Day three of the 44 Cup Cartagena looked set to be a return to more ‘normal conditions’ off the Murcian coast where racing is taking place this week thanks to the generous support of the Ayuntamiento de Cartagena, Gobierno Región de Murcia and the Autoridad Portuaria de Cartagena. Indeed the nine-strong RC44 fleet headed out to sea into a eight knot southwesterly and a much-reduced sea state. However this was not to last: by the end of the first race the wind was already into the high teens and the swell and waves - the talking point of this event - continued to build as the afternoon progressed.

Following on from her winning yesterday’s final race, Team Nika continued her winning streak, showing the form that caused her to be 44Cup champion for the last two seasons. Today Vladimir Prosikhin’s team was top scoring, adding just seven points to her tally, with Chris Bake’s Team Aqua for a second day being second highest scoring with 11.

Regatta leader, John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing came so close to winning the first race. In this Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team had led at the top mark, but with Peninsula Racing on her transom down the run. However as they rounded the port gate mark, Team Nika split starboard which proved advantageous. When the leaders later converged Team Nika crossed ahead of Black Star but trailed Peninsula Racing into the top mark. On the run Team Nika delayed her gybe for the finish and managed to pip Peninsula Racing which had to put in an extra gybe to reach the line.

The second race was much more straightforward – Team Nika took the lead on the first beat and never looked back. Meanwhile an inter-Törnqvist battle was taking place for second. At the leeward gate astern of Team Nika, Artemis Racing, skippered by Torbjörn Törnqvist, rounded neck and neck with son Markus’ GeMera Racing, who split to round the port mark. At the second top mark rounding, Artemis Racing, on which Adrian Stead is now calling tactics, was ahead, but on the run coming into the finish the two teams made some last frantic gybes in which GeMera Racing edged ahead, son beating father by a mere second. Meanwhile ahead Team Nika had scored her third consecutive bullet.

In this race Peninsula Racing had again shown her pace having picked up a penalty on the first beat dropping her to last, only to make a sensational come-back finishing fourth.

The wind was mid-teens but with an elevated sea state for the final race. In this the left paid up the first beat and it was Nico Poons’ Charisma that led Team Nika into the top mark. Team Aqua had rounded the top mark in fifth and then, on her own, put in a relatively early gybe. This enabled her to sail deeper and lead into the starboard leeward gate mark followed by Team Nika which had rolled Team Charisma. Nip and tuck between the front runners up the second beat culminating in Team Aqua getting the inside berth at the second top mark rounding ahead of Aleph Racing, Team Charisma and Team Nika, Chris Bake’s team then holding on to take their second bullet of the series.

“You know, when you get a groove, you have to continue – that last race was an interruption!” commented a beaming Vladimir Prosikhin of Team Nika’s success. “Actually, it was stupid, because I still could have gone a bit more in our higher mode, which worked very well for us – we had Peninsula below us and they had to tack and go behind us. And I could have done the same with Aqua and come second not fifth! Otherwise, we’re in a very good groove, upwind and downwind. It’s been difficult to find, because the first day was really, tough for us.” And this is despite having a new bowman.

At the end of day one Team Nika had been in fifth place nine points off the lead. She finished day three holding second, one point astern of Peninsula Racing and one point ahead of third-placed Team Aqua. In fact going into the final day mathematically any of the top seven teams could still win.

Aside from the Törnqvist father and son competition, it was the turn of Nico Poons’ son Sam to take the helm of Charisma today. This is the first regatta when he has been given this honour, although he had previously steered for practice starts. “It's good fun. The team is great and the boat is incredible compared to the J70 I usually sail,” said Poons Junior, who has not yet managed to persuade his father of the immense benefits of a two boat Poons team. The team had its moment of fame in today’s third race when they led into the top mark. “That was quite amazing. I tried not to get distracted by how we were doing.”

Tomorrow, the final day of the 44Cup Cartagena, could end up with two separate races: one for the regatta, the other for the 2026 44Cup title. In the latter, with the scoring as it is, Aleph Racing will win a tie break with GeMera Racing and if they can improve their sixth and fifth places respectively tomorrow could make all the difference.