- “Bribon 500” dominates day 2, which saw a triple draw at the head of the fleet: between French team Louis Heckly’s “Dix Août,” Pedro Campos’ team and Iñigo Echenique’s “Caprice.”
- In the Open division, “Stella” strikes out with leadership ahead of the final day of the Spanish Championship.
- Students from the National Centre for Adapted Sailing make their début, competing close to the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo.
A close battle for victory at the 6th Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta. The second day of the 6-metre class Spanish Championship finished with an extremely tight leaderboard, with the Spanish fleet taking a strong stand in the only race held on the Ria de Pontevedra. “Bribon 500” and “Stella,” both representing the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo, were the winners of the day, which finished with a triple draw at the front of the Classics division.
The Race Committee sounded the first starting gun at 12:00h for the 6-metre categories with a north-easterly wind of between six and seven knots, on a racecourse once again situated in the Ria. However, conditions were not stable and a complete drop in the wind intensity, meant that the third race of the Championship had to be annulled.
After a race postponement of nearly two hours and with the fleet back on land waiting for conditions to pick up, at 15:15h the competition was finally re-started with a gentle westerly wind of seven knots, allowing another race in the classification to be undertaken.
© María Muiña / Regata Rey Juan Carlos
“Bribon 500” dominates day 2
Following their fifth and third place in the first two races on Friday, Pedro Campos’ “Bribon 500” headed out today, prepared for a fight, and as they proved, it couldn’t have been better. The team’s skipper explained:
“We started really well, picked up the good side and got to the first mark ahead of the fleet with `Caprice´ close by. Downwind they moved in quite close, upwind we were able to get away. It was tight right up until the end.”
Behind “Bribon 500,” second and third place went to Íñigo Echenique’s “Caprice” and Miguel Lago’s “Alibaba II,” whilst French team Louis Heckly’s “Dix Août” who started the day in first place (after their first two wins on Friday), finished seventh. Today’s results means that the leader board has fully compressed with a triple draw at the front between “Dix Août”, “Bribon 500” and “Caprice,” and “Alibaba II” in fourth, just one point from a podium position.
Everything is to be decided on the last day. In the words of Jane Abascal, competing on board Pedro Campos’ team,
“The last day of competition promises to be fun and interesting, and I think this says a lot about the fleet. It is extremely even; everyone has a chance.”
“Stella” takes the lead in the Open
A great day for Violeta Álvarez’s “Stella” in the Open division. The RCNS team, which on Friday began the competition with a second place on the leader board, drew even at four points with Patrick Monteiro’s Portuguese team “Seljm.” The team started strong and practically dominated the race from the beginning, holding their position until the end ahead of Hugo Stenbeck’s “Sophie Racing,” and Monteiro’s boat who followed them in second and third position respectively.
© María Muiña / Regata Rey Juan Carlos
Pablo Iglesias, from Vigo, sailing on board “Stella” commented,
“We actually had a really good race. Our victory puts us in the lead and with a two-point advantage, so it is looking good for tomorrow.”
“Stella” thus makes a comeback reaching the top podium position with a two-point advantage over “Seljm,” in second, and six ahead of Jeremy Thorp’s “Battlecry” in third.
Students from the Natiional Centre for Adapted Sailing return to compete in Sanxenxo
On Saturday students from the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo’s National Centre for Adapted Sailing competed in their first competition in over a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of five teams, accompanied by their monitors, competed in four races close to the club. “Dam 5” skippered by Mencía Casas took the lead with three partial victories.
Sunday, last day of the competition
The last day of the 6th Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta has two programmed races beginning at 12:00h for the 6-Metre and Adapted Sailing fleets. The prizegiving ceremony will be held at the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo village at 18:30h and brings to a close this new edition of the Spanish Championships for the Classics and Open divisions.