Armed by the Catalan Rafael Carbonell, Rats on Fire has been one of the most outstanding references in cruise sailing for years after winning seven Conde de Godó Trophies and four Copas del Rey in addition to several Spanish and world championships.
· The very young Canarian skipper Rayco Tabares wrote his name this year in the history of sailing in Spain by having won his third world championship in the J80 class at just 32 years of age, a milestone that no other skipper had achieved so far
· The Terras Gauda National Sailing Awards will be presented on Saturday, September 3 in Baiona as part of the celebration of the 31st Prince of Asturias Trophy organized by the Monte Real Yacht Club
The Rats on Fire of the Catalan owner Rafael Carbonell and the Canarian sailor Rayco Tabares will be recognized next September in Baiona with the Terras Gauda National Sailing Awards for the best boat and skipper of the year.
The prestigious awards, which the Monte Real Yacht Club has been handing out for 24 years, coinciding with the celebration of its historic The Prince of Asturias Trophy distinguishes those people and institutions that throughout the year stood out for their human and sporting values, as well as for their work in favor of the world of sailing.
In the case of Rats on Fire, the boat has been, for years, one of the most prominent references in cruising sailing, having won seven Conde de Godó Trophies and four Copas del Rey, in addition to several Spanish and world championships. .
At the head of this Swan 45 from the Club Náutico de Arenys de Mar is Rafael Carbonell, a Catalan shipowner who has been linked to the sea for more than half his life, with whom he admits he is in love. He says that he started sailing late, but that he knew how to surround himself with the best and was able to learn everything they were teaching him.
In 2007 he decided to take over the Rats on Fire and since then he has done nothing but reap success. “When we won the first Copa del Rey, we hardly believed it,” he says. and from then on other regattas and other victories have followed one another. We always put the maximum in the preparation of the boat and each test, and it seems that we do not do badly at all “.
Carbonell shows himself, always modestly, proud of his triumphs but, above all, of his crew, of whom he speaks wonders. He says that more than a team, they are already a family, “the Rats family” , and that part of the success they have achieved so far is due to the good relationship that exists between all of them, since they enjoy what they do enormously.
An outstanding member of that crew is Rayco Tabares, from the Canary Islands, who will receive the Terras Gauda National Sailing Award for the best skipper. In 2016, the man from Lanzarote wrote his name in the history of sailing in Spain having achieved, at just 32 years of age, his third world championship in the J80 class, a milestone that no one had achieved so far.
Since he started sailing in Optimist at the age of 6, Tabares has touched practically all the clubs. He has sailed in Cadet, in Snipe, he has directed a 470 Olympic project, he has reached the top in J80 and, while he already thinks about sailing in new classes, he continues to score victories with great boats like Rats on Fire, with which he has won various Count of Godó and Copas del Rey.
This sailor, skipper, tactician and coach now also adds a new distinction to his resume as an athlete, the Terras Gauda National Sailing Award for the best skipper of the year, which he will collect on 3 September in Baiona as part of the celebration of the Prince of Asturias Trophy, in which he plans to sail.
24 years rewarding the best in the sailing world
The Terras Gauda National Sailing Awards are one of the most prestigious awards on the Spanish nautical scene. For 24 years, the Monte Real Yacht Club of Bayonne has delivered them to those people and institutions that stand out for their human and sporting values, as well as for their work in favor of the world of sailing.
In the last edition, Chuny Bermúdez was awarded as the best ocean sailor and Álex Pella as the best solo ocean sailor. Astilleros Lago received an honorary award as pioneer of the Spanish nautical industry and Fundación Repsol was distinguished as the best sponsor of the year.
The Mariano Aguado communication award went to Juan Pablo Cadario, for his blog JuanpaNews; and Fifty, Movistar and Solventis won the prizes for the best boats in the ORC 0-1, ORC 2-3 and amateur team categories, respectively.
( Photos: 1 © Nico Martinez / 2 © Alfred Farré / 3 © María Muíña / 4 © María Muíña )
