2024 44Cup Nanny Cay – Summary
by 44Cup 24 Nov 17:16 PST
20-24 November 2024
As the final three races of the 44Cup Nanny Cay commenced today, the standings were incredibly close among the high-performance owner-driver one designs, with Charisma leading on 34 points, Aleph Racing at 36, Artemis Racing on 38, Team Nika at 39, and any of the top seven still having a shot at victory.
The weather forecast predicted 15-18 knots from the east, but an overnight cell had left the St Francis Drake Channel with minimal wind. However, by the 1100 start, the wind had filled in, resulting in crews changing to J2 headsails as the conditions improved to over 15 knots for race two.
Despite a tight competition early on, Aleph Racing clinched victory in today’s first two races. Their success was confirmed with a third place finish in the final race, leading the French team, helmed by Pietro Loro Piana, to finish eight points clear of Charisma.
While Aleph Racing has previously won a 44Cup event, this victory is a first for Loro Piana. “After Chris [Bake, Team Aqua] tossed me in the water, I began realizing what we achieved!” noted Loro Piana, who substituted for owner Hugues Lepic at four events this season. “It was a fantastic day. I’m thrilled as the team earned it. I made numerous mistakes that put Michele [Ivaldi, tactician] in tough spots. He performed admirably, pulling off some brilliant moves today [with our two wins]. I’m extremely pleased with the outcome.”
And how do they celebrate? “A couple of days back I might have ‘overdone it’… Yesterday I behaved a bit better. Tonight, no more excuses. I’m planning to treat the boys to ‘a couple’ of painkillers.” (Here, a painkiller refers to the local favorite drink made from pineapple and rum in the BVI).
Regarding their two race wins today, Ivaldi explained: “In the first race, we took the lead early on. The second victory came in the final run – I was really satisfied with that. The boat performed excellently. Pietro and the trimmers kept the speed up. Our maneuvers were impeccable. This team is amazing. I can place the boat exactly where I need it, and they’ll ensure we get there. The gybes and roundings were executed well, which made everything smoother. Thanks to Paul [Wilcox, main trimmer] – we had two sets of eyes scanning for shifts. We capitalized on good shifts and pressure and were in sync. Today, everything fell into place.
“Hugues [Lepic] sent us a message as we crossed the finish line. He has always supported us, and I express my gratitude for his backing – he is the heart of our team.”
Noteworthy today was Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, which, after their outstanding performance on Saturday, was once again in the mix with scores of 2-4-1 today. Team Nika also managed to secure a podium finish, tying with Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref Vaider, just marginally ahead of John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing.
Besides Aleph Racing, the happiest team tonight is Team Nika, helmed by Vladimir Prosikhin and tactician Nic Asher, who emerged as the 2024 44Cup champions.
“I didn’t drive as well as I would’ve liked, but ultimately, it’s been a fantastic season,” enthused Prosikhin. “Finishing third in this event is the icing on the cake.” Team Nika had podium finishes in four out of five events this season, including winning the World Championship in Brunnen, discarding a seventh place at Marstrand due to a broken trim tab.
While Team Nika is a four-time 44Cup World Champion, this marks only their second season victory (the last was in 2015), having secured the 44Cup leader’s ‘golden wheels’ since their victory in Puerto Calero in March. “This means a lot to me,” continued Prosikhin. “Nic is exceptional, and we have a fantastic and stable crew. The boat captain executed excellently. While you can’t excel in everything, consistency is key.”
Team Nika has worked with the best tacticians globally, including Russell Coutts, Dean Barker, Ed Baird, Terry Hutchinson, and Tom Slingsby. Since 2022, former 470 World Champion Nic Asher has been steering the tactical decisions on board.
“We’re incredibly excited,” said Asher. “This event presented challenges, and I wasn’t at my best, but the team performed phenomenally and supported me throughout.”
As for Team Nika’s success: “We’ve had a strong strategy for the past few years. Pierluigi [De Felice], Skip [Baxter], and Hookie [Robert Hook] did a great job with the sails. We opted for heavier crew weights and brought in two younger, stronger sailors, a significant advantage. Vladimir has excelled, particularly in breezy conditions, and we’ve been improving in lighter winds.”
The only challenge to Team Nika’s coveted golden wheels was Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref Vaider, but the Slovenian team needed to place four boats between them in the standings – a tall order.
“We faced continual struggles trying to gain the lead, but we just couldn’t do it,” admitted Lah. “Kudos to Nika – they performed excellently. However, we’ll be back next year, so the competition is still wide open.”
The 44Cup will continue here in Nanny Cay, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands from February 13-16, 2025.
2024 44Cup Nanny Cay: (after 12 races)
1. Aleph Racing – 8 6 1 7 6 1 2 4 1 1 1 3 – 41pts
2. Charisma – 1 1 3 4 5 6 6 5 3 3 8 4 – 49pts
3. Team Nika – 5 9 5 2 2 2 4 8 2 6 3 6 – 54pts
4. Team CEEREF Vaider – 4 2 4 5 3 5 7 6 5 5 2 5 (1) – 54pts
5. Peninsula Racing – 3 5 9 6 1 3 9 2 4 4 7 2 – 55pts
6. Team Aqua – 6 8 8 8 7 7 1 1 6 2 4 1 – 59pts
7. Artemis Racing – 2 4 2 3 4 4 5 7 7 7 5 9 – 59pts
8. Black Star Sailing Team – 9 3 7 1 8 8 8 3 9 9 6 8 – 79pts
9. WOW! Sailing Team – 7 7 6 9 9 9 3 9 8 8 9 7 (1) – 92pts
2024 44Cup Overall Rankings: (after five events with one discard)
1. Team Nika – 1 2 7 1 3 – 7pts
2. Team CEEREF Vaider – 2 4 6 2 4 – 12pts
3. Aleph Racing – 5 5 3 4 1 – 13pts
4. Charisma – 6 7 1 5 2 – 14pts
5. Artemis Racing – 8 1 2 8 7 – 18pts
6. Team Aqua – 4 8 4 6 6 – 20pts
7. Peninsula Racing – 3 6 5 7 5 – 20pts
8. Black Star Sailing Team – 7 3 8 3 8 – 21pts
