After three days of superb conditions, an isobar free southern Sweden left the final three races unsailed at the 44Cup Marstrand, third event of the 2026 season for the high performance owner-driver one designs. PRO Maria Torrijo and the Marstrands Segelsällskap’s race team ventured out to monitor the situation but with zero gradient and an overcast sky preventing a sea breeze developing, at 1400 the decision was made that there would be no racing for the day.

As a result the winner was Nico Poons’ Team Charisma, which following her victories here in 2018 (with Ray Davies as tactician) and then 2022-24 (under Hamish Pepper) means that the Dutchman’s team now equals the five Marstrand victories of Chris Bake’s Team Aqua.

“It’s a good thing that I'm now equal with Team Aqua. It is just a shame that Chris [Bake] isn’t here to celebrate with me,” commented Poons, who remained dry without the RC44 Class President here to encourage him to take a winner’s plunge. “We had our ups and downs, of course, but in general we made the least mistakes. For instance, we were lucky at one mark that we rounded some boats that were hanging on the buoy, but unlucky when we did something stupid and allowed three boats to go in front of us.”

This event saw the return of tactician Hamish Pepper under whom Team Charisma won the 44Cup and the RC44 World Championship in both 2022 and 2023. The New Zealand former Star World Champion, commented of their performance this week: “Charisma has been a very good team in the past and we were lucky a few times when we needed to be so that somehow we ended up at the top of the table! RC44 racing is so close - there could have been more different winners if we’d raced today. The guys are very experienced and Nico is very relaxed and happy to be out on the water. Everyone's having a good time and a good laugh and enjoying the sailing…”

GeMera Racing had a good first and third day, leaving her in second overall. “We made our mistakes at the beginning of the week and we managed to learn from them and ultimately do better,” explained Markus Törnqvist. “Marstrand is a great place - truly one of my favourites. I've been sailing here for many years now, previously on Artemis, now on my own boat. I'm looking forward to coming here next year when hopefully we can do better.”

With her result here in Marstrand, GeMera Racing maintains her ‘golden wheels’, for leading in the overall 2026 44Cup standings on seven points to Aleph Racing’s 9, with Team Charisma now just a point behind on 10.

Of today’s lack of racing GeMera Racing’s tactician Francesco Bruni confirmed: “There was no wind today - unfortunately in that situation there's not much we could do. Maria made the right decision on keeping us ashore.”

Pietro Loro Piana is campaigning Hugues Lepic’s Aleph Racing this season and had a regatta both of good results but also two last places, which sadly for the French team cannot be discarded on the 44Cup. “The boys and the team, as always, did an amazing job, I helmed a little bit better than before and the results show that,” commented Loro Piana. “Early on we were unlucky with a couple of results, but we were very good yesterday to keep the morale up of the team. The class is amazing. I like to spend time with every single member of every single boat. Marstrand delivered a beautiful week up until yesterday. I am only sad about not going sailing today.”

Every team had their moments here in Marstrand. Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team was hoping to recover some points today after leading for the first two days. She missed the podium by a mere point, finishing tied with defending champion here and 2025 44Cup winner Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika. John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing was the stand-out top scoring boat of Saturday as Team Aqua was on Friday, with Team CEEREF’s Igor Lah standing in behind the wheel for Chris Bake.

The greenest team on the circuit, Mehmet Taki and Murat Edin’s Wow! Sailing Team, also had an enjoyable week. Edin commented: “Compared to last year, it was much lighter than expected, but I really like it here - it's a fun place. The sailing is great, like the other day when there was 12 knots, but completely flat water - that was very nice. The team is really getting there. We've still got to make some adjustments, but the boat is fast. We're getting there.” The Turkish team, which has a largely Italian crew, also claimed maximum benefit from Marstrand’s social scene. “If we're not having fun, then what's the point? We're here to enjoy ourselves, so we do a bit of that,” concluded Edin.

Event host Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing ended the regatta in seventh place but on a high having won yesterday’s final race into Marstrand harbour. “I love this place - it is something special for me,” commented Törnqvist ‘senior’. “This week we were very lucky with the weather, except for today, but that's the way it is. It doesn't take away that the sailing has been absolutely fantastic, dramatic, so close. I still enjoy this class so much…”

Naturally he is extreme proud of his son Markus’s performance on GeMera Racing. “Annoyingly, he's ahead of me: Obviously, I see that as a challenge. He's a good sailor, a good driver and definitely has a flair for it. He has a good team and I think they work very well together, which is nice to see. I take it as an inspiration for me to do better…”

The 44Cup will reconvene next in Cowes for its World Championship over 23-27 September.