· The J80 built by Juan Carlos Ameneiro and skippered by the former Spanish 8-meter champion was placed this Friday at the head of the Repsol Trophy, the 44th Monte Real Club de Yachts Spring Regatta
· The 8-meter sailboats were the only ones that competed on the first day of the competition, in which the scarce wind only allowed the celebration of one of the three scheduled tests
· Tomorrow, Saturday, we will see the entire fleet on the water, more than forty crews that will compete in a coastal route of about 23 miles between Baiona and Combarro
Javier Aguado’s Alboroto was placed at the head of the Repsol Trophy this Friday after winning the first and only test that could be played on the opening day of the competition organized by the Monte Real Yacht Club.
The sailboat armed by Juan Carlos Ameneiro and skippered by the former Spanish champion of the class, sailed the double windward-leeward course designed by the regatta committee in a very solid way, always at the head of the fleet, without giving a second of truce to its rivals.
Manel Cunha’s Marías and Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen chased him tirelessly throughout the route, approaching him on multiple occasions, but although the distances were minimal at times, and despite both knowing how to read the wind very well and not they failed in the maneuvers, neither one was able to overcome it.
Thus, the Alboroto is the first leader of the Repsol Trophy, a trophy that did not get off to a very good start due to the wind, which only allowed the holding of one of the three tests scheduled in the program. The sleeve was disputed with about 5 knots on average, even reaching 6, but little by little the wind dropped and it did not allow more tests to be put into play.
After Alboroto go Marías and Okofen, second and third respectively; and Manuel Jiménez’s Solventis and Chisco Catalán’s Hullmaxx close the ranking of the top five in a competition that still has two days to go.
The J80s were the undisputed stars of the day as they were the only ones to compete on this first day of the Repsol Trophy – 44th Spring Regatta. The 8 meters have more tests than the rest in this year’s competition as a formula for imposing the fleet ahead of the Spanish Championship that will be held next September in Baiona and the World Cup that the Galician fishing village will host in 2023.
In addition to the three trophies that will be awarded to the top finishers, the monotypes are also eligible for a special prize of 7,000 euros with which Monte Real will sponsor the trip and the competition of the winning boat to the European class to be held in July in France.
On the second day of the trophy, which will begin at twelve noon this Saturday, we will be able to see the entire fleet on the water. The more than 40 registered will fight on a route of about 23 miles to Combarro. Among the participants, a whole cast of boats with high-level sailors who will guarantee the show in the Rías Baixas.
One of the winners of the previous edition, the Portuguese Rui Ramada, will go out on the water with the aim of winning a new trophy, although this time in the A Two category, in which he will compete aboard the Yess together with Óscar González Peixoto . They will face off against teams like those from Salaño Dos, led by Jacobo Vecino and Brenda Maure, recent winners of the Comunica Trophy; or the Vagalume, by Luis Vidal and Eva Fernández.
Ramada will no longer be a rival to beat in the ORC competition, in which there will be crews as powerful as those of the Aceites Abril of the brothers Luis and Jorge Pérez Canal; or the Magical by Julio Rodríguez, both from the Real Club Náutico de Vigo. The Portuguese Ifaclinic.com, by Joao Allen, from the Yacht Clube do Porto; the Bon III of Víctor Carrión, of the Club Náutico Punta Lagoa; Deep Blue 2.1 by Vicente Cid, from the Real Club Náutico de Vigo; or Victor Álvarez’s Nahela, from Club Deportivo Alagua, will be other teams that we will see tomorrow heading to Combarro.
The 6 Beneteau Figaros that the Monte Real Yacht Club brings out to competition with crews made up of students from its Sailing School, including some exclusively female, will compete within the ORC class, but will also be eligible for prizes as a specific category.
Once this test is over, the only one of the day, the Repsol Trophy will still have one last day ahead of it, on the Sunday of the first of May, in which the boats will be measured by completing the reverse route, from Combarro to Baiona.
REPSOL TROPHY 2022 44th SPRING REGATTA
Provisional classification after the first day (only for J80)
J80 CLASS
1. ALBOROTO · JAVIER AGUADO · MRCYB · 1 POINT
2. MARÍAS MANEL CUNHA MRCYB 2 POINTS
3. OKOFEN · JAVIER DE LA GANDARA · MRCYB · 3 POINTS
4. SOLVENTIS MANUEL JIMÉNEZ MRCYB 4 POINTS
5. HULLMAXX CATALAN CHISCO MRCYB 5 POINTS
The rest of the classes (also including the J80) will go out to compete tomorrow, Saturday, on a coastal route between Baiona and Combarro that will start at noon.
