The second event of the 2026 44Cup kicked off today in Puntaldia, northeast Sardinia, with the towering Tavolara island providing a stunning yet challenging backdrop. The race conditions proved testing due to strong wind variations and a lumpy seastate, complicating tactics for both the teams and the race committee, led by Maria Torrijo.
The first race had Team Charisma leading initially but was closely followed by GeMera Racing and Aleph Racing. GeMera’s tactician, Francesco Bruni, described the shifting winds, noting that conditions varied significantly from eight to 18 knots, impacting performance on different tacks.
In race two, GeMera Racing seized the lead around the top mark, outpacing their fellow competitors on Artemis Racing. Peninsula Racing’s tactician, Vasco Vascotto, made an early gybe but faced competition from Team Nika and Aleph Racing, which came into play later in the race, with Team Nika eventually taking the win by just three seconds ahead of Aleph Racing.
Despite challenges, Aleph Racing excelled in the third race, managing to start close to the pin and successfully tack back across the fleet on port, leading to their victory in the final race.
Aleph Racing emerged as the boat of the day with a consistent performance, scoring 3-2-1 across the races. Skipper Pietro Loro Piana praised his crew’s ability to recover from a slow start and navigate tactical shifts effectively. GeMera Racing, despite a strong showing, faced setbacks in the final race, including a penalty for touching a mark, ending fifth.
Tomorrow’s forecast predicts slightly lighter winds, with racing scheduled to commence at 1200.
**44CUP PUNTALDIA RESULTS:**
1. Aleph Racing (17) – 3, 2, 1 (Total: 6)
2. GeMera Racing (30) – 1, 3, 5 (Total: 9)
3. Team Nika (10) – 7, 1, 2 (Total: 10)
4. Team Charisma (15) – 2, 7, 4 (Total: 13)
5. Artemis Racing (26) – 5, 5, 6 (Total: 16)
6. Team Aqua (28) – 6, 8, 3 (Total: 17)
7. Peninsula Racing (31) – 8, 4, 7 (Total: 19)
8. Black Star (27) – 4, 10, 10 (Total: 24)
9. Wow! Sailing Team (25) – 9, 6, 8 (Total: 25)
@44Cup #the44Cup#Sailing #Sardinia #RC44 #SailingNews #AlephRacing #GeMeraRacing
About the 44Cup:
Five-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts conceived the design of the light-displacement, high-performance one-design RC44 with naval architect Andrej Justin in 2005. Created for top level one design racing in international regattas under strictly controlled Class Rules, the concept and design features of the RC44 are aimed at the amateur helmsmen with professional crews.
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