PRESS RELEASE – RC44 / Lugano Yacht Club Cup
Cayard, Coutts, Onorato, Gram-Hansen and more celebrate the RC44 Class debut in Switzerland
The idyllic setting of Lugano provided a spectacular backdrop for the first ever RC44 event in Switzerland. The Lugano Yacht Club Cup, the fourth event in the Class Championship Tour, presented challenging racing for RC44 owners and their crews today.
Lugano (CH), 20 June 2007 – The thermal mountain breeze began to build shortly after 14:00 and the teams enjoyed three fiercely competitive fleet races. Spectators lined the shore of Lake Lugano to watch the impressive, high performance RC44s manoeuvre, tackling and accelerating in the shifty conditions with ease.
Having arrived just days before from Lisbon in their custom containers, these light displacement boats proved their adaptability as they mastered the challenging lake conditions.
Team Omega, with guest helmsman Ronnie Pieper, VP of the Swiss Sailing Federation and a 5.5m World Champion, smoothly dominated the first of the three fleet races. Team Omega, with Russell Coutts calling tactics, swiftly passed Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino, on the first windward leg and led the fleet around the course. Team Aqua, with owner Chris Bake driving and tactician Cameron Appleton, quickly moved into second place, leaving Mascalzone Latino to finish third.
As the afternoon went on and the breeze became shiftier, the RC44’s showed their true versatility and ability to accelerate in light conditions.
In the second race it was Teams Aqua and Light Bay that selected the favoured right side of the course from the start. While Mascalzone Latino and Team Omega, with their world-renowned tacticians Cayard and Coutts onboard went left, the other RC44 owners proved that the traditionally favoured right side of the lake would pay off. Team Aqua, the current leaders of the fleet, finished first, followed by Team Light Bay and Team Omega.
Mascalzone Latino’s America’s Cup helmsman Jes Gram-Hansen took the opportunity to step on board with Onorato’s team as a guest for the third race. It was a close start with the entire fleet on starboard, they then tacked swiftly back towards the right side of the lake, with the exception of Omega who remained in the middle of the course. This was to pay off for Coutts’s team as the wind dropped and the Race Committee shortened the course. A win for Mascalzone Latino was the perfect end to owner Vincenzo Onorato’s first day of racing onboard his RC44.
Unfortunately, the much anticipated match race between Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard could not take place due to the lack of wind. The forecast for tomorrow is for 8-10 knots with mixed weather conditions.
Quotes
Vincenzo Onorato, Mascalzone Latino: “It was a beautiful first day of racing on the RC44. We were fortunate to have Paul Cayard onboard. The boats are extremely fast; they are much more fun to sail than the America’s Cup boats, which are dinosaurs in comparison! The RC44s are ten years ahead of their time.”
Paul Cayard, Mascalzone Latino: “The boats power-up easily which makes for good racing, even when there is not much wind. In the America’s Cup they wouldn’t even race in these conditions, but with the RC44 it’s all possible.”
Armando Giulietti, Team Light Bay: “It was my first time racing the RC44 on a lake and in these light air conditions. We learned a lot and had good manoeuvres. It is a fast boat. Lugano is beautiful and ideal for the spectators.”
Cameron Appleton, Team Aqua: “It was challenging to get the light air configuration right. The first two races were one-sided, but the conditions mixed up for the third race. It was an impressive day on the water.”
Lugano Yacht Club Cup
Day 1 Provisional Results – no discard
1) Team Aqua, (2,1,3) 6 points
2) Team Omega, (1,3,2) 6 points
3) Mascalzone Latino (3,4,1) 8 points
4) Team Light Bay (Magia), (4, 2, 4) 10 points
Photo: Mascalzone Latino racing in Lugano, with Vincenzo Onorato at the helm and Paul Cayard calling tactics Credit: Gianni Armiraglio
