Wednesday, April 10, in Montenegro, in the Marina Porto Montenegro has started the new season in RC44 class. That’s what specially to Yacht Russia sends Elena Tekina:
© Elena Tekina
Calm, not allowed to hold official training on the eve of the race, was nearly ruined, and the first racing day of the first regatta of the year — 44Cup Porto Montenegro. But the head of the Race Committee for the famous Peter Reggio managed the impossible: after an hour and a half of expectations was conducted two successful races at two local reinforcements South-West changing to South wind, which the locals call the South.
The wind, reaching 8-15 knots in the gusts were quite stable, except for a great sunset on the last full course of the second race, greatly changed the position of teams in the table. Through the incessant rain, turning into hail, the nine participating teams worked their way to the signs. According to the frozen and completely wet the participants through the covering face of the rain it was not always possible to see where to go.
Fortunately, the hospitality of the host country – Porto Montenegro – knew no bounds: on the Bank team carefully met the staff Regent hotel with towels and glasses of wine at the ready, of trying to immediately dry and warm. And ended with this cold, wet day lovely cocktail party in the Italian garden.
On the first day the leader of the Slovenian Ceeref, Igor La (3-1), just one point behind from her Russian Team Nika’s Vladimir Prosikhin in the new season, she with a new tactician and Pitman. The place of the departed to prepare for the next America’s Cup Dean Barker came tactics team Oracle in the last America’s Cup, Olympic gold medalist in the Laser class, Australian Tom Slingsby. In this case, the Pitman became an experienced rider class RC44 Nikolay Kornev, strengthening thus the Russian part of the international crew of “Nicky”.
Winning after a great start in the first race, the second race “nick” on startup brought up head to wind Tavatuy, but the team of Vladimir Prosikhin turned around, quickly pass under the fleet and go in the best right side, where he received a good impulse. “Nick” was the second, but on the second full course wind struck to the left, and the Russian boat was in the right side and found themselves in a disadvantageous position, finishing 4th.
This impulse Ceeref managed to climb from third place to first, “Battleship” to break with the penultimate place on the 5th, and the beginners class – the Ekaterinburg command “Tavatuy” was a little unlucky with the 5-th place, she dropped to 6-E.
According to Vladimir Prosikhin, he is very pleased with the result of the first day and the communication, which prevailed in the new crew. To work with the new star tactician he is comfortable, and to return to racing in his favorite class after a long break was a real happiness. Tom Slingsby, in turn, noted that perfectly fit into a new crew that I am very glad to be back in the best, in his opinion, the class of owners, helmsmen, and really appreciated the ability Procaine as steering.
Join the class this season, the team Tavatuy Pavel Kuznetsov Evgeny Neugodnikov as tactics had a good first day and took 6th final position with the 5th and 6th wards. According to tactics, the first day he pleased. “Difficult conditions were, but judges are great: only the wind went immediately launched. In such weather conditions have been ideal, interesting, high-speed two races. In terms of the crew it was a positive day. Everything worked, no panic was not, I enjoyed it. We were in the middle of the fleet, in the fight, some martial arts won, some lost. The important thing is that we can win working situation, and, of course, it helps that there are no waves”.
In the first race Tavatuy had a good start from the ship, was 4th and only in the end gave way to one boat. In the second race, “Zarubinskiy” with “Nika”, the crew lost time and started in the second tier. However, the Ekaterinburg boat could come first diffraction 5th and finished 6th, a little guessing with the favorable side.
At representing the Yacht club of Saint-Petersburg team “Battleship” which this season is again under the management of Kirill Frolov and tactics Cameron Dunn, 7-e a place on results day. The team did not get the start of the first race, the boat lost time, and lost three lengths. To rectify the situation in this highly competitive fleet, which is the RC44, the crew has already failed and “Battleship” finished last.
In the second race the Russian boat caught in a “sandwich” between two boats and losing speed, it was second to last. However, on the last full course team successfully went to the left side, ahead of three boats and was able to get to the finish line in 5th place.
Over the Bay of Kotor are still heavy clouds and rain in the night over Tivat was a strong thunderstorm, and the forecast for the second day of racing again is not very comforting.
Results after the first race day
https://www.44cup.org/results
Photo by the author.
Compounds representing this season Russian teams (from the official site 44cup):
Bronenosec Sailing Team (RUS18):
Kirill Frolov (RUS) Owner / Driver
Cameron Dunn (NZL) – Tactician
Alex Kulakov (RUS) – Bow
Evgenii Deev (RUS) – Headsail Trimmer
Egor Ignatenko (RUS)
Alexandr Ekimov (RUS) – Main trimmer
Pietro Mantovani – Boat captain
Pavel Karachov (RUS) – Offside Trimmer
Tavatuy Sailing Team (RUS21):
Pavel Kuznetsov (RUS) – Owner / Driver
Evgeny Neugodnikov (RUS) – Tactician
Konstantin Besputin (RUS) – Main trimmer
Anton Sergeev (RUS) – Headsail Trimmer
Maxim Sheremetyev (RUS) – Offside Trimmer
Zatsarinskiy Valeriy (RUS) – Pit
Oleg Krivov (RUS) – Grinder
Egor Larionov (RUS) — Bow
Team Nika (RUS10):
Vladimir Prosikhin (RUS) – Owner / Driver
Tom Slingsby (AUS) – Tactician
Tomaz Copi (SLO) – Main trimmer
Zachary Hurst (NZL) – Headsail Trimmer
Mitja Margon (SLO) – Offside Trimmer
Nikolay Kornev (RUS) – Pit
Iztok Knafelc (SLO) – Grinder
Jeremy Lomas (NZL) – Bow
