diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d352d45fc11fd3ed4c1be35d48dd2e3799295609..8a23aea8c3a866778d36aa210f6e6ea34bf13066 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ find_package(GaudiProject)
 #---------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Declare project name and version
-gaudi_project(DaVinci v43r1
-              USE Analysis v19r1
-                  Stripping v11r4
+gaudi_project(DaVinci v44r0
+              USE Analysis v20r0
+                  Stripping v12r0
               DATA AppConfig VERSION v3r*
                    FieldMap VERSION v5r*
                    ParamFiles VERSION v8r*
diff --git a/ReleaseNotes/v44r0.md b/ReleaseNotes/v44r0.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ca83d3030b682e531a7655b6c907f3daef14b735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ReleaseNotes/v44r0.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+2018-03-15 DaVinci v44r0
+========================
+
+Development release for 2018 data taking, prepared on the 2018-patches branch.
+
+It is based on Gaudi v29r3, LHCb v44r0, Lbcom v22r0, Rec v23r0, Phys v25r0, Analysis v20r0 and Stripping v12r0,
+and uses LCG_93 with ROOT 6.12.06.
+
+- Updated reference for S29r2 test.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!175
+- Removed test DaVinciTests/tests/qmtest/kali.qms/pi0.qmt.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!173
+- Updates and fixes to tests in DaVinciTests.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!171
+- Fixed Tesla tests for latest version of DaVinci configurable.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!162
+- Removal of Phys/KaliCalo from DaVinci.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!168
+- Fix StrippingCache for 2018-patches.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!159
+- DaVinci:minor adjustment for Turbo MC processing.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!155
+- Propagate Simulation to TurboConf.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!153
+- Test of the DTFDict.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!151
+- Trying to get TurboSP and MC with truthmatching to work.
+  - Cherry-pick MR !101 to 2018-patches branch
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!145
+- Make CaloDigit cloning behaviour consistent in Tesla.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!139
+- Validate DaVinci configuration for Turbo data.
+  - Cherry-pick MR !116 to 2018-patches branch.
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!123
+- DaVinci: set "CondDB (Upgdade=True)" for DataType='Upgrade'.
+  - See merge request !113