44Cup back in Italy after four years of absence –

The 44Cup returns to Italy next week for the first time since Porto Cervo in 2017, and this time the owner-rider’s high-performance design will roll onto the continent, at a new site for the 2021 44Cup World Championship.

Located about 250 km north of Rome, Scarlino is a favorite among other one-design classes. It includes a beautiful bay, stretching over Piombino to the north and another famous Italian sailing spot, Punta Ala to the south, with the island of Elba as a backdrop offshore.

While the RC44s may be new to Scarlino, many sailors are not, as the marina is a key base for Nautor’s Swan.

“We have made one-design racing our core business, which is why we are so happy to welcome the 44. As one of the main classes of owner-pilots, with sailors of the highest caliber, we know let that raise the bar higher. We are delighted to be part of this challenge ”, explains Claudia Tosi, Event Manager, Yacht Club Isole di Toscana.

Someone who knows these waters better than anyone is Michele Ivaldi, tactician on Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing, winner of the 44Cup Cowes in August.

Ivaldi spent six years with Italian challenger Luna Rossa America’s Cup training in Punta Ala in the 2000s. “From there the first test we did in the normal breeze was to port and we were crossing the top of the route to Scarlino. But that was a long, long time ago!

Since then, Ivaldi has returned and won events on these waters in a variety of classes, so he enters the 44Cup Scarlino with the benefit of “local knowledge”.

However, as he warns, “When you know the place, that’s when the problems start… You are confident and you don’t watch what’s going on, or you deny what’s going on.” Actually “.

Taking place in early October, the 44Cup Scarlino arrives at the end of the Mediterranean season, with an expected temperature in the less scorching 2 degrees centigrade. Any of several weather scenarios can occur. If there is high pressure, then the differential between land and sea temperatures is still sufficient for the sea breeze to develop.

Otherwise the wind may be offshore, north / northeast and very unstable or if a low is approaching then it could be from the southeast, wrapping around the tip of Punta Ala, with flat water to the inside the gulf but the rougher the further offshore you go.

Ivaldi praised the ground side of Scarlino’s setup: “He’s got a good ‘track’. When you sail there, the weather is nice outside. And I really like the place – the marina is relatively new and is very well laid out and there are some good residences right there.

“It’s a great place to go out for dinner, with lots of great places to go. The class made a good choice to go. Whenever new classes visit Scarlino, like the 52, they have enjoyed sailing there so I think the owners will be delighted.

Tosi said: “The events organized by the Yacht Club Isole di Toscana are nothing without the Marina, the Yacht Service and the Resort, which create a special combination of services that make our place highly appreciated by all who come.”

As Aleph Racing won at Cowes their victory was narrow, just one point ahead of the overall 44Cup leader Igor Lah on CEEREF powered by Hrastnik 1860 where local Solent expert and tactician Adrian Stead, directed fire in high tidal waters.

The result elevated the French team to third place in the overall standings of the 2021 44 Cup, four points behind CEEREF, tied on points with Chris Bake’s Team Aqua.

Regarding their world championship prospects in “his native waters”, Ivaldi continues: “We had a few events where we started very well, but we had a few bad races which put us back in the fleet.

“We were really close to the top and the whole time we were on the unlikely side of the points, just missing the top, but we did well this year. We just needed a boost of confidence in the last event.

It doesn’t mean anything, warns the talented Italian tactician: “In this class there have been so many times where we get to the last race and four or five boats can win and the regatta is decided on the last crossing of the last. handle. It will be another week like this – total stress all the way through. “

General classification 44CUP after three events:

1. Slovenia CEEREF powered by HRASTNIK 1860 – 1 4 2 – 7
2. United Kingdom TEAM AQUA – 3 1 3 – 7
3. France ALEPH RACING – 5 5 1 – 11
4. Monegasque CHARISM – 7 2 4 – 13
5. ATOM TAVATUY – 4 6 5 – 15
6. Monaco TEAM NIKA – 2 7 8 – 17
7. Sweden ARTEMIS RACING – 8 3 7 – 18
8. United Kingdom RACES IN THE PENINSULA – 6 8 6 – 20

List of registrants for the world championship:

Aleph Racing (FRA17)
Owner: Hugues Lepic (FRA)
Tactician: Michele Ivaldi (ITA)

Artemis Racing (SWE44)
Owner: Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE)
Tactician: Andy Horton (United States)

Atom Tavatuy (RYF 21)
Owner: Pavel Kuznetsov (RYF)
Tactician: Evgeny Neugodnikov (RYF)

Charisma (MON 69)
Owner: Nico Poons (NED)
Tactician: Hamish Pepper (NZL)

Peninsula Race (GBR 1)
Owner: John Bassadone (GBR)
Tactician: Ed Baird (United States)

Aqua Team (GBR 2041)
Owner: Chris Bake (NZL)
Tactician: Cameron Appleton (NZL)

Ceeref team (SLO 11)
Owner: Igor Lah (SLO)
Tactician: Adrian Stead (GBR)

Team Nika (MON 10)
Owner: Vladimir Prosikhin (RYF)
Tactician: Manu Weiller (ESP)

Arttube (SWE4)
Guest owner: Valeriya Kovalenko (RYF)
Tactician: Igor Lisovenko (RYF)

For more information visit: http://www.44cup.org