For the first time since 2016, the 44Cup fleet is back to 11 teams—and that says something about the staying power of a one-design class that continues to quietly deliver some of the most competitive owner-driver racing in the sport.
The international fleet of carbon-built, high-performance RC44s will gather next week in Porto Cervo, Italy, for the second stop of the 2025 season. This time, they’ll be joined by two returning squads: Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team and Mehmet Taki’s WOW! Sailing Team from Turkey, who both add fresh energy—and a bit of horsepower—to the circuit.
The event, hosted by the iconic Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, will mark be the first visit to Porto Cervo for the class since 2017, when Alexander Novoselov’s Katusha came out on top in breeze that ranged from postcard-perfect to punishing.
That 2017 edition featured big wind and big drama, thanks in part to a full-on Mistral that blasted through the Strait of Bonifacio. This year, conditions are expected to vary day to day, but that’s part of the Porto Cervo package. As tactician Andy Horton—who returns this year with Nico Poons’ Charisma—put it: “It’s iconic. The scenery, the wind, the little town, the club—it’s just awesome. A pretty special place to go sailing.”
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The return to 11 boats is a milestone that reflects years of steady investment by the class’s core group of owners. The 44Cup hasn’t chased headlines or gimmicks, but it has quietly cultivated a reputation for tight racing, technical sailing, and a respectful owner-driver ethos.
Mehmet Taki’s WOW! Sailing Team joins with hull #25, formerly Team Aqua, and a tactician who needs no introduction—Spain's double Olympic gold medalist and Volvo Ocean Race veteran Iker Martinez. After dipping a toe in at last season’s finale in the BVI, Taki was hooked. “I have never sailed such a good boat in all my life,” he said. “Especially the helm—it is top. I cannot talk about the rest of the boat—the crew is struggling still—but it is a very nice boat.”
Martinez, like many others in the fleet, brings Olympic pedigree to the table. He’s joined by the likes of Iain Percy on Artemis Racing (two golds and a silver), Jordi Calafat on Peninsula Racing (470 gold), Will Ryan on Black Star (470 gold and silver), and Anders Ekström (Star bronze). It’s a collection of sailing talent that would rival any grand prix fleet on the water today.
Zuerrer, for his part, returns to the circuit with the same Black Star crew and New Zealand tactician Cameron Dunn. “We have the same team, the same goal, and we will be fighting,” he says. “I am looking forward to welcoming all the new teams. I’m excited to see 11 boats on the starting line.”
Porto Cervo’s waters—turquoise, shifty, and often deceptive—are a longtime favorite of the racing elite. The venue, developed under the vision of the late Aga Khan IV in the 1960s, has hosted everything from the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup to the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta. The YCCS brings world-class race management and a setting that never fails to deliver.
Racing at the 44Cup Porto Cervo runs 15–18 May, with a practice day scheduled for Wednesday the 14th. With Charisma, Aleph Racing, and Team Nika leading the early-season points (after one event), the leaderboard is wide open—and with two more boats in the mix, the stakes just got higher.
2025 Season Rankings
(After one event)
1. 🇲🇨 Charisma - 1
2. 🇫🇷 Aleph Racing - 2
3. 🇲🇨 Team Nika - 3
4. 🇸🇮 Team CEEREF Vaider - 4
5. 🇬🇧 Team Aqua - 5
6. 🇸🇪 Artemis Racing - 6
7. 🇬🇧 Peninsula Racing - 7
8. 🇸🇪 GeMera - 8
9. 🇪🇸 Lanzarote Calero Sailing - 9
10.🇨🇭 Black Star Sailing Team - 11DNC
11. 🇹🇷 WOW! Sailing Team - 11DNC
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