44 Cup World Championship, Charisma made three in a row
Breaking newsIn evidenzaMonotipiaRC44Vela 18 Ottobre 2022 Zerogradinord 0
Portoroz – While racing in 44Cup events usually goes to the wire, decided in the last few metres of the final race, this hasn’t been the case this year when the dominant force has been Monaco-based Dutchman Nico Poons and his Charisma team.
Winning two bullets from two races on Friday put Charisma into the lead of this 44Cup Portorož World Championship, the pinnacle event of the season for the tweaky high performance one designs. Local Slovenian favourite Igor Lah and his Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 was top scoring boat yesterday, but going into the final day still trailed Charisma by five points, albeit with a more comfortable eight point lead over third-placed Team Aqua.
The outlook for the final Sunday looked un-sailable with every forecast predicting sub-five knot breeze. Waiting out on the water Chris Bake was deserted on board Team Aqua, left to sail his RC44 singlehanded to much woops and hollering of encouragement from his crew in the support RIB. Several other brave singlehanded owner-drivers lined up against him in a mini-race.
Ultimately the wind did stabilise and, with anemometers barely rotating, a final race was started deep into the Bay of Piran, a stone’s throw from Portorož Marina. The two top teams didn’t engage – Ceeref headed left, Charisma right, up the first beat. Charisma prevailed, getting the inside berth to Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team at the top mark while Ceeref rounded a close fifth, immediately gybing. On the run Charisma remained on starboard, a tactic that paid as she led into the bottom gate ahead of Black Star. From there Charisma sailed her own race and despite splitting from the pack (or they from her) when she gybed early on the final run, went on to score her fifth bullet of the championship from 10 races.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.