Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team finished in third position in the training regatta held this Wednesday in the waters of Scheveningen, the last session before the official start of the 44Cup World Championship.
The team has completed three days of preparation focused on reading the tide and adapting to the strong local currents, with the aim of adjusting the maneuvers to the race course that will be encountered during the competition. The absence of major incidents on the boat has allowed the work to be dedicated to tactical optimization and precision in collective maneuvers.
During the regatta, the lateral current required a very precise planning of the laylines, forcing to anticipate the turns to compensate for the knockdown and arrive with clean angles to windward. In the sterns, the countercurrent slows down the hull from below while the wind pushes from above, which conditions the speed.
Looking ahead to the next few days, the team also plans the possible inclusion of a tenth crew member as a hospitality guest, who would be located in the stern area. Their presence would add an extra condition to the weight management on board, modifying the boat's seating and forcing a more detailed planning of the crew's movements to maintain efficiency both upwind and downwind.
The tactician and project director, Alfredo González, summarized the day: "Today we have taken a step forward as a team. We know that there is still work to be done, but we are going in the right direction. Scheveningen is a very technical race course, with strong currents, wind roles, pressure variations, changing cloudiness and a very demanding short sea ('choppy'). We have to be fine."
The 44Cup World Championship will bring together 12 international teams, with favorites such as Team Nika, current world champion and leader of the season, and Charisma, champion on two occasions and host of the event. The fleet will compete for the first time in the Netherlands, a race course characterized by the powerful and variable currents generated by both the port of Rotterdam and the coastal structures. Conditions of between 10 and 15 knots are expected, with a forecast of stronger wind and waves during the weekend, which will increase the tactical and maneuver demand.
This third place in training confirms that the team arrives with a good level of adaptation to local conditions, with room still to refine the strategy depending on the evolution of wind, tide and possible adjustments in the configuration on board during the next days.
The Lanzarote Calero Sailing Team develops this project thanks to the support of Turismo de Lanzarote and the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, which promote the team under the Spanish flag. Calero Marinas and Calmar, strategic partners in port management and logistics, join their support. The team also has EquipYacht as a supplier of technical racing equipment and Alegra Travels in the coordination of travel logistics. On the technical side, they rely on Equipyatch, Harken, Gottifredi Maffioli, North Sails and Magic Marine as official suppliers. In addition, the project has the international sponsorship of Lanzarote Investment and John D. Wood & Co.