When Russell Coutts prophetically called the new America’s Cup an event for the Facebook generation, perhaps he had the shareholders of the social network in mind. The IPO of Facebook promises to make millionaires and billionaires out of early investors – and you never know – some of them might feel like owning a 72 foot catamaran – or an RC44.
14 teams will line up for the first RC44 event of 2012 next week, but ORACLE Racing won’t be one of them. The creator of the boat and the series has repeatedly said that he’s bored of sailing mono-hulls, but there is still an appetite for the pro-am format that keeps rich blokes and America’s Cup ‘veterans’ competing.
While events like the Moth, A-Class and World Match Racing Tour are promoting the young-guns of the sport, the RC44 is proud to boast the participation of legends like Brad Butterworth and Ed Baird.
There are some younger stars in the fleet though. Mathieu Richard, who is reported as not being able to raise the budget to compete in the World Match Racing Tour this year is listed for America’s Cup challenger Aleph Sailing Team.
As well as last year’s champions, Team Aqua, an new all-Italian team will join the fleet – AFX Capital Racing Team is owned by Massimo Barranco, founder and General Manager of Eurograni SpA Company.
Artemis Racing will once again compete, despite their role as Challenger of Record, but Paul Cayard who had been Gennadi Timchenko’s tactician on Russian entry Katusha will focus on his 34th America’s Cup commitments as CEO of Artemis Racing.
Last week, the CEO of Porsche compared the World Match Racing Tour to the Carrera Cup, but perhaps the RC44 competition is an even better comparison, with its combination of “gentlemen-drivers” and semi-retired guns for hire.
With a strict 50-50 split between amateurs and professionals in each eight-person crew, the amateur owners take the wheel for the fleet racing while the pro tacticians get their chance to steer during the match racing phase of the RC44 Championship Tour.
2012 RC44 Team Line-Up
- AEZ Sailing Team (AUT44) – Rene Mangold (AUT) / Markus Wiser (GER)
- AFX Capital Racing (ITA7) – Massimo Barranco (ITA) / Gabriele Bruni (ITA)
- Aleph Sailing Team (FRA17) -Hugues Lepic (FRA) / Mathieu Richard (FRA)
- Artemis Racing (SWE44) – Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) / Morgan Larson (USA)
- Ironbound (USA 1) – David Murphy (USA) / Andy Horton (USA)
- Katusha (RUS 007) – Gennadi Timchenko (RUS) / Brad Butterworth (NZL)
- No Way Back (NED 18) – Pieter Heerema (NED) / Ross MacDonald (CAN)
- Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team (GBR 1) – John Bassadone (GBR) / Vasco Vascotto (ITA)
- Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP 1) – Daniel Calero (ESP) / Jose Maria Ponce (ESP)
- RC44 TEAM CEEREF (SLO 11) – Igor Lah (SLO) / Michele Ivaldi (ITA)
- RUS-7 Sail Racing Team powered by AnyWayAnyDay.com (RUS7) – Kirill Podolsky (RUS) / Sergui Chevtsov (RUS)
- Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS 13) – Valentin Zavadnikov (RUS) / Ed Baird (USA)
- Team Aqua (GBR 2041) – Chris Bake (GBR) / Cameron Appleton (NZL)
- Team Nika (RUS 10) – Vladimir Prosikhin (RUS) / Tomislav Basic (CRO)
