RC44 Porto Cervo Cup set to open international regatta season at YCCS
The welcome return of the 44Cup marks the start of the programme of international regattas organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for 2025, which this year kicks off slightly earlier than usual, in mid-May. The RC44 class last visited Porto Cervo in 2017, during a year of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the YCCS.
The fleet will now gather once again in Porto Cervo from 12 to 18 May, with racing set to begin exactly one week from today, on 15 May. The regatta marks the second leg of the circuit, following the season opener Nanny Cay, in the British Virgin Islands, where Charisma, owned by Nico Poons, claimed the win ahead of Aleph Racing and Team Nika.
Seventeen years since its debut, the circuit continues to attract a strong following, with new teams joining the fleet each year. Its enduring appeal lies in the high level of competition - with owner-drivers racing alongside top-tier professional crews on identical boats - and in the thrilling performances delivered in world-class sailing venues, which promise spectacular scenery combined with consistently reliable winds. Top sailors taking part will include: Michele Ivaldi on Aleph, Vasco Vascotto and Jordi Calafat on Peninsula, Hamish Pepper and Iain Percy on Artemis, Cameron Dunn and Will Ryan aboard Black Star, Andy Horton and Ross Halcrow on Charisma, Cameron Appleton on Team Aqua, Adrian Stead on Ceeref Vaider, Nic Asher with Italians Pigi De Felice, Pietro Mantovani and Federica Salvà on Nika, and Iker Martinez and Alberto Bolzan on Wow! Sailing Team in its first season in the 44Cup. Checco Bruni has also returned to the circuit after helming Luna Rossa in the 37th America's Cup.
Eleven teams are expected to compete in Porto Cervo, one of which will be making its debut, with details yet to be revealed. Participants will officially start training from 12 May, with a practice race slated for 14 May followed by a Welcome Cocktail on the YCCS terrace. The first starting signal for racing proper in the RC44 Porto Cervo Cup is scheduled for 12 noon on 15 May.
The competing crews will do battle primarily on windward-leeward courses on the waters just off Porto Cervo. Weather conditions permitting, however, the RC44 fleet could also take on some short coastal races around the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago. The event will close with the prize giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra, scheduled to take place immediately after racing concludes on 18 May.
The event is organised by the YCCS in collaboration with the RC44 Class, with the support of the YCCS technical partner North Sails.
