In a fleet as close as the 44Cup is rare that one team dominates but, perhaps because of the 17 month absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yesterday at the 44Cup Portorož there was one stand-out performer, Team Nika. But today even Vladimir Prosikhin’s team was outshone by RC44 legend, Chris Bake, his Kiwi tactician Cameron Appleton and Team Aqua. Team Aqua seemed unable to put a foot wrong and managed to score three bullets. Like Team Nika on day one, Team Aqua ended the day with a four point lead with Hugues Lepic’s Team Aleph still second maintaining the most consistent scoreline across the, fleet but with three teams within three points of the Frenchman.
If yesterday provided the perfect light reintroduction to 44Cup racing after the long enforced break, today was a step up in wind strength with a warmer southerly spending most of the sunny afternoon in the mid to high teens. The direction allowed the race committee to set up the start line off the much photographed seaside town of Piran, Portorož’s more ancient neighbour.
It didn’t seem to matter where Team Aqua started today, they always made the best of the first beat and had always pulled into the lead by the all-important first top mark rounding. From there they lost the lead to Charisma in the first race up the second beat, but just recovered to pull ahead on the final run. In the subsequent two races they were strongly challenged by Team Aleph and Team CEEREF respectively, but each time sailed sensibly, defending well. Even at the finish of today’s final race when there was a head-down, five way dive for the finish line, they kept their collective head to come out on top.
Tomorrow the forecast is for the wind to be once again from the south, but a little stronger still. Will Team Aqua be able to continue her winning streak or will a third team come to the fore?
