The first event of the season for the RC44 Championship tour B&G support was there upholding a continuing commitment to the class.
Mike Sugden, B&G regatta support and technical specialist attended the Dubai based event and gave us a report on the racing as well as an insight into what providing regatta support for B&G involves.
The event began with the usual walk around the boats to ensure that everything was running smoothly and that the sailing teams were happy. The boats had been out training in the days prior to the regatta so it was more a case of double-checking that the instruments were tuned correctly and gathering any important feedback that the helmsmen and tacticians had for us. With the likes of Russell Coutts, Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dean Barker sailing these performance-racing yachts, we were presented with the ideal opportunity to learn how the instruments are used in order to further develop the technology.
The format for the event was as follows:
Days 1 & 2 – Match Racing with the professional skipper helming the boat
Days 3, 4 & 5 – Fleet Racing with the amateur owner helming the boat
Day one of the regatta saw the Italian Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano dominate the days Match Racing. The light but fairly stable conditions allowed for fifteen matches to be sailed. The racing was very close and the overall results confirmed that the teams are becoming more closely matched by the day, generating a round of thrilling matches. After the racing finished and the crews returned to the dock, there were a few teams to visit to discuss their instruments and tweak settings slightly to help them get the best out of their systems. It is important for a member of the support team like myself to be here especially in the day prior to racing and for the first race day, as this is when testing can take place and any changes in set-up needed will be identified.
Day two saw even lighter winds and as a result the second half of the round-robin had to be cancelled. With day two over, the Match Racing championship concluded and all the teams looked forward to the Fleet Racing championship starting the next day.
Match Racing final results:
1) Team Ceeref (5/2) 3,5 points
2) Team Hiroshi (4/3) 3 points
3) Team ES Bankers Dubai (5/2) 3 points
4) Team Sea Dubay, (3/4) 2,5 points
5) Team Aqua (3/4 inc. 1 penalty) 1 point
6) Cro-A-Sail (1/6) 1 point
Day three and the first day of fleet racing brought strong winds and a large swell in the race area, which added to the intensity of the racing. My morning started with a walk around the boats checking everything over and speaking to all the teams. These boats are using sophisticated B&G systems with advanced data logging tools and the finest adjustment can be the differentiator on the race course. The day's racing was intense and great fun to watch with no one knowing who was going to win each race. Post racing all the teams arrived back onshore happy with their boat's performance in these challenging conditions.
Day four overnight the strong winds died down and the swell reduced to nothing, so much so that the race committee had to postpone the racing and wait until the wind filled in. Eventually a consistent breeze settled in and the boats left the dock and headed out to the racetrack. Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, with Armando Giulietti at the helm and Sébastien Col calling tactics clearly dominated the fleet, making excellent starts and sailing fast to win the event with a massive 15 points margin over Team Ceeref.
Fleet-racing final results (no discard):
1) Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano (1, 1, 2, 4, 3, 2, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1) 21 points
2) Team Ceeref (5, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 5, 2, 3, 1, 4) 36 points
3) Team ES Bankers Dubai (3, 4, 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 6, 5, 5) 40 points
4) Team Aqua (DNF, DNF, 3, 6, 6, 3, 1, 3, 4, 3, 2) 45 points
5) Cro-A-Sail (4, 5, 4, 5, 1, 5, 6, 4, 2, 6, 3) 45 points
6) Team Sea Dubai, (2, 2, 6, 3, 4, 6, 2, 6, 5, 4, 6) 46 points
The RC44 fleet is a very impressive example of the most competitive and highly tactical racing, involving the best known names in sailing. Russell Coutts, founder of the class, chose B&G as official instrument supplier from the outset, “We chose B&G because they have the right product and the best support.”
The second regatta of the RC44 Championship Tour 2008 promises to be a fantastic sailing event: Ben Ainslie, Russell Coutts, James Spithill, Sébastien Col, Larry Ellison, Cameron Appleton and many more will fight hard for the title on board ten strict one design RC44s in the superb venue of Cagliari. B&G will again be there soaking up the action and providing unrivalled performance and support.
Please visit the official RC44 website for results from the Dubai RC44 Cup and more information on the class www.rc44.com
