2015 RC44 Championship Tour Announced

Fleet racing at the RC44 Marstrand World Championships 2014 © Pedro Martinez / Martinez Studio

The RC44 Class enters its ninth year with the announcement of two new venues for their 2015 Championship Tour.

A total of five venues next year will see the Class start in its first new location – Valletta, Malta in March ahead of touring some of the finest sailing venues in Europe. This includes a debut for Porto Cervo, Italy as well as old favourites Marstrand, Sweden and Cascais, Portugal before heading back to the Caribbean to finish the season in the winter sun at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Virgin Gorda.

2015 Championship Tour Schedule:

• 25 – 29 March - RC44 Valletta Cup, Malta
• 17 – 21 June – Audi Porto Cervo Cup, Italy
• 28 July – 1 August – RC44 Marstrand Cup, Sweden
• 30 September – 4 October – RC44 Cascais World Championship, Portugal
• 25 – 29 November – RC44 Virgin Gorda Cup, British Virgin Islands

RC44 Class founder Russell Coutts comments, "It's fantastic to be taking the Tour to two new venues in 2015. The competition in the class is at phenomenal level and having new teams like Charisma, Artemis Racing Youth and Bombarda Racing joining the fleet and attracting first class sailors such as Tom Slingsby, Nathan Outteridge and Francesco de Angelis, is giving the leader board a shake up and allowing for any team to be on the podium for a regatta."

Kicking off the season and making its debut on to the RC44 circuit is Malta's renowned capital Valletta, City of the Knights. Built on a peninsula in one of the world's largest and deepest natural harbours, this historic city on the East coast of Malta will offers the sailors a thrilling start to the season with prevailing westerly breeze of 11-15 knots and racing against the backdrop of the city's magnificent fortress.

Peter Valentino, on behalf of host Yachting Event's Ltd added, "It is a privilege to host the RC44 Class in Valletta, renowned for visiting some of the most beautiful and diverse sailing venues in the world.. We know we will offer the sailors a unique sailing environment and some beautiful conditions for racing."

The second stop on the Tour will again visit a new venue. The RC44 Class will debut in the debut of iconic Italian sailing haven of Puerto Cervo, as the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda hosts sailing's elite in the spectacular conditions of Porto Cervo.

Continuing their tour of Europe, the RC44 Class will then go on to return to two venues that are firm favourites. The forth event of the season will be hosted for the fifth consecutive year on the Swedish Island of Marstrand, before the RC44 World Championship takes place in the dramatic rolling Atlantic swell of Cascais, Portugal.

To finish off the season, the fleet will then make their winter migration to Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands for the final event of the season in the turquoise waters of the central Caribbean Sea.

2014 – too close to call

The final event of this year's Championship Tour takes place in Muscat, Oman from the 19 – 23 November. With only three points separating the top three teams, defending Tour champions Team Aqua are trying to ensure they hold off the challenges from Peninsula Petroleum and Bronenosec in the grand finale. Keep up to date with all the latest news at www.rc44.com

2014 RC44 Championship Tour Overall Match Race Ranking: (after four events)

1. Team Aqua – 17pts
2. Synergy Russian Sailing Team – 16pts
3. Team Nika – 15pts
4. Aleph Racing – 13pts
5. Katusha – 11pts
6. Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team – 10pts
7. Bronenosec Sailing Team – 9pts
8. Gazprom Youth Sailing Challenge – 9pts
9. Charisma – 5pts
10. Bombarda Racing – 5pts
11. Artemis Racing – 4pts
12. MAG Racing – 2pts
13. Artemis Racing Youth – 1pt

2014 RC44 Championship Tour Overall Fleet Race Ranking: (after four events with one discard)

1. Team Aqua – 6pts
2. Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team – 7pts
3. Bronenosec Sailing Team – 9pts
4. Charisma – 14pts
5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team – 16pts
6. Artemis Racing – 16pts
7. Team Nika – 17pts
8. Bombarda Racing - 21pts
9. Gazprom Youth Sailing Challenge – 21pts
10. Katusha – 24pts
11. Aleph Racing – 25pts
12. MAG Racing – 34pts
13. Artemis Racing Youth – 36pts