That this will be the 19th year of competition for the class confirms the RC44 as one of the most successful one design racing yachts of all time with new examples still being built to compete on the circuit by Pauger Carbon Composites in Hungary.
The 2026 44Cup will comprise five events across Europe and Scandinavia, once again demonstrating a key aspect of the RC44’s innovative design that allows it to fit onto a 40ft flatbed container for easy, cost-effective transportation.
As usual each event will be five days long starting with a practice day followed by four days of racing proper. Every day there will be an apres-sail gathering between owners and crews, the shore-based activity culminating in a prizegiving immediately after racing on the final day.
As it ended this year, so in 2026 the season will begin in the Canary Islands over 4-8 February, but in the 44Cup’s more familiar venue of Puerto Calero on Lanzarote. This will be hosted once again by Calero Marinas and supported by the Canary Islands, Lanzarote Tourism Board, Ayuntamiento de Yaiza and Cicar.
The RC44s first visited Puerto Calero when it concluded the 2008 season of the RC44 Gold Cup (as it was known then). That season was won by Patrick de Barros' Banco Espirito Santo ahead of several teams such Igor Lah's Team Ceeref, Chris Bake's Team Aqua, Torbjörn Törnqvist's Artemis Racing and Daniel Calero’s Puerto Calero, which, 18 years on, continue to enjoy the close competition and exhilarating performance found racing on the 44Cup.
To provide variety, the 44Cup aims to visit new venues each year and the first of two in 2026 will be Puntaldia in Sardinia over 22-26 April. Located just 20km southeast of Olbia, the 380 berth Marina di Puntaldia is a boutique marina close to Tavolara Marine Park - centred upon the local landmark, the towering wedge-shaped island of Tavolara – and several of Sardinia’s best beaches including Brandinchi, known locally as ‘Tahiti’. Marina di Puntaldia has its own shipyard in Olbia, Nautica di Puntaldia and, in addition to marina facilities, Puntaldia also offers a luxury resort and residential complex plus a nine hole golf course by the sea, tennis courts, fine dining, exclusive shopping.
Marie-Hélène Polo, CEO of Marina di Puntaldia Srl commented: “We are honoured to host the 44Cup Marina Puntaldia, for one of the most iconic and competitive circuits in international sailing. For the Marina and our new-born Yacht Club, this represents a unique opportunity for us to grow and challenge to deliver an experience of excellence both on the water and ashore. We are proud to welcome our guests and sailors in this unique and most spectacular corner of the Mediterranean.”
For its third event in 2026, the 44Cup once again will visit Scandinavia. Marstrand, the island off Sweden’s west coast, which with its rocky outcrops, New England-style architecture, ancient castles and picture postcard beauty is historically the most frequently visited venue on the 44Cup. Excluding 2016, the venue has been included in every 44Cup season since 2011. Once again the event will be supported by Artemis Technologies and the Marstrands Havshotell while racing will take place with the help of the Marstrands Segelsällskap yacht club. The 44Cup Marstrand will take place over 24-28 June, which is the week following Midsummer’s Eve and the summer solstice (Midsommarafton) - a significant holiday in Sweden when many visitors will descend upon Marstrand island.
For a third time, the 44Cup returns to Cowes, the spiritual home of Anglo-Saxon yacht racing over 23-27 September. This event is supported by RC44 Class President and Team Aqua owner Chris Bake and will once again be run in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Founded in London in 1815 and thus one of the oldest yacht clubs in the world, the club is most famous for its £100 Cup, raced for in 1851 and today yachting’s greatest trophy – the America’s Cup - for which the club is the present day Challenger of Record. 2026 will be a special year for the club and Cowes, marking the Bicentenary of the first year one of the world’s most famous regattas – Cowes Week – was held under the auspices of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Racing here will take place on the Solent with its unique tidal characteristics thanks its geography and its numerous, constantly evolving sand banks, shallows, ledges and spits plus their accompanying eddies that makes it one of a toughest stretches of water to navigate in international yacht racing.
The 44Cup Cowes will be the highlight of the 2026 season doubling as the 2026 RC44 World Championship.
The 2026 44Cup will conclude with another venue making its debut on the circuit: the ancient port of Cartagena in Spain’s Murcia region over 4-8 November. Located just south of the Mar Menor and to the west of Cabo de Palos, Cartagena is also a natural harbour and has been in active use as a port since Roman times. A regular on the Audi MedCup for the TP52s over 2008-2011, most recently Cartagena hosted a stopover of this year's The Ocean Race Europe.
The event will be based in Cartagena’s Port where the class is working with the Punto Sur Actividades Náuticas SL with on-the-water assistance from the Real Club de Regatas de Cartagena. The regatta has the support of the City Council of Cartagena, the government of the Region of Murcia and the Port Authority of Cartagena.
Patricio Rosas, CEO of the Punto Sur commented: “Cartagena is a city with an important maritime tradition. Our goal is for the city to become an international nautical benchmark, hosting international regattas to promote Cartagena as a sailing city that fosters the sport.”
“The regatta course on Cartagena Bay has been praised by sailors for its technical characteristics. In November, the average temperature is 18-20°C and the prevailing winds are from the northwest,”.
“The boats will be moored at the North Dock and will be visible to all spectators. It will be a great event on the water, while activities on land will also be scheduled for fans and the general public in order to promote sailing, its sporting values, innovation, and sustainability”.
RC44 Class President Chris Bake commented: “I am very much looking forward to shepherding in a new season. We've got some new places to go to in 2026, such as Cartagena and Puntaldia, again demonstrating the ability of the 44Cup to visit to some really interesting locations. And the competition doesn't get any easier, but that’s why we continue to enjoy it. We are looking forward to again having more than 10 teams throughout the season, consolidating the present owners while welcoming some new ones.”
44CUP 2026 schedule:
4 - 8 February 44CUP CALERO MARINAS, Lanzarote
22 - 26 April 44CUP PUNTALDIA - Sardinia
24 - 28 June 44CUP MARSTRAND - Sweden
23 - 27 September 2026 44CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COWES - UK
4 - 8 November 44CUP CARTAGENA - Spain
44CUP teams:
ALEPH RACING (FRA 17)
Boat Owner: Hugues Lepic (FRA) & Pietro Loro Piana (ITA)
ARTEMIS RACING (SWE 44)
Boat Owner: Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE)
BLACK STAR SAILING TEAM (SUI 27)
Boat Owner: Christian Zuerrer (SUI)
GEMERA RACING (SWE 30)
Boat Owner: Markus Törnqvist (SWE)
LANZAROTE CALERO SAILING (ESP 1)
Boat Owner: Daniel Calero (ESP)
PENINSULA RACING (GBR 18)
Boat Owner: John Bassadone (GBR)
TEAM AQUA (GBR 2041)
Boat Owner: Chris Bake (NZL)
TEAM CEEREF VAIDER (SLO11)
Boat Owner: Igor Lah (SLO)
TEAM CHARISMA (MON 69)
Boat Owner: Nico Poons (NED)
TEAM NIKA (MON 10)
Boat Owner: Vladimir Prosikhin (BUL)
WOW! SAILING TEAM (TUR 4425)
Boat Owner: Mehmet Taki & Murat Edin (TUR)
RC44 BLACK BOAT PROJECT
The 44Cup’s trial boat, which teams can use to experience racing within the fleet
