A second day of 7-10 knot southeasterly onshore breezes concluded the 44Cup racing off Puntaldia in northeast Sardinia with a high-scoring series of races. The event proved to be one of the closest in 44Cup history, with the leading team averaging 4.333 points per race, while the ninth-placed boat averaged 6.5 points.
Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika commenced the day with a six-point lead over Aleph Racing, helmed by Pietro Loro Piana, who was just two points ahead of Nico Poons’ Team Charisma. Team Nika faced a setback in the first race, finishing seventh while Aleph Racing took third, narrowing the lead to just two points. In the second race, fortunes shifted as Team Nika finished second and Aleph seventh, giving Nika a substantial seven-point cushion heading into the final race. However, tension remained as Aleph was second and Nika eighth at points during the last race, with Team Nika ultimately crossing the line in seventh, securing victory by a thin margin of two points after a total of twelve races.
Following the traditional winner’s dunking, Prosikhin noted, “What can I say? A bit of luck, but we were working hard. Mistakes were made, and it wasn’t easy at all. In light winds there were ups and downs, and we had to duck several boats. Today was especially challenging for us, but we managed to stay ahead. This fleet is incredibly close, and really any boat can win now. I am thrilled to be back, especially since the last regatta wasn’t easy for us.”
Nic Asher, the team’s British tactician, highlighted the difficulties of the day: “It’s been tough in a really tricky venue. We definitely faced a challenging day, with the shifts and breezes hard to read. So it’s a relief to win, and we’re very pleased.”
Pietro Loro Piana of Aleph Racing, while mindful of Team Nika, commented on the stealthy performance of GeMera Racing, which had shown competitive speed in the early races. He stated, “They got us a bit scared. They led out of the box in the first two races, leading us to defend our position throughout. The final race saw us just doing our best to hold onto second. It was tough out there, especially with the wind shifting and only having 6-8 knots to work with.”
GeMera Racing led a significant race against teams including Artemis Racing, while Black Star suffered a penalty in their performance. GeMera ended the competition with a notable performance, highlighting their potential to challenge for higher placements moving forward. In the last race, Christian Zuerrer of Black Star successfully led his team, easing their position into the next events with a satisfied outlook on their new crew dynamics.
Despite Team Nika’s victory at the 44Cup Puntaldia, an earlier seventh-place finish in February leaves them at third place in the 2026 44Cup leaderboard. This table is now led by GeMera Racing after their strong 2-3 performance in previous events.
Overall, the 44Cup owners and crews were impressed by the beautiful surroundings of Marina di Puntaldia and the facility’s hospitality. 44Cup President Chris Bake said, “It’s a beautiful environment and a very friendly marina. The setting is absolutely stunning. It’s been a fantastic event all around.”
The final race results were as follows:
1. Team Nika – 47 points
2. Aleph Racing – 49 points
3. GeMera Racing – 53 points
4. Team Charisma – 56 points.
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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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