The 44Cup kicks off its new season next week in a venue that has, over the years, become one of the great references of the international circuit: Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, Canary Islands. This location, managed by Calero Marinas, has been a key and established partner of the RC44 Class for decades, a relationship built on trust, continuity, and a shared vision of high-level sailing.

The races will take place from February 5 to 8, with a pre-event training day on Wednesday, February 4, marking the return of the RC44 fleet to Lanzarote following the close of the 2025 season, which was held for the first time at Marina Jandía, the newest facility of Calero Marinas, located in southern Fuerteventura. At that event, GeMera, owned by Markus Törnqvist, took home the trophy, although Team Nika’s consistency, with podium finishes in every event of the year, allowed Vladimir Prosikhin and his crew, led by British tactician Nic Asher, to win the season crown.

The year 2026 holds special significance for the RC44 Class, as it celebrates its 19th season of competition, solidifying its status as one of the longest-running and most prestigious one-design grand prix classes on the international scene. The appeal of the “owner-driver” format, combined with an extremely high level of competition on the water, camaraderie on shore, and the sporting value offered by the class, remains one of its defining features.

Lanzarote once again hosts the 44Cup Calero Marinas, a key venue on the circuit since 2008. Two years later, it hosted the class’s first world championship, where Larry Ellison’s Oracle Racing was crowned RC44 World Champion in these waters. Since then, Puerto Calero has witnessed some of the most memorable chapters in the class’s history, with eight different winners, six of whom will return to compete in this edition, including Artemis Racing (2011), Team Aqua (2012), Peninsula Racing (2017), and Charisma (2018).

Team Nika returns to Puerto Calero as the defending champion and a top favorite, proudly displaying the symbolic yellow leader’s jersey of the 44Cup, represented by the distinctive golden rudders adorning Prosikhin’s boat. However, Aleph Racing, owned by French sailor Hugues Lepic, also enters as a strong contender, being one of the few teams to have won this event twice, in 2021 and 2023.

The sailing conditions off Puerto Calero, dominated by the north and northeast trade winds, create a technical and demanding racecourse, highly valued by the RC44 fleet. Beyond the competition, teams highlight the hospitality of the Calero family and the legacy of Calero Marinas in the Canary Islands, which began in the late 1980s and is now consolidated with marinas in Lanzarote, La Palma, and Fuerteventura.

“Hosting the RC44 Class in Puerto Calero is always a source of pride for us,” says José Juan Calero, CEO of Calero Marinas. “This fleet embodies excellence, innovation, and top-level competition, values that fully align with our vision of sailing.” José Juan Calero also emphasizes the strength of a relationship built over the years: “There is a relationship of trust and mutual collaboration between the RC44 Class and Calero Marinas. Puerto Calero has become a regular and highly valued venue for the fleet, and we look forward to writing many more chapters of this story together.”

The 44Cup Calero Marinas is organized by the 44 Class Association and Calero Marinas, with the sponsorship of the Government of the Canary Islands, Canary Islands, Cabildo de Lanzarote, Lanzarote Sports Destination, Insular Sports Service of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Arrecife City Council, Deportes Arrecife, Turismo Arrecife, and Cicar, as well as the collaboration of the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife.