44Cup World Championship – Calero Sailing Team – Best day yet on the 44Cup circuit!

by Calero Sailing Team Aug 24, 19:37 UTC
21-25 August 2024

Under normal circumstances, the 44Cup’s ‘black boat’ team should be at the bottom of the leaderboard for the Russell Coutts-designed high-performance RC44 One design. However, Daniel Calero and his Calero Sailing Team seemed not to have got the memo on day two of the 44Cup World Championship in Brunnen, Switzerland, when they finished a remarkable 5-7 in the nine-boat fleet in today’s two races on Lake Lucerne (a third was started but abandoned).

On a good opening day yesterday, Calero Sailing Team reached the all-important windward mark first in two races, but then lost positions later. In today’s first race, Calero Sailing Team won the pin-end start, led to the left and led their group to the top mark despite an effective pin-off position and despite the transoms submerging (in fact, the minority who had taken the right side won on this leg).

“We were above the layline and tacked in front of the fleet, which was a good decision,” explained Alfredo Gonzalez, Calero Sailing Team tactician and former Snipe World Champion. “We won the left fleet and the three boats (that had initially gone to the right) crossed just in front of us.”

Today Calero Sailing Team looked stronger on the downwinds and came into the leeward gate in fifth place in the first race today after following overall leaders Team Nika around the starboard mark to the second upwind. They defended well on the next lap to achieve their highest placing of the regatta so far.

“It was another fantastic day – a good result for us,” Gonzales continued. “If we can improve the details, we can fight for the top three or four places. We always finish in the top four at the top mark, but we lose out in the small details like the lifting and lowering. We are new to the fleet, but the crew is improving a lot.”

Commenting on their improved downwind legs today, he added: “Normally we sail well when sailing alone, with good VMG. But the problem is that you have to react very quickly when the wind changes.”

The Calero Sailing Team is particularly star-studded at this week’s World Championships and one of the most experienced crew members is Portuguese spinnaker trimmer Nuno Barreto. Barreto won the bronze medal in the 470 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics before representing Portugal in the Tornado catamaran at the Sydney and Athens Olympics. In 2007 he was appointed upwind trimmer in the Desafío Español America’s Cup and went on to race in the RC44 with the Austrian AEZ team. Since then he has competed sporadically in the class, most recently with the Polish MAG Racing team.

“It’s great to be back and see some familiar faces. Some of the boats are even the same,” says Barreto. “They have continued to improve and are much faster than before, constantly paying attention to the details. It’s hard for us because we have so little practice in the boat, but we’re trying to improve all the little details. In general we’re happy with our speed, but with the boat handling around the buoys – a few small, stupid mistakes can cost you boat lengths.

“As a team we try to improve every day. Every regatta is a learning curve. I think Alfredo (Gonzalez, tactician) reads the wind well and puts us in a good position – sailing on a lake is always difficult, with all the gusts and pressure everywhere. I haven’t done that often, I’m more of an open water specialist…!”

Impressively, the Calero Sailing Team is now ahead of Team Aqua in the rankings. “This is great for us,” notes Gonzalez. “Our goal is to finish seventh. We have a good team to achieve that goal.”

The Calero Sailing Team is participating in the 44Cup thanks to the support of: Centros de Arte, Cultura y Turismo de Lanzarote (the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers (CACT) of the Cabildo of Lanzarote). These seven centers were designed by the renowned local artist, sculptor and nature activist César Manrique and are attached to the main tourist attractions of Lanzarote, which Manrique integrated into the unique landscape of Lanzarote in his unique style. The first center, built in 1964, was the Cueva de los Verdes (a lava tube in the municipality of Haria in Lanzarote), while the seventh and last was the Jardín de Cactus in Guatiza in 1991. These seven places reflect the cultural and natural values ​​of Lanzarote, uniting art and nature.

The Calero Sailing Team is also supported by Calero Marinas, which operates marinas throughout the Canary Islands: Puerto Calero, Marina Lanzarote and Marina La Palma, as well as its newest in Fuerteventura – Marina Jandía.

The company is also supported by Calmar Residential Developments, which designs and builds bespoke luxury villas in Lanzarote, and Turismo Lanzarote, which promotes Lanzarote as a luxury destination for long-distance tourists with its slogan “Lanzarote, a unique island”.

Team website: calerosailingteam.com

Event website: www.44cup.org