FORMAT

Typically, three races are held each day. The race course is consistently two laps of a windward-leeward (upwind-downwind) course. There are some nuances: for safety reasons, to alleviate congestion and prevent collisions at the top mark there is an ‘inner mark’. Boats on port tack approaching the top of the course must leave this to port, as must those wishing to gybe after rounding the top mark.

At the end of the first downwind there is a gate (ie two marks) and crews have the option of rounding either before heading on to the second upwind.

To finish, teams cross the start line (but in the opposite direction). Race distance is varied to stay within a 35-40 minute duration.

Obviously yacht racing is entirely dependent upon the wind and racing may not happen in the rare instance of there being too much or too little wind. In the event of a day or a partial day being lost, attempts will be made within reason to make up the schedule by holding more races on a subsequent day. While typically racing starts daily at 1200, which usually coincides with the arrival of a sea breeze, this timing may be varied if the wind is not cooperating. On the final day there is usually a cut-off time after which starts cannot be held.

Chris Bake, owner of Team Aqua and five times 44Cup champion, comments on what keeps him coming back year on year: “The key aspects that first attracted me to this class still hold true - it’s one-design, it’s a team boat and because of the one-design rule it all comes down to skill to differentiate you from your competitor.

“If you are in sync, this class is immediately gratifying, there is nothing else quite like it. The one-design rule is closely managed so leading the fleet is all the feedback you need. Just look at the points, it’s ridiculous how close the racing is”.

HOW THE SCORING WORKS

With the team owners at the helm, and the pros calling tactics, the fleet racing is very short, intense and action-packed, with a target race time of 40 minutes and boats frequently separated by just seconds at the finish line.

There are generally three races a day, depending on weather conditions, and no discard meaning every single race counts. The fleet racing takes place on a windward-leeward course, with a dog leg at the windward mark and a gate at the leeward mark.

Points are allocated on the standard World Sailing ‘low point system’, so the boat that comes first in a race gets one point, second gets two points etc. The team with the fewest points at the end of each event is the winner.

The 44Cup also has the option to introduce a long distance race during a fleet racing series. These races are often two-to-three hours long, with teams sometimes given the challenge to circumnavigate nearby islands and landmarks.

The overall 44Cup champion each year is determined by adding together every team’s four best fleet racing scores from the five events, with the lowest score winning.

RACE MANAGEMENT

While the 44Cup visits different venues through the season and works with local yacht clubs, who provide some race officials such a mark layers, the circuit has its own permanent race officials. These are led by the Principal Race Officer (PRO) Maria Torrijo (right) from Spain. Maria holds the same job with the 52 Super Series and has been a race officer four times at the Olympic Games and for the last America’s Cup in Auckland.

44Cup racing also has a regular set of umpires led by the Chief Umpire, the highly experienced Marco Mercuriali from Italy. For consistency, the 44Cup uses a regular group of umpires, always of the highest calibre, usually having worked on the 44Cup for many years. The 44Cup has always avoided lengthy protests ashore post-racing in favour of on-the-water umpiring, where the umpires follow the fleet around in RIBs giving penalties with flags according to the Racing Rules of Sailing.

To ensure the integrity of the RC44 one design and fairness of competition, the Class also employs its own measurer.

ROBOTIC RACING MARKS

The 44Cup was an early adopter of robotic racing marks. These are especially useful in venues where the water is deeper and it is harder to anchor racing marks. Instead the robot marks remain on station, locked into GPS co-ordinates. These marks make it especially easy for the PRO to change the axis of the race course in the event of wind shifts or to adjust the length of the course should the wind drop or build.