· Pending resolution of a protest filed over an incident with the Salseiro, those from the Club Náutico de Boiro are the virtual winners of the longest stage of the 42nd Count of Gondomar – Banco Sabadell Trophy
· The Aceites Abril of the Real Club Náutico de Vigo was the fastest boat to navigate the 95-mile round trip between Baiona and the Carrumeiro Chico, which it completed in fifteen hours and fifteen minutes
· The sailboats that compete in the trophy organized by the Monte Real Yacht Club will return to the water tomorrow, Monday, starting at noon to participate in a circumnavigation test of the Cíes and Ons islands
The Santorum & Martinez Group, from the Club Náutico de Boiro, is the virtual winner of the Carrumeiro Chico stage, the longest and most exciting of the 42nd Conde de Gondomar- Banco Sabadell Trophy, which is being held these days in the Rías Baixas.
The crew, skippered by Javier Durán, will have to wait until the protest filed due to an incident with the Salseiro of the Real Club Náutico de A Coruña is resolved tomorrow, Monday, to find out if they are finally the definitive winners of the race.
The Santorum & Martínez was the most favored boat for the compensation of times and the Aceites Abril, of the Real Club Náutico de Vigo, the fastest to complete the journey of just over 95 round trip miles between Baiona and the Carrumeiro Chico.
After leaving the bay of Baiona at ten past eleven, and after more than nine hours of sailing, the sailboat led by Luis Pérez Canal rounded the Corcubión lighthouse at half past eight and crossed the finish line at twenty-five past two in the morning, achieving a time of fifteen hours and fifteen minutes of navigation.
Barely five minutes later, Pairo 8, also from the Vigo yacht company, skippered by the young Alberto Basadre, who remained practically at the head of the race with the April Oils, finished the test.
Solventis del Monte Real also managed to complete the regatta with less than sixteen hours of navigation, with Malalo Bermúdez de Castro in the lead; Siradella de Portosín, led by Francisco Gude; and the Santorum & Martinez Group, which crossed the finish line at seven minutes past three in the morning, nearly sixteen hours after the start.
Despite the difficulty of the test, one of the toughest of the nautical competitions held in Spain, there were hardly any significant events. In addition to the incident between the Santorum & Martinez and the Salseiro, only two boats withdrew from the test, the Alma do Mar, from the Marina de Sada, which broke its rudder after touching some shallows when the Carrumeiro was about to turn; and the Marara IV, of the Rías Baixas Maritime Club, which ran out of wind and decided to start the engine.
For the rest, the test, in which only boats of the Storax ORC 0-1 and PSA Retail ORC 2-3 classes competed, was developed with winds from the northwest of between 8 and 10 knots, which shifted to the north as the evening.
The sailboats participating in the 42nd Conde de Gondomar – Banco Sabadell Trophy will return to the water tomorrow, Monday, starting at noon to participate in a circumnavigation test of the Cíes and Ons islands. In the afternoon, once the competition at sea is over, the crews will be able to taste Martin Miller and Royal Bliss gin and tonics and a seafood dinner that will be offered at the Monte Real facilities.
