is rising: there is a lot at stake.

Team Aqua is back in the water after a full repaint.

The RC 44 Gold Cup will take place in Puerto Calero (Canary Islands, Spain), on December 10-14. For Team Aqua, this is the last chance to get a podium position in both the fleet and match race rankings.

Chris Bake and the boys didn't have the opportunity to catch up on the ranking and benefit from their great form: there was once again no wind today and the racing got cancelled at 2:30 PM by Race Officer Peter Reggio.