Day three of the 44 Cup Cartagena saw the racing conditions return to normal, with an eight-knot southwesterly wind off the Murcian coast. The nine-strong RC44 fleet ventured out to sea, although by the end of the first race, the wind had increased to the high teens, accompanied by building swell and waves.
Team Nika, fresh off a victory in the previous day’s final race, continued their strong performance, scoring seven points. Team Aqua followed closely, adding 11 points to their tally.
In the first race, regatta leader Peninsula Racing almost clinched victory. Black Star Sailing Team led at the top mark but lost position to Team Nika, who strategically split to starboard, gaining an advantage. Despite trailing, Team Nika managed to finish ahead of Peninsula Racing, who had to perform an extra gybe to reach the finish line.
The second race was dominated by Team Nika, who took an early lead and maintained it throughout, while Artemis Racing and GeMera Racing battled for second place. In a close finish, GeMera Racing edged out Artemis by just a second, while Team Nika secured their third consecutive win.
In the final race of the day, the wind increased, and Nico Poons’ Charisma led into the top mark, but Team Aqua turned the tide with an early gybe, allowing them to maintain the lead and take their second bullet of the series.
By the end of day three, Team Nika had moved up to second place, just one point behind Peninsula Racing and one point ahead of Team Aqua. With the final day approaching, any of the top seven teams could potentially win.
Tomorrow’s racing might feature two separate races: one for the regatta and another for the 2026 44Cup title. With the current standings, Aleph Racing is positioned to win a tie-break against GeMera Racing if they improve their standings tomorrow.
#44Cup #the44cup #Cartagena #sailing #TeamNika #PeninsulaRacing #RC44
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