Team Aqua wins the Valencia RC44 Cup

A fantastic week of racing just ended in Valencia and Chris Bake's Team Aqua was the undisputed leader, not only taking the RC44 Valencia Cup but also winning both the match and fleet race portions of it. No Way Back, the 2010 championship leader coming to Valencia, finished a discrete fifth overall and ceded the season leadership to BMW Oracle that finished fourth here in Valencia.

This was the first RC44 event that I covered extensively, trying to be onboard as many yachts as I could, and I have to admit I was impressed. The RC44's are true racing machines that come alive downwind, especially with the strong breeze we had on Thursday and Friday. It's a pity though they might be going too fast at times because with 1.2-mile long legs the runs finish in about 8-9 minutes, cutting the fun short. Still, just the fact they have guests in every single race is probably one of the most attractive features, especially for non sailors.

During the RC44 Valencia Cup, AEZ, an Austrian maker of alloy car wheels and main sponsor of the Austrian RC44 yacht, brought dozens of guests every day. With extremely few exceptions, none of the guests had any sailing experience whatsoever, yet all of them defined the onboard ride as one of the most thrilling experiences of heir lives. Despite the strong breeze and choppy seas and with more than 40 onboard guest positions every day, just one fell aboard, a Valencian sailing journalist...

Obviously the RC44 yachts are also attractive to owners. As Bake pointed out, this is the only class where a true amateur owner like himself can race against the world's best sailors and indeed, with a handful exceptions, the world's best of the best were onboard the 11-strong RC44 fleet during this week in Valencia.

RC 44 2010 SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
(After four of six regattas, one discard)
1. BMW ORACLE Racing, 6 points
2. Team Aqua, 7 points
3. Artemis, 7 points
4. No Way Back, 7 points
5. 17, 11 points
6. Team Sea Dubai, 13 points
7. Katusha, 17 points
8. Ceeref, 19 points
9. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 24 points
10. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team, 28 points
11. Mascalzone Latino, 34 points

Race 1 In this first race of the day I was onboard Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. The Spanish team's performance in the closing day of the Valencia event was much more than acceptable. Dani Calero, owner and amateur helmsman, under the guidance of Gustavo Martínez Doreste, calling tactics, had a good and clean start and managed to hold on to their fourth position until the finish line.

On a more practical note, some of the video footage is of lesser quality because the Spanish team has a particularity. The crew weight limit in the RC44 class is set to 680kg and in the vast majority of the fleet this means the crew consists of four professionals and four amateurs, a total of eight sailors. However, the Spanish team has a lighter overall crew and as a result, they race in nine by adding Alicia Ajeno, the only Spanish woman top-level grand prix sailor. As a result, the stern of the boat can get really crowded, especially on the runs, and at times it's extremely difficult to find some space.

Prestart procedure of the first race onboard Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Video copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

First run of the first race onboard Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Video copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Second run and finish of the first race onboard Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Video copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing
Dani Calero, helming Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, and Gustavo Martínez Doreste calls tactics. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Islas Canarias Puerto Calero in the first beat of the day's first race. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alicia Ajeno is the only woman that has sailed in all events of the RC44 2010 Championship. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Start of the final day's first race. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

In both weather marks there was an intense fight with Artemis. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

In both weather marks there was an intense fight with Artemis. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Race 2 In the day's second race, and final for the event, I was onboard "No Way Back", the Dutch boat owned by Pieter Heerema with Ray Davies calling tactics. They finished 6th, prompting Heerema to call it "an average result for a good race", right after crossing the finish line. In fact, it is very difficult to single out one reason that makes the difference between a 2nd and a 6th place in such a tight class. As Chris Bakes put it, "a tiny set up change or a good wave can make the difference between winning and losing."

Prestart procedure of the second race onboard No Way Back. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Video copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

First run of the second race onboard No Way Back. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Video copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

No Way Back, helmed by Pieter Heerema, in the first beat. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Fredrik Aurell, getting ready. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Mascalzone Latino was ahead of No Way Back (4th or 5th) in the first weather mark but finished the race 10th . Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Pieter Heerema, helming No Way Back in the first beat. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Mascalzone Latino, BMW Oracle and Katsuha, surfing the waves behind No Way Back in the first run. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Pieter Heerema, helming No Way Back while rounding the second top mark. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Hard, physical action that only monohull yachts can offer. Valencia, 1 August 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

After the end of the race, the entire fleet headed back to port under sail. I took the helm in order to teach Pieter Heerema, Ray Davies and the rest of the crew a thing or two... Valencia, 1 August 2010