44Cup 2025 – more excitement; enhanced high-level owner-driver one design racing; two new locations
by 44Cup 4 Dec 04:14 PST
12-16 February 2025
Remarkably, 2025 will signify the 17th season for the RC44 one designs. This upcoming season will feature five events as part of the 44Cup, including a World Championship officially endorsed by World Sailing, showcasing top-tier owner-driver keelboat competition in some of the world’s premier sailing locations along with top-notch après-sail experiences.
The all-carbon fiber RC44 continues to impress with its adaptability, actively campaigned by a devoted group of owners. Over the years, it has seen continual upgrades to remain aligned with technological advancements. It is one of the few yachts performing admirably in both 5 knots and 25 knots, resulting in fewer lost sailing days. Its go-faster traits, such as its lightweight build, a trim tab for enhanced pointing ability, and an articulating bowsprit, keep the RC44 competitive against larger, more contemporary keelboats. With stringent, consistent measuring, RC44 racing ensures fairness while managing operational costs effectively.
In 2025, racing will resume in Tortola, nestled in the sunny British Virgin Islands. The fleet will again be centered at Nanny Cay marina and resort, recognized for hosting the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival each April. The class is collaborating with the accomplished Royal BVI Yacht Club to organize the races.
The Sir Francis Drake Channel, located south of Tortola, is among the finest racing areas globally, characterized by easterly trade winds and relatively calm waters, sheltered by the nearby ‘Little Sisters’ islands, which mitigate the Atlantic swell. Few activities rival yacht racing in the Caribbean’s 27-30 degrees Celsius climate, especially while those at home endure winter’s chill.
Back in Europe, the first stop will be from 15-18 May in Porto Cervo, northeast Sardinia, where the 44Cup is organized by one of the globe’s most prestigious yacht clubs, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), founded by His Highness the Aga Khan. Like the Sir Francis Drake Channel, Costa Smeralda is regarded as a premier yacht racing venue worldwide. Winds here can be robust, driven by the northwesterly Mistral that channels through the Strait of Bonifacio between Sardinia and Corsica. The YCCS complex includes a luxury hotel with 24 suites and dining facilities for participants, resembling a five-star experience. The last visit by the 44Cup to Porto Cervo was in 2017.
Following Italy, the 44Cup will visit the stunning island of Marstrand off Sweden’s west coast. Supported by Torbjörn Törnqvist of Artemis Racing, the Marstrands Segelsällskap yacht club, with assistance from Marstrands Havshotell, will host the event from 25-28 June, during the peak summer season when nights are short and conditions can vary from brisk northern winds to lighter, more pleasant breezes under high-pressure systems.
Marstrand is the most frequently visited location for the 44Cup, marking the 12th occasion of racing in this top Swedish regatta site. In previous years, the venue has hosted high-profile match racing championships that drew large crowds. It was also a stopover during the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race. Last year, the event coincided with Midsommarafton, Sweden’s summer solstice celebration—one of the country’s biggest holidays. This year, the 44Cup event in Marstrand will occur the week after, ensuring the holiday spirit continues. As has become tradition, one day will see racing conclude within Marstrand’s inner harbor.
The 2025 44Cup’s fourth venue will be a novel destination: Scheveningen, the beach resort area of The Hague in the Netherlands. This site will also host the peak competition of the class’ season, the 2025 44Cup World Championship organized by Nico Poons of Charisma, the reigning champion of 2022 and 2023, at the Jachtclub Scheveningen. This marks the first time the 44Cup will visit both the Netherlands and the North Sea, known for its challenging tides and sandbanks. The event is scheduled for 28-31 August, typically featuring mild temperatures in the high teens and prevailing southwesterly winds.
To conclude the season in a warm location, the 44Cup will again head south to the Canary Islands, returning from 20-23 November, hosted by the Calero family and their marina group. While past events have occurred at Porto Calero and Marina Lanzarote in Arrecife, both in Lanzarote, the final 2025 44Cup event will take place at the latest Calero Marina addition: Marina Jandía on Fuerteventura. The new marina, set to open in 2025 on the island’s southern side, will offer 310 berths ranging from 6 to 50 meters in length, with the RC44s likely enjoying the familiar northeasterly trade winds. Fuerteventura, the second-largest Canary Island, is famous for its white sandy beaches and water sports.
“This is an exciting time for the 44Cup,” stated Bertrand Favre, RC44 Class Association Manager. “We have new teams joining our loyal owners, new boats being launched, and an exciting agenda lined up for 2025, including two venues that we will be visiting for the first time. Each year, the level of racing seems to rise, and we eagerly anticipate which team will emerge victorious this coming year.”
For more information about the 44Cup, please visit www.44cup.org
2025 44CUP Racing schedule:
12 – 16 February – 44Cup Nanny Cay, BVI
14 – 18 May – 44Cup Porto Cervo, Italy
24 – 28 June – 44Cup Marstrand, Sweden
27 – 31 August – 44Cup World Championship Scheveningen, Netherlands
19 – 23 November – 44Cup Marina Jandía, Fuerteventura
