RC44 Cup in Porto Cervo, how it went, who won, who was there

With two wins on the day and a fourth place, it was Monaco’s Team Nika (photo above) that got the better of Sweden’s Artemis Racing (4-3-4) in the Italian leg of the RC44 Cup (the second of the circuit) in Porto Cervo, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the circuit reserved for one-designs conceived by Russell Coutts. Third place and an excellent podium finish for rookie Gemera Racing (3-1-3) with the very young Markus Törnqvist at the helm and “Checco” Bruni at the tactician.

In Porto Cervo was our own Giacomo Barbaro, here are his impressions.

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Nice regattas, “top” level

What a beautiful regatta, what a beautiful boat!!! She’s a stunning 18 by now…it was 2007 when the RC44 one-design conceived by America’s Cup-winning super sailor Russell Coutts and designer Andrej Justin appeared on the racing scene. One wonders what “turn the Cup would have taken” if an 80- to 90-foot version based on the same concept had been used.

Windward at tight angles and planing at 15+ knots. The fleet is growing, which is not to be taken for granted for an “elderly” one-design; as many as 11 boats have made their appearance in Porto Cervo this year, and new ones continue to be built. Hull number 30 made its debut in Porto Cervo, under the name Gemera, with the very young Markus Törnqvist, with none other than Luna Rossa helmsman Checco Bruni on tactics and on board super names such as Kyle Langford, Kinley Fowler, Neil Hunter and Nick Hutton.

Across the fleet racing old and new glories of the Cup as well as SailGP. Aboard the winner Team Nika tactician Nic Asher with Italians Pigi De Felice, Pietro Mantovani and Federica “Chicca” Salvà.

Father vs. son

Second place went to Torbjörn Tornqvist ‘s Artemis , father of Markus, who crewed with his father before taking the helm of Gemera. Interesting that the third step of the podium was the prerogative of his son Markus on his debut. A good father-son battle, also a good way to bring young people into great sailing and give continuity to yachting that is seeing a decline in owners. Tornqvist, by the way, confirmed that he will do the Youth and Women America’s Cup as he did in Barcelona. Instead, he was silent about a Swedish return to the America’s Cup with an AC75.

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Cup air at the dock

On the dock and not only in the sea, however, there was an air of Cup; with Vasco Vascotto on Peninsula was Enrico Voltolini. Michele Ivaldi was tactician for the French team Aleph (which had mixed results; after the first day it was leading on equal points with Nika). There was a woman aboard on each team, young Arancia Malaspina (racing on the Dragons, the 5.5 and 6m S.I.), on Charisma.

RC44 season

Porto Cervo was the second stop of the 2025 season, which began in the BVIs at Nanny Cay. The last time in Costa Smeralda was in 2017. Owners super happy to be back, of the hospitality and YCCS organization. They have asked to come back in the next seasons: 44Cup and 52 Super Series (the TP52 circuit) are the two “top” circuits for racing monotypes where what used to be yachtsmen meet again in a contemporary way. It is pure sport, but not only that, also a lot of friendship between owners and between crews. The fleet always sails very compactly. Spectacular buoy turns and photo finish finishes:

Although the RC44s made “only” sticks the races were extremely varied in terms of weather conditions, northeast winds with waves, the classic thermal southeast and the Mistral, not intense, but handled great in waters “protected” by the island of Caprera.

The overall ranking

After the Porto Cervo stage, the overall standings see Team Nika in the lead ahead of the other Monegasque team, Team Charisma, and in third place Artemis Racing.

• HERE THE COMPLETE PORTO CERVO AND OVERALL STANDINGS