A worthy and popular winner was crowned today at the RC44 Cascais World Championship in Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika, following two final big wind, big wave races that made for a thrilling, albeit damp, conclusion to the regatta.
Leading into today, the World Championship was a three horse race between Team Nika, Bronenosec Sailing Team of Vladimir Liubomirov and Igor Lah’s Team CEEREF. Ultimately all three scored five points today, leaving the finish order the same as yesterday with Nika six points clear of Bronenosec and Team CEEREF a further point behind.
“I feel very good – we sailed good today and I really enjoyed it,” said Prosikhin, dripping after being ‘coaxed’ into a victor’s swim in Marina de Cascais. “I feel very good – we sailed good today and I really enjoyed it,” said Prosikhin, dripping after being ‘coaxed’ into a victor’s swim in Marina de Cascais. “It is my first ever World Championship win. It was a long, long way up and now we get to keep the ‘Golden Wheels’ [fitted to the RC44 Championship Tour leader’s boat). We are also World Champions and we still have a chance to win the season.“
This result so nearly came a cropper when, while leading today’s first race, they managed to hook a lobster pot as they approached the leeward gate. “It was underwater – we couldn’t see it and it got caught around the keel and we had to sail backwards to clear it,” recounted Prosikhin. While most of the fleet overtook them, they were able to fight back to finish fourth.
Fortunately, despite a cut throat battle with Nico Poons’ Charisma throughout, Team Nika was able to claim race two.
Today’s 18-22 knot winds and 2m waves helped Prosikhin, who enjoys the big winds. “It is our favoured conditions – I really like them. So I wasn’t afraid to go today. And Cascais is a great place with a very good feeling.“
Luibimirov was genuinely overjoyed with Team Nika’s success. “Vladimir is my big friend from university – that is why I am really happy.” As Commodore of the St Petersburg Yacht Club, he was also proud that his club scored a 1-2 result here, plus, “he won here and last year we won and now we are together overall in first and second [in the 2015 RC44 Championship Tour]. So I am really happy.“
Charisma’s tactician Ray Davies was also a little disappointed. “We felt we should have been in the top three, but it was a good last race there – very nice close racing in fantastic conditions.“
Davies said today the most wind was 23 knots, but with “an aggressive sea state which made it a lot of fun downwind. Upwind the left side was very favoured.”
Davies was okay about being seen off by his former Emirates Team New Zealand skipper (Dean Barker). “He’s not bad is he?!?”
For Igor Lah’s Team CEEREF there was still a sense of ‘what might have been’. Leading overall into yesterday’s final race, they had chosen the wrong side of the course and were unable to recover. In that race they scored 12 points, and today finished seven behind Team Nika.
“We thought that the wind shifted to the right, so we took the right side,” mused Lah.
While the World Championship has been decided, competition in the 2015 RC44 Championship continues with the RC44 Virgin Gorda Cup over 25-29th November. This will be another mega-battle, particularly between friends and arch-rivals, Team Nika and Bronenosec Sailing Team, at present separated by just one point. my first ever World Championship win. It was a long, long way up and now we get to keep the ‘Golden Wheels’ [fitted to the RC44 Championship Tour leader’s boat). We are also World Champions and we still have a chance to win the season.”
This result so nearly came a cropper when, while leading today’s first race, they managed to hook a lobster pot as they approached the leeward gate. “It was underwater – we couldn’t see it and it got caught around the keel and we had to sail backwards to clear it,” recounted Prosikhin. While most of the fleet overtook them, they were able to fight back to finish fourth.
Fortunately, despite a cut throat battle with Nico Poons’ Charisma throughout, Team Nika was able to claim race two.
While the World Championship has been decided, competition in the 2015 RC44 Championship continues with the RC44 Virgin Gorda Cup over 25-29th November. This will be another mega-battle, particularly between friends and arch-rivals, Team Nika and Bronenosec Sailing Team, at present separated by just one point.