diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8a23aea8c3a866778d36aa210f6e6ea34bf13066..5a4c44102b6c1484d7ba8f700f1d2c758d19740d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ find_package(GaudiProject)
 #---------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Declare project name and version
-gaudi_project(DaVinci v44r0
-              USE Analysis v20r0
-                  Stripping v12r0
+gaudi_project(DaVinci v44r1
+              USE Analysis v20r1
+                  Stripping v12r1
               DATA AppConfig VERSION v3r*
                    FieldMap VERSION v5r*
                    ParamFiles VERSION v8r*
diff --git a/ReleaseNotes/v44r1.md b/ReleaseNotes/v44r1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a25fa696f5f91ddbef39ccf245d93947473ec363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ReleaseNotes/v44r1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+2018-04-13 DaVinci v44r1
+========================
+
+Development release for 2018 data taking, prepared on the 2018-patches branch.
+It is based on Gaudi v29r3, LHCb v44r1, Lbcom v22r0p1, Rec v23r1 and Phys v25r1, Analysis v20r1 and Stripping v12r1,
+and uses LCG_93 with ROOT 6.12.06.
+
+- Removed dependency of Phys/KaliCalo in DaVinciSys/CMakeLists.txt
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!181
+- Copy Particle to RelatedInfo maps in Tesla
+  - See merge request lhcb/DaVinci!179