The fifth and final event of the 2023 44Cup takes place for the high performance, owner-driver one designs in the familiar waters off Lanzarote’s Puerto Calero next week. The Calero family, who own and operate four marinas in the Canary Islands, have long been friends of the RC44 class, even campaigning their own boat during the circuit’s early years. In turn, the 44Cup has regularly visited their marinas in the Canary Islands, the last occasion being when the fleet wintered there two years ago. The 44Cup will once again conclude it 2023 season and start its 2024 one racing off the island, famous for its dramatic barren lunar landscape.
Since last month’s 44Cup Alcaidesa Marina, the landscape has changed on the 44Cup leaderboard. Defending 44Cup champions and reigning world champions, Nico Poons’ Charisma, was defying the usual closeness of 44Cup racing having finshed 2-1-1 in this year’s first three events (in fact Team Aqua scored the same in 2013 before winning that season overall). A fourth good result off Gibraltar last month would have made Poons’ team virtually unbeatable for the 2023 44Cup title. However they wavered, finishing the regatta an uncharacteristic sixth. Meanwhile their principle rival, Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 prevailed, winning (as is so often the case in this class) in the final race
