18 crews compete this weekend in the Spanish Cruise Championship – Loterías y Apuestas del Estado Trophy
Butxaca (Canary Islands), Team Tac (Valencian Community) and Bullbox (Principality of Asturias), first leaders
(Information: RFEV – Photo: Victor Ramírez | What Studio)
The high level of competition on the water and the good atmosphere and camaraderie on land have been the dominant trend on the opening day of the Spanish Cruise Championship – State Lotteries and Betting Trophy.
An innovative event organized by the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation that brings together 18 crews, more than 100 people, from 12 regional federations this weekend at the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona. Butxaca (Canary Islands), Team Tac (Valencian Community) and Bullbox (Principality of Asturias) have been the best in their respective groups and are emerging as the main contenders for the national title.
The day began on land with the distribution of personalized lycras to the crews and the draw for the competition groups. Immediately afterwards, the first to compete were able to get on the one-design Figaro while the rest of the participants boarded a catamaran from which they have been able to follow the tests while waiting for their turn.
The three groups completed three tests each with a wind between 5 and 7 knots. In the first round, Joaquín Blanco’s Butxaca team from the Canary Islands won the rest of the fleet with solvency and won the passage to tomorrow’s preferred group together with Orión from Galicia.
In group 2 the victory went to the Valencian Team Tac, with Gustavo Gastaldi as skipper, while the second position, and also passed to the first group tomorrow, went to the Cantabrian Impredigital. Together with these four teams, the Asturian Bullbox, from Sabastiano Napoli, winner in their fleet, and the Basque Rat Pack, second, will also be in the group of leaders tomorrow.
Joaquín Blanco, one of the leaders of the day, has been satisfied with the organization of the Championship: “It is a fantastic idea from the federation; We have been waiting for something like this for a long time and it has been a success”. Likewise, the former Olympic sailor and now cruiser skipper and owner points out that in this regatta “almost all the autonomies are present and in addition to having a good time we are going to have a close championship”.
José Francisco Romero, skipper of the Nemox-Bnfix ship from Murcia, has also spoken in this regard: “The idea and the format seem interesting to me, the best that can be done”. As for today’s results, José, who will sail in Group 2 tomorrow, stressed that it takes time to adapt to this type of sailing and acknowledged that “there are teams that are very consistent and that’s why they manage to win.”
Tomorrow, Saturday October 8, the competition will resume by resetting the lockers and redistributing the groups. The first two of each of the groups will form group 1, the third and fourth group 2, and the fifth and sixth group 3. The same will happen for Sunday, where the final result of group one will constitute the podium of the Spanish Cruise Championship – Loterías y Apuestas del Estado 2022 Trophy.
Luis Pomar | Communication Director RFEV | comunicacion@rfev.es
Macarena Lainez | RFEV Press Officer | press@rfev.es
