Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing demonstrated herself to be categorically back on form after winning five races out of nine at the 44Cup Baiona.
The second event of the 2024 44Cup concluded Sunday in the Galician port where it has been hosted by the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona.
A worthy second was Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika.
Remarkably, while Artemis Racing scored five race wins, Team Nika won no races but had only two results deeper than fourth, to end the event six points adrift of the winner.
Their performance here also breaks ‘the curse of the golden wheels’ (the 44Cup’s equivalent of the yellow jumper in cycling) in retaining their position as 2024 44Cup season leaders.
Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team won two races to end up equalling their best event result ever – a third, which they also managed at 44Cup Alcaidesa Marina last autumn.
Artemis Racing first joined the RC44s in 2008 but remarkably this is the first time since 2016 that they have won a regatta.
Clearly a major part of their turnaround has come from Hamish Pepper becoming tactician having won the last two seasons with Nico Poons’ Charisma.
For this event they also had two stand-in crew in Brad Ferrand on the bow and Luke Muller as offside trimmer/grinder which may have additionally helped change the dynamic on board. “They fitted in the team really well – it really came together,” admitted Pepper.
The next event on the 2024 44Cup will be the third in Marstrand over 19-23 June followed by two more new venues for the 44Cup – Brunnen, Switzerland for the RC44 World Championship over 21-25 August, the season concluding at Nanny Cay, Tortola in the BVI over 20-24 November.
