For its 15th season, the 44Cup will see ten teams on the start line for the first event of 2022 in Lanzarote, hosted by Calero Marinas in Puerto Calero over the 9 – 13 February.
Alongside the long-term regulars within the fleet, the new additions have come about thanks to the 44Cup’s own boat, which was made available last year for teams interested in joining the circuit.
Moscow-based lawyer Valeriya Kovelenko first tried the RC44 at the World Championship event in Scarlino 2021 and has committed her team ArtTube to the fleet by purchasing a boat for the 2022 season. Kovelenko is the circuit’s first female owner-driver and is supported by her experienced crew led bytactician Igor Lisovenko.
Taking the guest helm of the 44Cup’s class boat for event one in Puerto Calero will be Melges 32 World champion Christian Schwoerer and his team La Pericolosa. “After two worlds titles in the Melges 32 class we are looking for a new challenge”, Schwoerer explains. “When the opportunity came up to join the 44Cup for one event, we did not have to think about it. We are extremely excited to jump on one of the coolest boats in the race sailing world and look forward to continuing to grow as a team”.
From Lanzarote, it’s on to a favourite venue for the fleet – Cascais, Portugal from 11 – 15 May. At the end of July will be the 44Cup Marstrand, where the locals and sailing fans on this famous Swedish summer holiday hotspot will be rooting for Artemis Racing and her Swedish owner-driver Torbjörn Törnqvist.
Among the enthusiastic group of owners, who remain staunchly committed to the one-design yacht there are a few changes in tactician for the 2022 season that will see fresh challenges for the fleet on well-known race courses.
On Peninsula Racing, British double Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott joins owner John Bassadone. Standing in for Hamish Pepper on Nico Poons’ Charisma will be fiery Italian Vasco Vascotto, while on Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika Francesco Bruni will call tactics.
In mid-October, it is on to the Slovenian seaside town of Portoroz for the 2022 44Cup World Championship. The team to beat this season is Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, having won the 2021 44Cup championship for the season, the 44Cup Marstrand, and successfully defended their RC44 World Champions title in Scarlino last October. However, it won’t be easy with closest rivals Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 and Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing chasing hard.
The fifth and final event of the 2022 44Cup will see the fleet leave Europe for the first time since 2016 and head to the Middle East for a regatta in December. The full announcement of the final event will be made at the end of February.
44CUP 2022 EVENT SCHEDULE
9 – 13 February 2022 – 44Cup Calero Marinas, Lanzarote
11 – 15 May 2022 – 44Cup Cascais, Portugal
29 June – 3 July 2022 – 44Cup Marstrand, Sweden
12 – 16 October 2022 – 44Cup World Championship Portoroz, Slovenia
7 – 11 December 2022 – To be announced
Puerto Calero and the 44Cup: committed to sustainability
Puerto Calero is a marina renowned for its environmental commitment, testament to which is the Blue Flag which has flown from the marina since XXXXX.
RC44 is a recognised international regatta, featuring more than 100 racing sailors of 15 nationalities, and committed to an environmental legacy in each of the venues that host the circuit. After racing in Lanzarote, the 2023 series travels to Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia and Oman.
In this regard, Puerto Calero will be cooperating with the race organisers via a number of different actions. In terms of energy use, Puerto Calero will calculate the event’s electricity usage, together with fuel consumed by the judges’, press and support boats, in order to calculate the carbon footprint and subsequently offset this by planting trees.
The regatta is committed to minimising the use of single-use plastics, and so catering required by the crews during each day’s sailing will make use of biodegradable and compostable containers instead of plastics.
Puerto Calero will be providing crews and all race participants with a free drinking fountain supplied with osmosis-filtered water, which will assuredly reduce the generation of single-use plastic bottles and help to focus on the problem of plastic pollution and the importance of removing plastics from the oceans.
Raising awareness of the importance of preserving the oceans is a notable aspect of the event and an area where Puerto Calero has dedicated significant effort. This international event is a clear example of the commitment of both Puerto Calero and the 44 Cup to the health of the oceans.
