2024 – A big thank you
The year 2024 took the Black Star Sailing Team through high waves and tight manoeuvres, and gave them some truly remarkable moments: our sixth regatta season was marked by changes, challenges and a highlight that will stay with us for a long time: the RC44 World Championship on Lake Lucerne.
New focus, proven energy
After two intense years of Black Star Sailing competing in the RC44 and GC32 classes at the same time, we decided to focus fully on the RC44 class in 2024. It was a bit painful to miss out on the GC32 Racing Tour, but focusing on the 44Cup allowed us to work specifically on our weaknesses in the RC44 class and develop new strengths.
With a restructured crew and new strategies, we started the season in February in Porto Calero on Lanzarote. Strong winds, high waves and an unchanged line-up of competitors provided the perfect start. Although we didn’t make it onto the podium, the progress we made in this regatta provided a solid basis and whetted our appetite for more.
Successes that make history
At our second stop on the 44Cup in Baiona in May, we sailed to first place in the third race of the first day. It was an unforgettable moment: for the first time in the history of the class, a Swiss team led the day’s standings. This achievement was a milestone for us and a sign that we were on the right track.
Backlash with team building in the north
However, the third regatta in Marstrand, Sweden, showed us just how demanding the RC44 class can be. An accident during a training run damaged our keel weight, but thanks to the tireless efforts of our Shore team, we were still able to participate in the competition. On the water, however, things did not go smoothly and we had to fight our way through one of the most difficult weeks of racing in our history. This forced us to develop ourselves further in order to emerge stronger as a team.
Home game with podium finish
The highlight of the season was undoubtedly the 44Cup World Championship on Lake Lucerne in Brunnen. For the first time ever, the RC44 class held a world championship in Switzerland, and we had the honour of being the host team. Despite changeable weather conditions and strong competition, we were able to secure third place on home waters – a podium finish that is of great value to us as a team and as representatives of Switzerland as a sailing nation.
Regatta report 44Cup Nanny Cay
20 – 24 November 2024, Nanny Cay, British Virgin Islands
With a third place in the World Championship to our credit and a podium place in the annual ranking within reach, we travelled to the Caribbean – more precisely to the British Virgin Islands.
Nanny Cay
Nanny Cay is located on the island of Tortola on the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The resort is popular with many holidaymakers and the easily accessible marina is the starting point for many trips in the Caribbean. Our base was in a rented house, where we held our briefings undisturbed and where we were once again able to indulge in Bryony’s culinary skills. Having our own cook ensures consistent quality of food, saves time compared to going to a restaurant and allows us to talk to each other in a concentrated manner, which has proven to be a great advantage time and again.
Sailing in the Caribbean…
The weather forecasts predicted rather light winds, contrary to the wind conditions that are usually encountered in the Caribbean at this time. All the more reason for us to focus on the preparations and on the start of the regatta, as the point differences between the teams were very small, which is why Black Star, together with other teams, had the opportunity to still make it onto the podium in the annual ranking.
Unfortunately, the necessary results did not materialise and we were unable to achieve our goal. Too many individual mistakes crept in, a lack of speed, poor starts and shifting winds made our days difficult. In addition, there was a tension hanging over the team that could not be resolved even in discussions. Despite our best efforts and podium successes in some of the races, we did not manage to improve for the first time at an event and sailed worse from day to day. As a result, we not only finished the 44Cup Nanny Cay in second-last place, but also dropped to last place in the overall standings for the year.
Outlook for the 2025 season
After the rather sobering end to the year, many discussions have taken place in the meantime. As the owner, Christian Zuerrer has decided to skip the first event in the Caribbean in order to reorganise the Black Star Sailing Team and then to return to the RC44 class in May in Sardinia.
We will use the time to gather, define goals and strategies to successfully complete the next steps. We need to become more consistent, eliminate the small mistakes and grow together as a team to gain the necessary mutual trust that is essential to become more successful.
Cape 31
An exciting new chapter is also beginning with our recently acquired Cape 31 sailing yacht. We will be taking part in the Cape 31 Med Circuit for the first time with this boat, an exciting racing series with slightly different challenges. The Cape 31 class is particularly attractive to us because the training days are less restrictive than in the RC44 class. This flexibility will allow team members who sail on both yachts to have more training and racing days and creates a platform for us to build a base for the future with young Swiss talent.
The Cape 31 will help develop our skills further and create an even broader foundation for success.
Thank you 2024 – welcome 2025!
A big thank you goes out to our partners, sponsors, fans and families who have stuck with us through all the ups and downs. Your support is our greatest motivation to continue giving our all.
We look forward to the coming year and the new challenges that await us. Together we will make 2025 a successful and unforgettable year. Thank you and have a great start to an exciting new year – your Black Star Sailing team!