· The classic event of the Monte Real Yacht Club in which more than 40 boats will participate recovers in 2022 the program of round-trip coastal regattas between the Vigo and Pontevedra estuaries linking Baiona and Combarro
· Another novelty of this competition, one of the most traditional events in the Spanish nautical calendar, is the inclusion of the windward-leeward courses that had been stopped in recent years
· The most outstanding crews from Galicia will participate in a trophy in which the J80 fleet will play, in addition to the title, a sponsorship of 7,000 euros to travel to the European class that takes place in July in French Brittany
The Monte Real Yacht Club and Repsol are putting together the classic Spring Regatta, one of the longest-running events on the Spanish nautical calendar, which this year celebrates its forty-fourth edition with the participation of more of 40 boats and novelties in its sports program.
Among the changes introduced in the competition, the first and most notable is that the round-trip coastal regattas between the Vigo and Pontevedra estuaries are recovered. The last competition with this design was held in 2016, with a navigation to Sanxenxo; and after years moving through the Vigo estuary and the Cíes and Ons archipelago, in this 2022 the Monte Real Yacht Club chose Combarro as the port of destination.
The participating crews will arrive at the picturesque town of Pontevedra from Baiona on Saturday, April 30, and a day later, on Sunday, May 1, they will make the reverse route, back to Monte Real, where the trophies of the different classes will be waiting for their respective winners.
The two coastal regattas will be held over the weekend, but the 2022 Repsol Trophy will include three more races on Friday afternoon. There will be three windward-leeward type routes in which only the J80 fleet will participate.
The return of the poles to the competition program is another novelty this year and the special prominence given to the 8-meter crews is motivated by the fact that this is one of the most numerous classes in the competitions held in Galicia, and due to the proximity of the Spanish Championship and the World Class to be held in Baiona.
Thus, the J80 that is the winner in the Spring Regatta will be sponsored with 7,000 euros by the Baiona club so that it can travel to the European class that takes place in July in French Brittany.
The Commodore of Monte Real, Ignacio Sánchez Otaegui, who is also part of the J80 fleet, assures that it is “a necessary boost for the Galician monotypes to continue growing and improving in the face of the big events in which Galicia will be the protagonist and in which we hope that our crews give the best of themselves and the best image for the world” .
This was what he said at the official presentation of the event held this Thursday in Baiona, in which Repsol’s Head of Marine and Fisheries, Inés González Megido, highlighted “The close relationship the club and the company have been able to maintain over the years to consolidate a competition as important for Galicia as the Spring Regatta” .
The president of Monte Real, José Luis Álvarez, influenced the same idea, for whom the Repsol Trophy is undoubtedly “one of the most important regattas of the club, not only because of its 44 years of life, but also because it has been with the same sponsor for more than 20 years, something unusual” that “makes us feel very proud -he said- of the trust placed by Repsol in us” .
The Repsol Trophy is part of the Monte Real “Sailing for Women” program and this will involve the participation of three crews made up exclusively of women. This boost to women in sailing was something that the General Secretary for Sport of the Xunta de Galicia highlighted in his speech. José Ramón Lete Lasa said that “the number of sports licenses grew by 12 percent last year and that of women by 33 percent, which reveals – he assured – the good work that Galician sport is doing in promoting women ” .
The increase in female crews also occupied part of the speech by the Sports Deputy of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, Gorka Gómez, who pointed out the “nice coincidence” that it will mean seeing more women than usual competing on Mother’s Day, which will be celebrate this weekend. The head of provincial sports also wanted to recognize “the enormous effort and work done by the club and the administrations to keep the sport in very good health – he said – during the COVID years”.
The person in charge of closing the official presentation of the competition was the mayor of Baiona, Carlos Gómez, who referred to the high level of competitions that Monte Real will include this year, in which it will bring to Baiona such prestigious events as the Super Series. “Our town – said the alderman – It will continue to be a clear benchmark at the international tourism level and with that ambition we work both from the club and from the town hall” .
The opening of the Repsol Trophy – 44th Spring Regatta is scheduled for this Friday at four in the afternoon, the time at which the starting horn will be given for the first of the day’s three races. On Saturday and Sunday the competition will start at noon, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for the last day at half past six in the afternoon.
REPSOL TROPHY 2022 44th SPRING REGATTA
Monte Real Yacht Club, April – May 2022
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
12:00 Regatta office: documentation and delivery of instructions
16:00 CANES – CLASS J80
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
10:00 Regatta office: documentation and delivery of instructions
12:00 COASTAL COURSE BAIONA – COMBARRO – ALL CLASSES
19:30 Tasting in Combarro
SUNDAY, MAY 1
12:00 COASTAL ROUTE COMBARRO – BAIONA – ALL CLASSES
18:30 Awards ceremony at the Monte Real Yacht Club
