After three days of varying conditions off The Hague, the winds and waves on the North Sea settled for the final races of the 44Cup World Championship. The race team, led by PRO Maria Torrijo, commenced an hour early at 1100 to maximise the day’s conditions.
At the start of the day, only two points separated the top three teams: Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref Vaider, Marcus Törnqvist’s GeMera, and the defending World Champions, Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika.
In the first race, with winds of 12-14 knots from the southwest, Team Nika capitalised on a strong start and led the group coming back from the left. Team Nika and Nico Poons’ Charisma rounded first, maintaining their lead from there. Though Team Ceeref Vaider had a strong recovery to finish third, Team Nika increased its lead in the overall standings.
The second race saw Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team start strongly and lead around the top mark, with Team Nika rounding third and securing second place by the finish. Team Ceeref Vaider had a challenging day starting poorly, but a remarkable recovery saw them finish sixth, adding to Team Nika’s lead.
In the final race, Team Ceeref Vaider had to keep a watchful eye on a charging Aleph Racing, but the field became clearer when several teams were OCS. Aleph Racing led to the top mark ahead of Team Nika, who later fell behind to Team Ceeref Vaider but secured enough points to defend their title, marking a record fifth championship win for Team Nika.
Vladimir Prosikhin expressed his happiness, stating, “I’m very happy. We started third today and somehow found energy and determination to do it right and have a very good last day. The team was great, very inspired.” Tactician Nic Asher noted the challenges they faced but was relieved by their final performance, which ultimately led to their victory.
Team Ceeref Vaider’s tactician, Adrian Stead, reflected on their near win, acknowledging that they were not able to secure the upper hand in the first race of the day, which ultimately cost them. Aleph Racing finished strong, securing their first-ever podium at a World Championship.
In addition to other teams, the Turkish Wow! Sailing Team had their best day, finishing with promising results. The event at Jachtclub Scheveningen was praised by Team Charisma’s Nico Poons, citing positive feedback and successful organisation.
The next 44Cup is set to conclude in Calero Marinas’ Marina Jandia in Fuerteventura from 19-23 November 2025.
2025 44CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS:
| Position | Team | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Nika | 41 |
| 2 | Team Ceeref Vaider | 45 |
| 3 | Aleph Racing | 47 |
| 4 | GeMera | 52 |
| 5 | Artemis Racing | 54 |
| 6 | Black Star Sailing Team | 56 |
| 7 | Team Aqua | 61 |
| 8 | Team Charisma | 62 |
| 9 | Peninsula Racing | 66 |
| 10 | Wow! Sailing Team | 99 |
| 11 | Lanzarote Calero Sailing | 100 |
| 12 | Warp 5 | 119 |
Follow the latest updates: #RC44WorldChampionship #SailingAustralia #44Cup
Photo credit MartinezStudio.es
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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