RC44.com - news

LV Trophy: A good training ground for the Sea Dubai Gold Cup

06 Nov 2009 07:30:06 GMT

Paul Cayard (Katusha), Russell Coutts (BMW ORACLE Racing), Karol Jablonski (Synergy) and Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand) are competing this week in the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice. The competition starts on 7 November and it will last two weeks. The teams will then jump on an airplane and head for Dubai, where they will participate in the RC 44 Championship Tour closing event.

Sea Dubai RC 44 Gold Cup: The final showdown

28 Oct 2009 22:18:03 GMT

The last regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2009 will take place next month in Dubai. The ten RC 44 teams involved in the Championship Tour will participate in the event and fight hard to maintain or better their position in the rankings.

The Sea Dubai RC 44 Gold Cup is the season’s most important regatta: four titles will be awarded at the end of the regatta and the points count double. The titles at stake are: the overall championship title, the match race and fleet race season titles as well as the DHL Trophy.

The RC 44 match race has become the toughest in the world over the years, with three times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts sailing against Team New Zealand's helmsman Dean Barker, Cameron Appleton, Paul Cayard, Ray Davies, Karol Jablonski, Markus Wieser and many more. During the last regatta, held in Portoroz in September, the three leaders of the annual ranking finished no better than fifth, sixth and seventh, illustrating the level of the competition and leaving precious points to Karol Jablonski’s Organika and Paul Cayard’s new team Katusha. Nothing’s acquired yet in this contest: four team are still in a position to win the title: Artemis (9 points), Ceeref (11 points), Team Aqua and No way Back (12 points).

In the fleet race ranking, Torbjorn Tornqvist and Dean Barker’s Artemis sit two points ahead of Chris Bake and Cameron Appleton’s Team Aqua whilst third placed BMW ORACLE Racing and No Way Back are in their wake, with three more points. Vincenzo Onorato will be at the helm of BMW ORACLE Racing in this event whilst Pieter Heerema will steer his boat as usual.

The DHL Trophy ranking is even hotter, with four teams separated by four points: Artemis (7 points), Team Aqua and No Way Back (8 points) and BMW ORACLE Racing (9 points).

The most coveted title is the overall Championship Tour ranking. Team Aqua leads this contest with a three points margin over Artemis (9 points), No Way Back (13 points) and BMW ORACLE Racing (14 points).

Organised by Dubai International Marine Club, the Sea Dubai RC 44 Gold Cup will count for double points. The event will start on Tuesday November 24 with the practice Race and media day. The match race event will take place on Wednesday November 25 and 26 whilst the fleet regatta will take place from Friday November 27 till Sunday 29.

The teams involved:

(Name of team, owner, pro sailor)

Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton

Team Ceeref, Igor Lah

Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, DIMC / Markus Wieser

BMW ORACLE Racing, Vincenzo Onorato / Russell Coutts

Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Karol Jablonski

Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, Daniel Calero / Jose Maria Ponce

Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist / Dean Barker

No Way Back, Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies

Team Austria, René Mangold / Christian Binder

Team Katusha, Paul Cayard

Artemis wins the fleet regatta and No Way Back conquers the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup

03 Oct 2009 16:37:40 GMT

Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis controlled the situation today, winning the fleet race ranking ahead of Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back and BMW ORACLE Racing. No Way Back grabs the combined fleet race / match race ranking.

Torbjorn Tornqvist, his tactician Dean Barker and their crew onboard Artemis controlled the situation perfectly today, increasing their lead in the overall ranking in the first race of the day before securing the title in the second. Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back controlled BMW ORACLE Racing throughout the day, grabbing the second place in the overall ranking and the first place in the combined fleet race / match race ranking.

The four boats who were leading the provisional ranking ahead of today’s races started the first race at the pin end of the line and headed for the left of the course. All other teams went right and benefited from a slightly better angle. Sailing fast and well, Artemis just managed to squeeze in and take the lead whilst BMW ORACLE Racing – sailing no more than one boat length behind Artemis - had no other choice but to bear away to give way to the other boats, finally rounding the top mark last!

The wind was quite irregular, provoking many changes within the fleet. No Way Back played the shifts well, grabbing the second place ahead of Team Aqua and Ceeref whilst BMW ORACLE Racing only managed to climb back up to the seventh place.

The wind started to drop before the start of the second race, leading BMW ORACLE Racing and Organika to switch to genoas whilst the others boats carried on sailing under jib. A massive left shift gave the lead to the teams who had chosen the left in the first beat, whilst the second beat heavily favoured those who went to the right. Pieter Taselaar and Paul Cayard got it right on board Katusha, winning the race ahead of Artemis and Team Aqua, finally on good form after a difficult start in the event.

Artemis was by then sure to win the event whilst only one point separated No Way Back and BMW ORACLE Racing. The last race would therefore be decisive for the second place of the podium.

The breeze was down to eight knots at this stage, and clearly favourable on the right side of the course. Team Aqua started at the Committee end of the line and immediately tacked, grabbing an early lead and extending throughout the race. Sailing in the middle of the pack, Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back never missed an opportunity to tack over BMW ORACLE Racing. The American boats suffered from this and finished the race in the ninth place, loosing its second place overall to the Dutch – fourth of this last race.

No Way Back wins the combined fleet race / match race ranking thanks to their third place in the match race, ahead of Paul Cayard’s Katusha, winner of the match and fourth in the fleet regatta, brilliant for his first participation on the 22^nd and latest RC 44. Fifth of the match race, Artemis finishes third overall.

The next regatta will take place on November 25 – 29 in Dubai (UAE).

They said:

Torbjorn Tornqvist, owner and helmsman, Artemis: “This morning we decided to do our own race without looking too much at the ranking and the other boats. We had a very good first race and were a little bit lucky in the second; that was it! The spirit onboard is excellent; there is never a harsh word even when things are not going the way we want. It is very important for me. Obviously, we want to win but the goal is also to have fun. The two go together.”

Pieter Heerema, owner and helmsman, Team No Way Back: “We always sail in nice places but this event has been fantastic and the people have been great. Today was interesting. Obviously we knew that we had to beat Russell. We didn’t sail against him, we did our own race and it turned out fine. At the beginning of the season, I said that our goal was to win one match race, one fleet race and one overall ranking. All we need to do to achieve this is to win a match. The pressure’s on Ray!”

Russell Coutts, tactician, BMW ORACLE Racing: “We did some great racing this week and it was definitely the most competitive regatta for the class so far. Artemis had a great race, they really dominated this event. We also had a good week. We suffered a bit today; Pieter Heerema knocked us back all day and we didn’t get out of the starting line the way we wanted. But it has been great fun.”

Igor Lah, event organiser and owner / helmsman of Ceeref: “We’ve had five fantastic days, the breeze has been great and it has been a lot of fun. I am very happy as an event organiser. As a competitor I am a bit disappointed because we would have preferred a better result. It is really hard work to make it to the top.”

Karol Jablonski, tactician, Organika: “We finish the event fourth overall; this is our best result so far and I am very pleased with it. I guess this is the best we can achieve with our current configuration: the Class has never been so tough and every mistake costs a lot. Considering how much time he spends on the boat, Maciej did a great job.”

Fleet race, final results after ten races:

(Ranking, name of team, helmsman, results, points (DHL Trophy double points in bold)

1) Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 2, 2, 5, 6, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 5 – 28 points
2) No Way Back, Pieter Heerema, 11, 6, 1, 1, 4, 8, 3, 2, 4, 4 – 44 points
3) BMW ORACLE Racing, Ian Vickers, 1, 1, 8, 4, 10, 1, 2, 7, 5, 9 – 48 points
4) Team Katusha, Pieter Taselaar, 3, 7, 10, 2, 8, 6, 4, 9, 1, 3 – 53 points
5) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 6, 5, 6, 3, 16, 3, 11, 3, 3, 1 – 57 points
6) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 9, 9, 2, 7, 6, 4, 7, 4, 9, 7 – 64 points
7) Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 8, 3, 3, 5, 20, 7, 5, 5, 7, 6 – 69 points
8) Team Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, 7, 4, 4, 9, 18, 5, 9, 10, 10, 2 – 80 points (incl 2 penalty points)
9) Team Austria, René Mangold, 10, 11, 9, 10, 12, 10, 8, 6, 8, 11 – 95 points
10) Modri Gaj, Michael Reardon, 4, 10, 11, 8, 14, 11, 6, 11, 12, 8 – 97 points (incl 2 penalty points)
11) Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Juan Calero, 5, 8, 7, 11, 23, 9, 10,8, 6, 10 – 97 points

Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup combined fleet race / match race ranking:

1) No Way Back, 5 points
2) Team Katusha, 5 points
3) Artemis, 6 points
4) Organika, 9 points
5) BMW ORACLE Racing, 11 points
6) Team Aqua, 11 points
7) Ceeref, 13 points
8) Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 15 points
9) Team Sea Dubai, 17 points
10) Team Austria, 20 points
11) Modri Gaj, 20 points

Team Artemis grabs the lead in the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup

02 Oct 2009 17:37:07 GMT

The Swedish team, with Torbjorn Tornqvist at the helm and Dean Barker calling the shots, won the DHL long distance race and dominated the day. The conditions were absolutely fantastic, with up to 20 knots of wind and a great sunshine.

The double points DHL Trophy took place this morning in perfect conditions, with up to 20 knots of wind and a great sunshine. Artemis started the race at the Committee end of the line and tacked immediately, heading for the right of the course when all the other teams carried on to the left. The decision was right and Artemis reached the windward mark first.

The teams then sailed towards the medieval town of Piran, following the beautiful Slovenian coast. Some tried to cut the course by sailing close to the shore, whereas the local teams Ceeref and Modri Gaj knew that there would be windless patches under the cliffs and made a good move sailing further out. A confused sea and gusts of wind blowing up to twenty knots welcomed the teams past the cape of Piran. The eleven strong fleet then sailed upwind towards the next mark, in Isola. A wild spinnaker ride towards the arrival line – back in Portoroz – followed, giving the helmsmen the opportunity to test their skills. Artemis never got threatened during this ride, extending their lead and winning comfortably, ahead of Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back and Igor Lah’s Ceeref, quite unhappy in this regatta until this good result.

Two windward – leeward races followed the DHL Trophy. BMW ORACLE Racing, who seems to be the only team capable of challenging Artemis’ leadership in the fleet regatta, won the first one and finished second of the next whilst Artemis did the opposite. The second race turned out to be a match between the two boats, followed at a respectable distance by Chris Bake’s Team Aqua and Igor Lah’s Ceeref. The third race seemed to be one too much for some of the exhausted crews. The last windward mark rounding turned to carnage, with Aqua broaching, Ceeref twisting its spinnaker around the headstay, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero unable to bear away due to a blocked halyard and several other mishaps. Leading the fleet, No Way Back, BMW ORACLE Racing and Artemis extended their lead, Artemis managing to overtake both during the last beat to win the race.

Today’s races allowed some of the new teams in the Class to have their moment of glory. Sailing well in the breeze, Team Austria managed to challenge the best teams on several occasions, finishing the DHL Trophy in sixth – their best result so far. Also alternating the worse with the best, Modri Gaj finished seventh of the long distance regatta and sixth of the last race – after sailing in fourth for most of the regatta.

The last races will take place tomorrow. There are only fourteen points between the top three boats and everything remains possible.

They said:

Torbjorn Tornqvist, owner and helmsman, Artemis: “This is our best performance so far this year. The deciding factor for us is our great speed; we also perform very well as a team. All the little details make a difference. We had two great races against Russell.”

Noel Drennan, crewmember, BMW ORACLE Racing: “The DHL race was fantastic and we then sailed two beautiful races against Artemis. We were third during most of the long distance regatta but then we made a mistake at the last jibe, in Piran, loosing two places to Cayard and Ceeref. We are feeling much more comfortable again in the fleet races. We won the fleet regatta in Cagliari at the beginning of the year and then had some difficulties, but we are back at the top.”

Michael Reardon, helmsman, Modri Gaj: “The sailing was absolutely awesome; it’s a fantastic experience. I am pretty happy with our day and I feel that we are improving fast. We made great calls on the shifts and sailed quite well. Basically, the team was great and the only mistakes we did were mine.”

Pieter Taselaar, helmsman, Team Katusha: “I absolutely loved today. The boats are very exciting in those conditions, both up and downwind. We were doing 20 knots, it was awesome. The sensations are quite comparable to the Melges 32 but it is more technical, especially upwind. Paul Cayard gave me great advice. I had never sailed with him before; he is very calm, he explains a lot and helps us anticipate the next moves. I love sailing with him.”

Yousef Lahej, helmsman, Team Sea Dubai: “I am not happy with our results but the day was great. We had never sailed in such a breeze before and it was very difficult. In Dubai, we only get 14 knots of wind at best. The positive thing is that now we have done this. We have learned a lot. It was really cool downwind; we were surfing at full speed.

René Mangold, owner and helmsman, Team Austria: “We are still doing a lot of mistakes but we are improving. The problem is that we just can’t sail as fast as the best teams. They are better at trimming their boats, they accelerate better than us. When we get to the leeward gate, they turn and they leave. We round the mark and we stay parked… But today was fantastic. The ranking doesn’t matter for us against all those guys. What counts is that we are happy with ourselves and today we definitely are.”

Fleet race, provisional results after seven races:

(Ranking, name of team, helmsman, results, points (DHL Trophy double points in bold)

1) Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 2, 2, 5, 6, 2, 2, 1 – 20 points

2) BMW ORACLE Racing, Ian Vickers, 1, 1, 8, 4, 10, 1, 2 – 27 points
3) No Way Back, Pieter Heerema, 11, 6, 1, 1, 4, 8, 3 – 34 points
4) Team Katusha, Pieter Taselaar, 3, 7, 10, 2, 8, 6, 4 – 40 points

5) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 9, 9, 2, 7, 6, 4, 7 – 44 points

6) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 6, 5, 6, 3, 16, 3, 11 – 50 points

7) Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 8, 3, 3, 5, 20, 7, 5 – 51 points

8) Team Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, 7, 4, 4, 9, 18, 5, 9 – 58 points (incl 2 penalty points)

9) Modri Gaj, Michael Reardon, 4, 10, 11, 8, 14, 11, 6 – 66 (incl 2 penalty points)

10) Team Austria, René Mangold, 10, 11, 9, 10, 12, 10, 8 – 70 points

11) Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Juan Calero, 5, 8, 7, 11, 23, 9, 10 – 73 points

Time for revenge for BMW ORACLE Racing in the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup

01 Oct 2009 16:41:51 GMT

The American team is back on top after a disappointing match race. With Ian Vickers at the helm, BMW ORACLE Racing leads Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis and Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back.

Four fleet regattas took place today with a southerly breeze ranging from 8 to 15 knots. BMW ORACLE Racing had an excellent day after their disappointing match race. With Ian Vickers at the helm and Russell Coutts calling the shots, the American team started the day with two bullets and finished it with two premature starts. Thanks to a great come-back in race four, BMW ORACLE Racing leads the provisional ranking ahead of Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis and Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back.

The first race was also the windiest. The breeze reached 15-18 knots in the second beat, surprising the teams who were still sailing with their genoas. The new team Katusha, with Melges 32 world champion Pieter Taselaar at the helm, took a brilliant start at the pin end of the line and looked for a while as if he would pursue his team’s winning streak. But major wind shifts at the windward mark reshuffled the cards, giving BMW ORACLE Racing and Artemis a slight advantage.

The second race turned into a match race between BMW ORACLE Racing and Artemis, followed closely by Organika – who had once again an excellent day - and Team Sea Dubai. The race was very close and the four last boats crossed the finishing line within five seconds. Arriving on port tack at the pin end - but with an overlap – Islas Canarias Puerto Calero managed to squeeze in nicely, forcing a group of boats arriving on starboard tack to bear away brutally, loosing precious ground and places. The Austrians, who were the furthest away from the action, didn’t give enough room and got penalised.

The breeze started to drop during race three. BMW ORACLE Racing, Katusha and Modri Gaj were recalled whilst No Way Back started at full speed at the pin end of the line, taking the lead and building up a comfortable advantage. Finally back on good form after a difficult start in this event, Igor Lah’s Ceeref attacked the Dutch boat during the last run and finished two seconds behind the winner after a match race type leg.

The last race took place in five knots of breeze. The Committee end of the line was heavily favoured, resulting in a jam and a light collision between Chris Bake’s Team Aqua and Michael Reardon’s Modri Gaj, who was found guilty and incurred a penalty point. BMW ORACLE Racing was once again recalled, but the team managed a superb come back, finishing fifth and keeping its provisional lead in the overall ranking. Artemis, who was also fighting for the provisional lead, chose to start at the pin end of the line, probably hoping for a big left shift. This didn’t happen and the team struggled with the shifts, finishing sixth. The winner of the race, No Way Back, benefited from Katusha’s loose control. The Russian team built up a huge lead during the second run but didn’t manage to maintain it. During the last run, Katusha went to the right of the course when all the other boats went left; a fatal mistake that cost them the victory.

They said:

Torbjorn Tornqvist, owner and helmsman, Artemis: “It was a very tricky day and it took me a little while to get the right feeling; I was a little bit rusty at the beginning. The level is increasing with those new teams; it is a clear trend in this class. Katusha is doing very well and I am sure this team will be dangerous.”

Ian Vickers, helmsman, BMW ORACLE Racing: “We had two very good races today. We took good starts and could sail in clean air, which obviously helps. We also had a good pace. Our last regatta was also excellent although we got a PMS. We fought back all along and managed to finish fifth.”

Pieter Heerema, owner and helmsman, No Way Back: “The first two races didn’t turn in our favour; I think that we were just incredibly unlucky. But I wasn’t rusty: I have been steering most of the match race. We just kept concentrating and sailing as good as we could and it paid off in the next two races. At the end of the day, I am very happy with our day.”

Chris Bake, owner and helmsman, Team Aqua: “The boat is going fast and we sailed well. But we never got a clean start and we were always sailing in the middle of the pack, which makes things difficult. There are more boats, and the level is increasing. Every time I sail it gets a little bit better.”

Fleet race, provisional results after four races:

(Ranking, name of team, helmsman, results, points

1) BMW ORACLE Racing, Ian Vickers, 1, 1, 8, 4 – 14 points

2) Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 2, 2, 5, 6 – 15 points
3) No Way Back, Pieter Heerema, 11, 6, 1, 1 – 19 points
4) Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 8, 3, 3, 5 – 19 points

5) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 6, 5, 6, 3 – 20 points

6) Team Katusha, Pieter Taselaar, 3, 7, 10, 2 – 22 points

7) Team Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, 7, 4, 4, 9 – 24 points
8) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 9, 9, 2, 7 – 27 points

9) Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Juan Calero, 5, 8, 7, 11 – 31 points

10) Modri Gaj, Michael Reardon, 4, 10, 11, 8 – 34 (incl 1 point penalty)

11) Team Austria, René Mangold, 10, 11, 9, 10 – 40 points

Paul Cayard and his new team Katusha win the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup match race

30 Sep 2009 16:03:32 GMT

The American sailor won the best of three final series against Karol Jablonski’s Organika. Ray Davies and Pieter Heerema finish third onboard No Way Back.

Paul Cayard and his new team Katusha surprised everyone – and himself - in the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup match race series, dominating the event and winning the best of three final against Karol Jablonski’s Organika. Katusha is the latest RC 44 (number 22), just out of the Pauger boatyard. The team is also brand new and had never sailed together under Cayard’s leadership. No Way Back (Ray Davies & Pieter Heerema) finishes third ahead of Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (Jose Maria Ponce), Artemis (Dean Barker) and Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton).

The day started with a “dead or alive” match between the local team Modri Gaj and Team Austria. At the helm of Modri Gaj, Gasper Vincec managed to close the door at the start, kicking the Austrians out and taking control of the race to win it.

The other semi-finals saw today’s most spectacular matches, including an aggressive fight between Dean Barker’s Artemis and Sébastien Col’s Ceeref. Both teams arrived together at the top mark and engaged in an endless dial up. Stuck on windward, Seb Col tried to regain control of the situation by jibing the top mark. Both teams soon after arrived together – but on opposite tacks - by the arrival line. They luffed each other until they faced the wind, their spinnakers flapping in the wind and twisting around the headstays. Artemis got a penalty and actually benefited from it, pursuing its turn, untangling its spinnaker and crossing the line a few meters ahead of a very disappointed team Ceeref.

Five groups of two teams came out of the semi-finals, with Katusha and Organika on top, followed by Islas Canarias Puerto Calero and No Way Back.

Both Katusha and No Way Back managed to win their first match but then lost the second, hence maintaining the suspense. Cayard and Jablonski started the decisive race on split tacks, with Cayard going to the right and Jablonski forced to the left of the course. The first crossing confirmed that Cayard’s choice was the right one: Katusha was comfortably leading the race and sailed to victory without being threatened.

No Way Back also had a fairly comfortable last race against the Spaniards, controlling the entire race to grab the third place of the podium.

The fleet regatta starts tomorrow. It promises to be intense: the teams that were usually in the middle of the pack are now at the top whilst the newcomers have proved how good they are. As for the favourites of the event, who haven’t obtained the results that they wanted in the match race, they know what to do in the coming days…

They said:

Paul Cayard, helmsman, Katusha: “It is obviously a great day for our new team Katusha; we certainly didn’t expect such a good result and it is a perfect way to start in this class. This victory is a tribute to the work done by the people who have prepared the boat over the past weeks. They have done it with a great attention to detail. We also adapted our sailing style to the fact that we are a new team, and avoided getting too involved in close match racing. When the situation allowed, we just did our route without always controlling the opposition. It is risky but it paid off well.”

Karol Jablonski, helmsman, Organika: “I am extremely happy, we are getting there and this second place is excellent for us. When I started with this team in Lanzarote, I knew that it would take some time. Cayard obviously did a great job; he positioned his boat well and managed to go to the most favourable places on the course. For sure, I am sad that we didn’t win. But in a way it’s good: it leaves us some margin for improvement ahead of the Gold Cup.”

Jose Maria Ponce, helmsman, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero: “This is the beginning of a new era for us. We have been fighting all along and all the matches have been very close. We have proved that we can beat the best teams; it is a great confidence boost for us.”

Mike Reardon, Modri Gaj: “I am delighted, this is great fun. Obviously, we are beginners in this Class and we are learning a lot. This morning, Paul Cayard gave us some advice and this proved very helpful today. He has been very good to us.”

Match-race, final results:

(Ranking, name of team, helmsman)

1) Team Katusha, Paul Cayard,

2) Organika, Karol Jablonski
3) No Way Back, Ray Davies, Pieter Heerema
4) Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Maria Ponce

5) Artemis, Dean Barker

6) Team Aqua, Cameron Appleton

7) Ceeref, Sébastien Col
8) BMW ORACLE Racing, Russell Coutts

9) Team Sea Dubai, Markus Wieser

10) Modri Gaj, Gasper Vincec

11) Team Austria, Christian Binder

Major upsets on day one of the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup

29 Sep 2009 17:34:45 GMT

Seven flights took place on day one of the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup match race event. Karol Jablonski, Jose Maria Ponce, Ray Davies and Paul Cayard came out best of the light and tricky conditions.

With four victories out of five races, Karol Jablonski and his team Organika look smart at the end of day one of the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup. Not only did they win more races than anyone else: they also managed to beat some of the best teams in the RC 44 Class, including Sébastien Col’s Ceeref, Cameron Appleton’s Team Aqua and Paul Cayard’s Katusha.

Also on great form today, Jose Maria Ponce (Islas Canarias Puerto Calero) managed to win three races and take the lead in his group ahead of No Way Back (Pieter Heerema and Ray Davies, who share helming duties).

The seven flights completed today took place in a light sea breeze. Due to the increasing number of boats involved in the Class, it is not possible anymore to complete a full round robin and the organisers have decided to split the fleet in two, with five boats in Group Alpha and six in group Bravo. Puerto Calero leads the first one ahead of No Way Back whilst Organika is on top of the other ahead of Katusha.

Tomorrow’s format will depend on the wind conditions, which are forecast light by PredictWind. If this proves right, a best of three series will determine the winners whilst a more complex system will be used if the conditions are good. In the latter case, the first and second of each groups will sail against each other before competing in conventional semi-finals and final.

Whilst some new teams made it to the top of the provisional match race ranking today, others logically didn’t obtain the results they expected. Slightly rusty, Team Aqua started the day with two premature starts, loosing precious points against Organika and Katusha. Usually dominant, Dean Barker and his Team Artemis suffered two losses against No Way Back and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, ending up third in their group. With two victories out of four races, Russell Coutts’ BMW ORACLE Racing isn’t looking as good as he would like either, currently in the fourth place of Group Alpha.

Two teams made their debuts in the RC 44 Class today. Paul Cayard and his team Katusha showed a strong performance, finishing second of their group despite sailing on a brand new boat, with a new group and having only had five days to practice. Modri Gaj, the new local team didn’t have such a good day. With Gasper Vincec at the helm, the Slovenian boat had their moment of glory when they beat Organika in a very clean race; an achievement that will give them some good memories after a disastrous first race that saw them miss the entry, incur two penalties before the start, round the wrong windward mark and miss the arrival line. As the RC 44 co-designer and crewmember onboard Modri Gaj Andrej Justin summarised after the regatta: “Match racing can be tough!”

They said:

Karol Jablonski, helmsman, Organika: “We have done a very good job and I am very happy. Sometimes we were behind and we managed to come back. We did a great move against Cayard: we were just behind at the top mark and decided to go for a jibe set. It was important to keep it secret and to make sure that they didn’t see what we were preparing. It worked out well, the crew did a great job and we won the race. The fighting spirit on board is really excellent.”

Jose Maria Ponce, helmsman, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero: “We’ve had a very good day. Our starts were excellent, we were fast and the manoeuvres went well. We haven’t done any match race since Malcesine, so it’s a nice surprise. But there is a major difference in our team: we sail with Luis Doreste. He helps me a lot. He looks out of the boat and concentrates on the tactics. It helps me to focus on the speed.”

Paul Cayard, helmsman, Katusha: “It has been a very good day for us. We won three races and lost two, but the positive thing is that we didn’t get beaten square: we gave those two races away. We need to better the positions on board, and my steering also needs to improve. The conditions were very light and it is hard to keep the speed. We need to be very smooth and this is what we didn’t do well enough.”

Markus Wieser, helmsman, Team Sea Dubai: “It was very close all along, but our lack of practice cost us a lot today. We haven’t sailed any match since Malcesine and we felt it. We will definitely train more before the Gold Cup. I will compete in Berlin match race and we will train in Dubai beforehand.”

Andrej Justin, crewmember, Team Modri Gaj: “There are no match racers on our boat, so it was tough. At some stages we got penalised and we didn’t even know why! But that’s life: match racing is a fight and we are not ready for this. The good thing is it’s an excellent practice for the fleet regatta.”

Match-race, provisional results:

(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)

Group Alpha:

1) Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Maria Ponce, 3/1, 3 points
2) No Way Back, Ray Davies, 3/1, 3 points
3) Artemis, Dean Barker, 2/2, 2 points
4) BMW ORACLE Racing, Russell Coutts, 2/2, 2 points
5) Team Austria, Christian Binder, 0/4, 0 point

Group Bravo:

1) Organika, Karol Jablonski 4/1, 4 points
2) Team Katusha, Paul Cayard, 3/2, 3 points

3) Team Aqua, Cameron Appleton 3/2, 3 points
4) Ceeref, Sébastien Col, 2/3, 2 points
5) Team Sea Dubai, Markus Wieser, 2/3, 2 points

6) Modri Gaj, Gasper Vincec, 1/4, 1 point

Artemis and Dean Barker on top form in the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup practice race

28 Sep 2009 15:09:10 GMT

Dean Barker and his Team Artemis confirmed their great form today, leading the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup ahead of Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton) and Paul Cayard’s new Team Katusha.

With eleven top level teams on the water, the RC 44 fleet is probably at its best ever. Speaking during this morning’s press conference in Portoroz (Slovenia), Russell Coutts – co-designer of the RC 44 and founder of the Class – confirmed that “the level is incredibly high. We have eleven strict one-design boats led by some of the world’s best sailors, and we are all united in a wonderful sailing arena. It doesn’t get much better than this."

The results of today’s practice race speak by themselves: all the teams crossed the arrival line within less than two minutes after an extremely close race. The RC 44 regattas are obviously a team effort; however, the team’s helmsmen are worth a special mention: Dean Barker finished first (although he chose not to cross the arrival line), ahead of Cameron Appleton, Paul Cayard, Sébastien Col, Ray Davies, Michael Reardon, Russell Coutts, Karol Jablonski and the rest of the pack; an extraordinary line-up of famous skippers that clearly confirms the world level status of the RC 44 Class.

The event starts tomorrow morning with a full match race round-robin. The fleet regatta will take place from Thursday to Saturday.

PredictWind’s weather forecast announces light to moderate winds decreasing throughout the week.

The teams involved:

(Name of team, owner or fleet race helmsman, match race helmsman)

Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton

Team Ceeref, Igor Lah / Sébastien Col

Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, DIMC / Markus Wieser

BMW ORACLE Racing, Ian Vickers / Russell Coutts

Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Karol Jablonski

Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, José Juan Calero / José Maria Ponce

Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist / Dean Barker

No Way Back, Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies

Team Austria, René Mangold / Christian Binder

Team Katusha, Pieter Taselaar / Paul Cayard

Team Modri Gaj, Michael Reardon / Gasper Vincec

New teams join the RC 44 fleet for the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup

15 Sep 2009 07:57:01 GMT

Two new teams will join the RC 44 fleet in Slovenia at the end of the month for the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup, bringing the total number of entries to eleven.

September 15, 2009 – Team Katusha (RUS) and Team Ekippa Slovenija (SLO) will participate in the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup, bringing the total number of entries to eleven.

Team Katusha joins the Championship Tour with ambition, having hired Paul Cayard as skipper. Cayard already competed with the RC 44 Class in Lugano in 2008 as well as in the Austria Cup last June.

Team Ekippa Slovenija was one of the first teams to join the Championship Tour back in 2006, under the name Ekipa 44. The team that will sail in the Portoroz Cup 2009 is very similar to the initial one; it is mainly made up of Olympic and dinghy sailors, with Gasper Vincec at the helm for the match race and Michael Reardon steering the fleet series. This team finished 3rd of their last regatta, in Trieste in 2007, proving the depth of their talent. Team Ekippa Slovenija is now headed by Michael Reardon and it will sail on its home waters with a strong desire to perform.

With also Dean Barker, Markus Wieser, Jose Maria Ponce, Karol Jablonski, Cameron Appleton, Russell Coutts, Ray Davies, Christian Binder and Sébastien Col, the RC 44 Class is now clearly established as one of the most competitive series in the world.

The Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup begins on Monday September 28 with the practice Race and media day. The match race event will take place on Tuesday September 29 and Wednesday 30 whilst the fleet regatta will take place from Thursday October 1 till Saturday 3.

The teams involved:

(Name of team, owner, pro sailor)

Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
Team CEEREF, Igor Lah / Sébastien Col
Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, DIMC / Markus Wieser
BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts
Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Karol Jablonski
Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, Jose Juan Calero / Jose Maria Ponce
Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist / Dean Barker
No Way Back, Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies
Team Austria, René Mangold / Christian Binder
Team Katusha, Paul Cayard
Team Ekippa Slovenija, Michael Reardon / Gasper Vincec

Countdown to the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup

31 Aug 2009 07:06:28 GMT

The fifth regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2009 – the Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup - will take place in Slovenia on September 29 – October 3. Current leaders of the Championship Tour, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton (Team Aqua) are only two points ahead of Torbjorn Tornqvist / Dean Barker (Artemis). The RC 44 Class welcomes a new Russian team called Katusha skippered by Paul Cayard.

Preparations in Portoroz on Slovenia's narrow coastline are well under way for the fifth stage of the RC 44 Championship Tour. Racing begins in one month and the local organisers as well as the Class management are getting ready for the Championship Tour’s autumn season.

It is the third time that Portoroz welcomes an RC 44 regatta after the events held here in 2006 and 2007. Bank Sarasin is the title sponsor of the 2009 event being organised by the Slovenian Sailing Federation.

Leader of the Championship Tour, Chris Bake’s Team Aqua is only two points ahead of Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis. “We look forward to getting back on the water”, says Bake. “The last regatta on Lake Garda was a good challenge, and the last day was a great endorsement of the strength and depth of our Team; I was really proud to be a part of it. Portoroz will with no doubt be tough too. We plan to get out there, work hard and try and sail a consistent series.”

Currently third of the Championship Tour on a tie with Larry Ellison’s BMW ORACLE Racing, Igor Lah (Ceeref) has been instrumental in bringing the regatta to Portoroz. “This is a very important regatta for our team, because it is the first time we will be sailing in Slovene waters”, he explains. ”We will have some more practice than usual prior to the regatta. Unfortunately we’ve had many crew changes this season, which had an effect on crew work. I believe it has stabilized now so we are able to stay with the same team for the rest of the season. We will try to do our best.”

The RC 44 Class looks forward to welcoming a new team in Portoroz. “Katusha” will fly the Russian flag and will be skippered by Paul Cayard, who has already been involved in several events with the RC 44 Class.

The Practice Race and media day will open the regatta on Monday September 28. The Bank Sarasin RC 44 Portoroz Cup will begin on Tuesday September 29 with the match racing event. The fleet regatta will take place from Thursday October 1 till Saturday 3.

Following a long summer break, the ten teams involved in the Championship Tour will be keen to get back to the water and compete in the last “conventional” regatta of the Tour before the double points Gold Cup in Dubai.

The teams involved:

(Name of team, owner, pro sailor)

Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton

Team Ceeref, Igor Lah / Sébastien Col

Sea Dubai, Yousef Lahej, DIMC / Markus Wieser

BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts

Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Karol Jablonski

Puerto Calero Islas Canarias, Jose Juan Calero / Jose Maria Ponce

Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist / Dean Barker

No Way Back, Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies

Team Austria, René Mangold / Christian Binder

Team Katusha, Paul Cayard