Fonte: RC44 Class
Three new cities and two old favourites have been announced as the host venues for the 2013 RC44 Championship Tour. Racing will kick off at The Wave, Muscat the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman, with the successful format remaining the same; one day of match racing followed by four days of fleet racing. The RC44 champion will be crowned in November, when the final event of the Tour is hosted at a brand new marina being built at the old commercial port of Arrecife, Lanzarote.
2013 RC44 Championship Tour Calendar:
30th January to 3rd February – The Wave, Muscat, Oman
1st to 5th May – Sicily, Italy
25th to 29th June – Marstrand, Sweden
2nd to 6th October – Cascais, Portugal
20th to 24th November RC44 World Championship – Puerto Calero Marinas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
The 2013 Tour will start in Muscat, Oman hosted by The Wave, Muscat, the first time the fleet has visited the country which invests so much in reigniting their maritime history. Occupying the south-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman offers crystal clear water and a prevailing north-easterly wind providing great sailing conditions to kick of the season. The country boasts a rich maritime heritage, has played host to a number of successful international sailing competitions over the past few years.
The RC44 will once again hold its World Championship in Lanzarote. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / VSail.info
Another new venue to be added for the 2013 season is a soon to be announced town in Sicily, Italy. The second event in May will be organized by Massimo and Francesco Barranco’s Vela del Sud.
June will see the Championship Tour return for the third consecutive year to the sailing mecca of Marstrand, Sweden, before heading south to Cascais, Portugal. The Class visited the venue for the first time in 2012 where some fresh conditions put the teams to the test. Set beside the Atlantic Ocean, the ancient fishing village of Cascais is world-famous for its spectacular and unpredictable sailing conditions.
The 2013 tour will draw to a close in Lanzarote. Returning to the Island for the sixth consecutive year the class will take in a new venue from Puerto Calero Marinas. The Calero family has created the new marina complex Marina Lanzarote, in the island’s bustling capital Arrecife. Perfectly placed for having the best racing conditions in the area, the RC44 World Championship event’s timing coincides beautifully with the traditional transat season, meaning sailors can take full advantage of the established Atlantic trade winds.
With the introduction of new host venues, the addition of Pelle P as official clothing partner and with 15 of teams confirmed to compete, the 2013 RC44 Championship promises to be another exceptional year and one RC44 Class founder Russell Coutts will be keeping a close eye on, ”I’m looking forward to getting back on the Tour events next year. The Tour will have some new and exciting venues, visiting Oman and Sicily for the first time. With some new teams expected to join the Tour in 2013, we are looking forward to another great year for the class.”
