Tag: Vigo

Posted on

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS : ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES BAIONA SAILING WEEK

 

FINAL SUMMARY ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES BAIONA SAILING WEEK

RACE 5 (05/28/22)

FINAL REGATTA (28/05/22)

RACE 4 (05/27/22)

DAY 5 (05/27/22)

RACE 3 (05/26/22)

DAY 4 (05/26/22)

RACE 2 (05/25/22)

DAY 3 (05/25/22)

RACE 1 (05/24/22)

DAY 2 (05/24/22)

DAY 1 (05/23/22)

OFFICIAL PRESENTATION (05/20/22)

BAIONA WILL OPEN THE SEASON OF THE 52 SUPER SERIES (11/11/21)

TEASER ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES BAIONA SAILING WEEK (04/05722)

TRAILER 52 SUPER SERIES IN BAIONA (05/13/22)

 

Posted on

Quantum Racing, embrace the win

 

· The American team won the only event held on the fourth and penultimate day of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · BAIONA SAILING WEEK

Quantum leads the provisional classification with four points ahead of Platoon, which is second, and seven points ahead of Phoenix, which is third

· A collision between the Gladiator and the Sled at the start ended with the withdrawal of both boats from the test leaving the fleet reduced to seven boats

· The competition organized by the Monte Real Yacht Club will experience its last day of tests tomorrow and will award the prizes to the winners

With the end of the competition just around the corner and only two more races pending, the Quantum Race is about to win the victory of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week, which since the past Monday is celebrated in the Rías Baixas under the organization of the Monte Real Yacht Club.

This Friday, on the fourth and penultimate day of the competition, the 52 SUPER SERIES fleet showed that they also know how to compete and create a show in light winds. With an intensity below ten knots and under the influence of unusual heat, the crews moved with the lightest breeze of the whole week and could only contest one race, since the second round of the day did not take place for lack of wind

The American Quantum Racing was the winner and will face the last day of competition at the head of the provisional classification, with a four-point advantage over the German Platoon, a minimum income among a fleet so evenly matched.

The crews go for it all in this final stretch of the Baiona Sailing Week – Photo © Nico Martínez

As in the previous day, the breeze delayed the first departure until after two in the afternoon, but this time it arrived with a range of 8-9 knots, the lowest of the week. An incident between Gladiator and Sled at the start caused the collision and subsequent withdrawal of both, resulting in a black flag for the British team, which scored ten points plus three penalties. The American received 4.5 repair points, but was left without enjoying this seventh round of the championship.

A great start by Quantum Racing to the left of the field allowed the leader to initially take the lead. It soon became clear that the pressure was on the right side of the pitch, and the entire climb to the first mark was concentrated in that area of the pitch. Platoon came in the lead at the first passing point of the course, followed closely by the intense battle between Quantum Racing and Phoenix.

Crossover between the Quantum and the Platoon in the only race held this Friday – Photo © Nico Martínez

The turning point of this seventh round was in the decision of where to start the first downwind section, and here Quantum Racing was right when they went to the left in search of better speed and angle to get ahead and dominate the rest of the Test.

After a brief wait in the water, and given the evidence that the minimum conditions to compete would no longer exist, the main regatta officer María Torrijo decided to end the day and sent the fleet back to the pontoons of Monte Real Bayonne Yacht Club.

The sun plummeted on this penultimate day and the wind blew lightly – Photo © Nico Martínez

There, at the facilities of the club that organizes the competition with the sponsorship of ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through Xacobeo, the crews were able to enjoy a special dinner on an evening that included a live musical performance; and the tents set up by Terras Gauda, Martin Miller’s Gin, Estrella Galicia and Coren.

The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week is decided this Saturday. The forecast indicates a wind that has not been seen all week, with a south-westerly component and intensities around 14-15 knots. This new scenario poses new challenges for the fleet and adds drama to the final day, scheduled for two rounds.

The Quantum Race crew getting closer to victory – Photo © Nico Martínez

Three teams start with mathematical options to share the positions on the first Galician podium in the history of the circuit: Quantum Racing, owned by Doug De Vos, leads with 17 points and a magnificent card that includes three partial victories and a fifth worst result, followed by four points behind Harm Müller Spreer’s Platoon and seven points behind Hasso Plattner’s Phoenix.

In a regatta without discards, the pressure is maximum between the crews to avoid mistakes that could ruin the work of the whole week. The identity of the winner of the first of the five events of the 52 SUPER SERIES 2022 will be revealed in an afternoon in which the trophies will also be presented to the winners. It will be at five in the afternoon.

 

Provisional classification ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

1- QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+5+1+2+3+1+1 = 17
2- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller Spreer, 5+1+2+4+4+2+3= 21
3- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso and Tina Plattner, 1+3+3+1+8+6+2 = 24
4- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin and Gwen Fragomen, 6+4+4+6+2+9+4 = 35
5- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 2+2+8+5+5+7+7 = 36
6- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 3+6+5+7+7+4+4.5 = 36.5
7- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 9+7+6+3+9+3+5 = 42
8- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 7+8+7+8+1+8+10 (DSQ) +3 = 52
9- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10 (DNF)+10 (DNS)+10 (DNS)+6+5+6 = 55

Statements of the day

María Torrijo (ESP), Principal Regatta Officer:

“It was easier than I thought. The wind has always been the other way around: the first of the day was weaker and the second was good. Today I doubted at first whether to start at 2:00 p.m. or wait a bit thinking that the strongest wind could come, but my sixth sense told me: ‘girl, start, put one in your pocket, we never know what it can happen’, and indeed, I have been very lucky, because that regatta has been good. There were roles, but a little less than yesterday, and it wasn’t very intense but enough to compete. For the second, it simply died: four different winds entered and it was very easy to decide to return to land. Tomorrow the wind is forecast from the southwest and 14-15 knots early. We will start at 1:00 p.m. and we will try to do two heats”

Pedro Mas (ESP), Interlodge bow (USA):

“The southern part of the field was very calm today and calm was coming towards us, we saw it coming. Today we have had 8-9 knots, even a little more. From 7 knots we can sail. Each wind has its story: with more than 20 knots you have your problems and with less than ten you have your other problems. But we can adapt the boat to each condition: we have high and low wind mainsails, specific sails for each type of wind. The regatta field has been very complicated every day, the issue is to get out well and see the pressure quickly, before anyone else. Then there is the luck factor, that sometimes you go behind, you play it to one side and it hits you, and sometimes it doesn’t. The key is to always start well and ride in the top three.”

 

Posted on

Quantum Racing, new leader at Baiona Sailing Week

 

· The American team rose to the top of the provisional classification of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week after chaining a new day with the best results in the fleet

· The Quantum Racing crew will face the last two stages of the competition, scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, with a two-point advantage over the German Platoon and six over the South African Phoenix

The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week crossed its equator this Thursday with a day in which two new tests were held in a regatta field located in front of the Cíes Islands. The American team Quantum Racing was the clear winner of the day after taking both heats and moving to the top of the provisional standings.

After completing three days and six races, and with the last two stages of the competition organized by the Monte Real Club de Yates remaining, the American Quantum Racing will face the second part of the regatta with two points ahead of the German Platoon and six over the South African Phoenix, who are second and third respectively.

The TP52 fleet off the coast of Vigo – Photo Nico Martínez

In the third phase played this Wednesday, the wind was slow to establish itself in the Vigo estuary and the fleet had to wait until almost three in the afternoon to take to the pitch. El Alegre crossed the line early and was forced to repeat the start while his rivals began to spread out on the field.

The Gladiator owned by the British owner Tony Langley, who this week has the Spaniard Xabi Fernández on board, soon showed the bow by betting on the right of the field, but it was the Thai Vayu who came in first at the first buoy pass, and the Gladiator who finally finished first. They were followed at the finish line by the Americans Interlodge and Quantum Racing.

Gladiator winner of the first round – Photo Nico Martinez

For the second leg of the day, the wind rose above 15 knots. The Gladiator attempted to repeat the choreography of the previous test, but was kicked off the start line by the Interlodge and had to return to start the course from the tail of the pack.

The best on the climb to the first buoy was Quantum Racing and the rest of the race ended up being a recital by the American boat, skippered in Baiona by its owner Doug DeVos and with the tactics of the America’s Cup expert, Terry Hutchinson.

A change of route in the middle of the test did not affect the performance of the quadruple champion of the 52 SUPER SERIES, who signed a resounding victory to consolidate a well-deserved leadership. They were followed on arrival by the Platoon and the Alegre.

Quantum Race leader of the Baiona Sailing Week – Photo Nico Martinez

Looking ahead to the fourth day of competition of the 52 SUPER SERIES in the waters of Galicia, Quantum Racing leads the provisional with two points ahead of the German Platoon and six over Phoenix, which lost two positions in the most discreet day of the week (8+6).

The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week is held at the Monte Real Club de Yates with the sponsorship of ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through the Xacobeo until Saturday. Before the awards ceremony scheduled for that final day, the crews will be able to enjoy a dinner offered by the organizing club in the regatta village, where Terras Gauda, Martin Miller’s Gin, Estrella Galicia and Coren tents are set up. among other.

 

Provisional classification ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

1- QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+5+1+2+3+1 = 16
2- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller Spreer, 5+1+2+4+4+2= 18
3- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso and Tina Plattner, 1+3+3+1+8+6 = 22
4- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 2+2+8+5+5+7 = 29
5- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin and Gwen Fragomen, 6+4+4+6+2+9 = 31
6- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 3+6+5+7+7+4 = 32
7- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 9+7+6+3+9+3 = 37
8- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 7+8+7+8+1+8 = 39
9- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10 (DNF)+10 (DNS)+10 (DNS)+6+5 =49

 

Statements of the day

Xabi Fernández (ESP), Gladiator crew member (USA):

“The day has been much better. We know that no two days are the same, and although we haven’t made any changes, the truth is that the boat has been better today. We make the training of the week profitable, I think that the owners sail so little that they improve day by day. Today was a slightly easier day. Paul (Goodison, tactician) wanted to fight a little more on the right than we had in the previous days, and we made a great start on the good side. When you go ahead, everything is much easier. In the second round we wanted to do the same but we couldn’t, because Interlodge closed the place for us and we left late, but without going to a comfortable place we managed to go with the fleet and fight. We have made an eighth, which is not a good result, but the positive part is that we have been in the fight “

Luca Calabrese (USA), Quantum Racing (USA) strategist:

“A difficult day, with little wind. Luckily we were able to read the conditions well before the first regatta and know what we had to do, so we’re happy to get to the top of the standings. But this bay is very difficult. In the second we had the discussion on board about which side of the line to exit from, and in the end we decided to try to jump over the pin, over the fleet, and it ended up working. But nervous all the way to the right side of the field. The route was quite flawed until reaching the right side of the field, because everyone wanted to do the same “

Santiago Lange (ARG), helmsman of Provezza (TUR):

“The ship is a barge, very nice to steer, to feel and coordinate with the crew. The regattas are super entertaining, as I always experienced as a tactician and in any position. The fact of having broken the boat and today running without being able to reach the maximum gross tension is not easy. With my new job as helmsman I have adapted very easily: I don’t feel that we are making bad starts, we are doing well. It is not easy, because we have a tension limit, but we will continue working on the trim of the mast and the mainsail to be able to navigate better in these conditions”

 

Posted on

The Phoenix strikes again at the Baiona Sailing Week

 

· The second day of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week allowed the TP52 fleet to unleash its full potential and offer a magnificent sailing show of the highest level in the Vigo estuary

Two fast and exciting tests were held in ideal weather conditions and the South African Phoenix returned to the Monte Real Club de Yates with a reaffirmed leadership and a four-point lead over the second

· A growing fleet of spectator boats enjoyed live the magic of the best international monohull circuit, which throughout the week turns the Rías Baixas into the world center of sailing

Second and intense day in the waters of the Vigo estuary for the spectacular TP52. The fleet of the ABANCA 52 Super Series · Baiona Sailing Week, organized by the Monte Real Club de Yates, completed two new tests this Wednesday at the regatta course located in front of the Cíes Islands, and it did so quickly as it had some unbeatable wind conditions.

With a total of four tests accumulated in the pigeonholes, Phoenix continues to lead the standings, now followed by Quantum Racing, which has significantly improved its results from the first day, and Platoon, which occupies the third place on the provisional podium.

The new ration of two races held this Wednesday allowed the crews to enjoy a wind that at times exceeded 20 knots of intensity, combined with little waves and a sun that cut out the silhouette of the boats on the magnificent background of the islands Cies.

The Turkish Provezza, who suffered a broken stay on the first day of racing, was unable to recover from her injuries and reduced the fleet to eight boats.

The crew of the Phoenix gave it their all on the water today – Photo © Rosana Calvo

After two days and four disputed races, the provisional of the first event of the 52 SUPER SERIES 2022 is still headed by the South African Phoenix of Hasso Plattner, with four points ahead of the tie between the American Quantum Racing of Doug DeVos and the German Platoon by Harm Muller Spreer.

A growing fleet of spectator boats enjoyed live the magic of the best international monohull circuit, which throughout the week turns the Rías Baixas into the world center of sailing.

The dispute is maximum between the crews – Photo Nico Martínez

Hard-fought victory for Quantum Racing

The third scoring test of the week, the first this Wednesday, began with 16-17 knots of northwest wind and a wind direction that varied up to 20 degrees in its little more than 50 minutes of duration. An unstable environment that put the skill of the crews to the test and allowed interesting changes of position throughout the test.

The best at the start was the American Interlodge, who managed to lead the fleet in the first half of the course. But in the second section against the wind, Quantum Racing took advantage of a role of the wind to take the lead and did not give up the lead until achieving its first partial victory of the season. Second on the finish line was Platoon, followed by a Phoenix that staged a spectacular comeback from the last position with which he mounted the first buoy on the course.

The Phoenix passing the buoy first – Photo © Rosana Calvo

New Phoenix Demo

The second test of the day started with winds well above 20 knots. On this occasion, the Briton Alegre made the best start from the far left of the line, staying in the lead until Quantum Racing came from the right to take the lead at the first mark. The fast stern was taken advantage of by Phoenix to overtake the American boat and take the lead in passing through the equator of the course, a position that it would not abandon until signing its second partial victory of the week. The South African boat has earned the status of rival to beat in Galician waters, and seems to have extra speed in all kinds of conditions. They were followed at the finish line by Quantum Racing and Alegre.

ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Quantum Racing, the best of the day

A first and a second allowed Quantum Racing to return to Baiona with the best card of the day and rise from fifth to second place in the provisional standings. In his debut in Galician waters, the quadruple champion of the 52 SUPER SERIES could not get past the middle of the table on the opening day (4+5), but the rise in wind intensity seemed to suit the armed and helmed boat by Doug DeVos, who is assisted on board by tactician Terry Huchinson, skipper of the American America’s Cup team. Hutchinson is recognized as a lover of the environment that hosts this week the 52 SUPER SERIES: “This race course is impressive. I came here many, many years ago to train with the illbruck round-the-world program and I remember how beautiful it was. It’s an awesome place to haggle.”.

The most controversial moment of the day with extremely tight maneuvers in close proximity – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The village of Monte Real enlivens the afternoons of the Baiona Sailing Week

Every afternoon the village of Monte Real brings together participants, shipowners, sponsors and collaborators in the nerve center of the social activity of the regatta, where attendees can enjoy music and tastings by Coren, Estrella Galicia, Terras Gauda and Martin Miller .

This Wednesday, in addition, the Board of Directors of the Baiona club invited the owners of the nine participating teams to a dinner with typical products of the land, while on Friday, at the end of the penultimate day of regatta, the long-awaited crew dinner will be held .

The final touch of the social agenda of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week, organized by the Monte Real Club de Yates with the sponsorship of ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through the Xacobeo, will be the delivery of trophies, scheduled for this next Saturday afternoon.

Spectators by boat and from the nearby mountains enjoyed the beauty of the competition – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Provisional classification ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

1- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso and Tina Plattner, 1+3+3+1 = 8
2- QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+5+1+2 = 12
3- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller Spreer, 5+1+2+4= 12
4- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 2+2+8+5 = 17
5- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin and Gwen Fragomen, 6+4+4+6 = 20
6- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 3+6+5+7 = 21
7- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 9+7+6+3 = 25
8- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 7+8+7+8 = 30
9- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10 (DNF)+10 (DNS)+10 (DNS) = 38

The fleet on the last leg of the day – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Statements of the day

Cameron Dunn (NZL), Phoenix (RSA) Tactician:

“We made a lot of mistakes in the first half of the first race, but then we got it right in the second and that’s how it all worked out. The second race was really impressive: the boat was going really fast, and once we got into the lead we managed to break away. We have confidence in ourselves, our crew work is good, and we know that three very difficult days await us, with little wind, and in this fleet that can be very hard”

Javier Plaza (ESP), Platoon trimmer (GER):

“It was a good day for us, with a second and a fourth: I think that if we finish in the top four in all the races, we have a good chance of winning the championship. Today we had a bit of luck on the second beat of the first regatta, with a left hand roll. In the second we did not go very well, we rode the first passage through the buoy sixth, but in the end we were fourth. I hope we get a few days with a little less wind, because I think the boat goes a little better with less intensity. But this is a long-distance race: we are scoring points for the end of the season, to try to win the league and the world championship”

Joan Vila (ESP), Interlodge navigator (USA):

“It was a day of typical north wind from the bay of Vigo, excellent conditions, very beautiful. In the second regatta we had about 20 knots on average, with gusts of 22, sometimes going down to 17. Perfect conditions for sailing. The key is to do the little things well, not to fail at anything, and the most important thing is consistency in the results; It seems that at the moment Phoenix has it, it is going very fast and they are doing things very well. In the first two days of the regatta, the field has not had a clear side, and that is very good because it gives you opportunities, it gives you possibilities to pass other boats at any stern and upwind. It is not a place where a caravan is formed and everyone goes to the same place because there is a geographical role”

Francesco Bruni (ITA), Sled tactician (USA):

“Today’s conditions have served as training for Cascais. For our team the most important thing is to learn what works for you in Cascais in strong winds. An interesting route, it does not have a clearly favored side. It is also interesting to see how Phoenix have stepped up this week and understand what they have done again, because they have impressive performance.

Posted on

The Thai Vayu surprises at the premiere of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

 

· The last team to join the circuit of the prestigious 52 SUPER SERIES gave a surprise this Tuesday by placing second tied with the leader

Hasso Platner’s South African Phoenix is first in the provisional classification thanks to some risky decisions that led him to take different paths from the rest of the fleet

Despite the fact that the start of the tests had to be delayed for an hour due to lack of wind, the Rías Baixas finally offered the fleet splendid conditions for sailing

Spectacular start of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week. The Galician Rías Baixas lived this afternoon with great expectation the first tests of the competition that arrived in Galicia at the hands of the Monte Real Club de Yates and thanks to the sponsorship of ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through the Xacobeo.

Start of the first test of the day in the Rías Baixas – Photo © Rosana Calvo

After the official practices on Monday, the appointment with the TP52 took a more serious turn this Tuesday with the entry into play of the first scores and the surprise of the day was given by the Thai boat Vayu, debutant on the circuit. The Thais had an exceptional performance in Galician waters and left much more experienced teams behind.

Led by Don Whitcraft and with the tactics of the British Olympic medalist Nick Rogers, the team reinforced its crew in Baiona with the incorporation of Antonio “Ñeti” Cuervas-Mons, who lives in Vigo.

“The key today has been that we have had a couple of very good starts that have allowed us to be in the leading group at the first mark, and from then on it is easier to maintain that position. The tactician has read the course very well, especially in the first sterns, always going to the right, but above all it should be noted that Don, the helmsman, has handled the boat like a true professional. Today he has had nothing to envy the other skippers, he has taken the boat that gives pleasure”, explained Cuervas-Mons at the end of the regatta.

The TP52s fought hard for victory – Photo Nico Martínez

The debut of the 52 SUPER SERIES in Galician waters was a complete success. The regatta area located at the entrance to the Vigo estuary presented very good northwesterly wind conditions that made it possible to hold the first two races of the ten that make up the program in Baiona. The contest began with winds of 8-9 knots at the start of the first heat of the day and increased to 13-14 at the start of the second, always with practically flat seas, ideal conditions for the TP52 competition.

Despite Vayu’s surprise, the first test of the season was quite a show of strength for Hasso Platner’s Phoenix. Olympic champion Tom Slingsby, tactician for the South African boat, knew how to read a race course unprecedented on the circuit better than his rivals when he pointed to the right side of the course against the decision of the rest of the fleet to go to the left.

The TP52 fleet sailing past the Cíes Islands – Photo © Rosana Calvo

After an initial few minutes led by Interlodge at the head of the bulk of the field, Phoenix emerged from the opposite end of the field and took the lead midway through the first stage to start a rare breakout in the 52 SUPER SERIES arena. More than two minutes of advantage in the finish line confirmed the candidacy of the Phoenix to the group of favorites in this start of the season.

Second came the Vayu of the Whitcraft family, the great surprise in Baiona. The Thai boat was at the head of the chasing group from the first pass through the buoy and knew how to defend itself from the attacks of rivals with more experience in the circuit, signing a solid second ahead of the winner of the 52 SUPER SERIES 2021 and current world champion of TP52, the American Sled, who today recovered his owner Takashi Okura at the helm.

Despite having to postpone the start of the competition for an hour, the conditions were finally very good – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The second round of the day went to Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon, who opted for the right side of the field, an area that was once again the winning bet of the day, although not as decisive as in the previous test. The tandem formed by the American tactician John Kostecki and the Mallorcan strategist Jordi Calafat managed to make up for the discreet fifth of the first assault with a valuable victory that allowed him to rise to third place in the provisional standings.

Behind the German boat, Phoenix and Vayu staged an exciting duel for second place, which opted for the Thai boat by only three seconds at the finish line. The sum of the two partials of the day allowed Phoenix (1+3) to return to Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona (MRCYB) as the first leader of the season, tied on points with Vayu (2+2).

The action of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week returns tomorrow, Wednesday, Wednesday, starting at one in the afternoon, with the first tests. Prior to the competition, moments of relaxation in the village of Monte Real, with breakfasts and meetings of the crews and technical teams; and in the afternoon, at the end of the tests, the village opens again for tastings of Terras Gauda, Martin Miller’s Gin, Estrella Galicia and Coren, among others.

The boats that opted for the right side of the field, such as the Platoon, benefited most – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Provisional classification ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailing Week

1- PHOENIX (RSA), Hasso and Tina Plattner, 1+3=4
2- VAYU (THA), Whitcraft Family, 2+2 = 4
3- PLATOON (GER), Harm Müller Spreer, 5+1= 6
4- SLED (USA), Takashi Okura, 3+6=9
5- QUANTUM RACING (USA), Doug DeVos, 4+5=9
6- INTERLODGE (USA), Austin and Gwen Fragomen, 6+4=10
7- GLADIATOR (GBR), Tony Langley, 7+8=15
8- ALEGRE (GBR), Andy Soriano, 9+7=16
9- PROVEZZA (TUR), Ergin Imre, 8+10=18

Statements of the day

Antonio Cuervas Mons (ESP), Vayu grinder (THA):

“It is a complex course that does not usually host regattas, but it is really spectacular: With conditions like those of today’s second regatta, it is a regatta course that is difficult to improve, with about 15 knots, flat sea, and above all in an environment as incredible as the Cíes Islands and the Vigo estuary. On days like today, there are few places in the world that can beat it.”

Víctor Mariño (ESP), Platoon trimmer (GER):

“The first one didn’t go well, they squashed us quickly, in the first two decisions we weren’t right and we had to come back. It is a difficult course, in all these races the first quarter of the race is everything, you have to make the decision where to go, the course is very open and even for the locals it is not easy. It all depends on that first room. In the first one we were a little scared because it was the beginning of the day, and sometimes the right doesn’t pay that much, but by the time we wanted to change to the right it was too late. In the second, with the wind already established, we had a very clear right and we were right, but we had to fight a lot. A little strange days, but that’s the beauty of this place.

Paul Wilcox (RSA), Phoenix (RSA) mainsail trimmer:

“I think we’re picking up where we left off last year, which is good. The boat is running well and this new keel fin seems to be doing what it is supposed to. And we have some new candles, which always helps. Today was all about linking up the roles, there was a very gusty breeze and Tom (Slingsby, tactician) did a good job. I think we have a little confidence. We know that we can do well, that we have good boat speed. We have been practicing maneuvers, penalties, spinnaker changes. We have confidence in him (Slingsby) and he has confidence in us. This is very important, people make an effort and do their job very well”.

Terry Hutchinson (USA), tactician for Quantum Racing (USA):

“It has been quite a challenge. Today we did a fourth and a fifth. It is a difficult place to navigate. At the first mark of the second regatta we were third, halfway through the course we were last and we were fifth again. The disappointing thing about the second race is that we started pretty well and failed on the first stern, but we weren’t the only ones so you feel better about that. But you want to be perfect in all your decisions. In that sense, it is a very complicated course, with many challenges and we were not aggressive enough. Our room is representative that we play it too safe. Phoenix has played well, they bet on the right and that’s where they left. We didn’t come out of the water with a good feeling, but we probably didn’t lose the race today and there is a lot to play for on that race course. It’s complicated and very subtle.”

 

 

Posted on

“With the arrival of the SUPER SERIES, Monte Real returns to the path of international circuits”

“We will see who wins the competition. The best will win, for sure. But those of us who have already won with the arrival of the 52 SUPER SERIES are the club, Baiona and Galicia”

“Bringing Baiona to the TP52s means fulfilling one of the most important commitments I made to the partners I represent. It is a dream come true”

“We are a club with small facilities but we have a very good human team, with long and proven experience in organizing events”

 

Alejandro Retolaza (left), vice president; and José Luis Álvarez (right), president of the MRCYB – Photo © Rosana Calvo

 

One of José Luis Álvarez’s commitments to the members of the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona when he assumed the presidency of the club was to once again organize an international regatta at the highest level. The Baionese club, one of the most prolific in terms of sports on the Spanish nautical scene, had been organizing all kinds of competitions practically since its creation, but international events had been significantly reduced in its program of events.

This changed in 2020, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, when in a press conference with masks and safety distances, the club announced that it had managed to become the venue for the 52 SUPER SERIES. After months of negotiations and hard work to meet all the requirements demanded by the organization, Monte Real finally achieved the goal of bringing Baiona to the prestigious TP52.

The date of the event was set for the summer of 2021, but the complications derived from the coronavirus forced it to be postponed for a year, a period that the club took advantage of to seek financial support. He found them in two regular collaborators of Monte Real, the financial entity ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through Xacobeo, who decided to join the adventure.

 

The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – BAIONA SAILING WEEK will be held from May 23 to 28 – Photo © Rosana Calvo

 

Thus, the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – BAIONA SAILING WEEK was born, destined to put Galicia back in the spotlight of world attention, in which it had not stood out since the start of the Sailing Tour of the World from Vigo, in 2005.

Today, 17 years after that milestone, Galicia once again writes a new page in the history of sailing with the celebration of the Super Series, something that fills the president of Monte Real with pride, with whom we spoke a few hours after the start the competition.

 

What does the arrival of the 52 SUPER SERIES mean for the club in general and for you in particular?

For the Club it represents returning to the path of the great international circuits. For me in particular, fulfilling one of the most important commitments with the partners I represent. Of course, with the invaluable work of my colleagues on the Board of Directors.

The club has been organizing multiple regattas throughout its history, its calendar is today one of the most complete of the Spanish clubs, but the truth is that it has been a long time since they organized a competition at this level. How do you take on this challenge?

With great enthusiasm and optimism. Organizing an event of these characteristics is complex. And it also requires significant resources. We must not forget that we have gone through a series of years of economic crisis and that the priorities were different.

What do you expect from Baiona Sailing Week? What are we going to find at the event?

I expect a great event for the world of sailing. The fact of having among us the best sailors in the world with the best boats in their category, will make all fans and non-fans of this sport enjoy a few unparalleled days.

The president of the Monte Real Yacht Club of Baiona, José Luis Álvarez, together with the TP52 – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Organizing a competition of this type involves great organizational, economic, logistical, personnel complications… Was Monte Real prepared for the arrival of the SUPER SERIES or did they have to make a special effort? What have been the biggest difficulties?

That’s right, I’m sure we all understand how complex it is to organize this type of competition. It is also true that the MRCYB human team has a long and accredited experience in organizing events of the highest level. As you know, we are a Club with small facilities. Space is a handicap that we find ourselves with, but we use everything we have to the millimeter. Regarding the economic section, we have the collaboration of the sponsors. They make these events possible. From here, my thanks on behalf of all the members of the Club.

It is not the first time that ABANCA and the Xunta de Galicia support them in their initiatives. They have been collaborating hand in hand for years, in a period in which getting sponsorships is not as easy as it used to be. What does the club offer its collaborators so that they continue betting on it?

Both ABANCA and the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Tourism through Xacobeo), as well as the Pontevedra Provincial Council and the Baiona City Council have been and are a very important support throughout these years. When the MRCYB organizes events of these characteristics, we think of the enormous repercussion that projecting our companies abroad has. There is no doubt that putting our Galician community and the Rias Baixas in particular in the international spotlight has a very direct impact on tourism with high purchasing power. This benefits us all.

Along with you, one of the key figures in the organization of the event has been, without a doubt, the club’s vice president, Alejandro Retolaza, who has been involved from the greatest to the smallest details. Tell us, how does the Álvarez-Retolaza tandem work?

I would not have enough space to express what the figure of Vice President Retolaza represents not only for me, but for the Club. The communication and communion of ideas with him is so fluid that sometimes we are surprised. It seems that we think the same things at the same moment. He knows the Club down to the last corner and in matters of logistics, he is always ahead of all of us. Every day I learn something new with him. In this sense, I also want to highlight the sincere commitment that the Board of Directors has with the Club. A team that dedicates many hours and many days of the year to develop the different areas as much as possible. I think I have people by my side who give their best and I always say that they make everything flow with great professionalism. For me a gift.

In recent days there has been a lot of talk about the astronomical figures on which the event revolves, in which boats of 2.5 million euros participate with sports campaigns that exceed one million euros… but we are more interested in knowing the economic impact that going to have in Baiona and its region. There is talk of more than 2 million euros. Is it a realistic figure?

So is. From my point of view and knowing the figures that we usually manage for each person who in one way or another participates in the event, that figure will probably be exceeded.

To finish, we would like you to “get wet” and tell us which team or teams are your favorites and who you think will win in Baiona. Do you dare?

I, like everyone else, have my favourites, but the level of the sailors is so high that I don’t dare to make a prediction. Any of them could be, but in the world of sailing nothing is predictable. The sea, the wind etc… gives many surprises. I’m sure the best will win.

The TP52s that will compete in the Baiona Sailing Week on the pontoons of Monte Real – Photo © Rosana Calvo

 

It is an interview with Rosana Calvo, head of communication at the MRCYB

Posted on

The 52 SUPER SERIES hoist the sails of their tenth anniversary in Baiona

 

· The Monte Real Club de Yates hosted this Friday the official presentation of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · BAIONA SAILING WEEK that will be held in the Rías Baixas for a whole week starting this Saturday

· Three American teams, two English, one German, one Turkish, one South African and a ninth Thai will compete in the first round of the season of the most important monohull circuit in the world

· The nine sailboats valued at more than 22 million euros are waiting in the waters of the bay of Baiona for the crews to take them out this weekend to carry out the first training sessions prior to the regattas

· Some of the teams have recruited the most outstanding strategists of the Galician nautical scene to help them better understand the navigation area, the winds and conditions that can be found

· The economic impact that this sporting event sponsored by ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through the Xacobeo will have in the Val Miñor region is valued at more than two million euros

Two years after the announcement that Galicia would be the new venue for the circuit and after having overcome the worst moments of the COVID pandemic, which forced its celebration to be postponed for a year, the most important monohull circuit in the world, the prestigious 52 SUPER SERIES , hoists its sails in Baiona.

Starting tomorrow, Saturday and for a whole week, the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week, organized and officially presented this Friday by the Monte Real Club de Yates, will bring together nine international teams : three North Americans (Sled, Quantum Racing and Interlodge), two English (Alegre and Gladiator), one German (Platoon), one Turkish (Provezza) and one Thai (Team Vayu).

The nine sailboats that will enter the competition, each valued at more than two and a half million euros, will be led by their millionaire owners, businessmen from different sectors united by their love for sailing and top competition. They are Doug DeVos, Austin and Gwen Fragomen, Takashi Okura, Andy Soriano, Tom Langley, Ergin Imre, Hasso Platner, and Tom and Kevin Whitcraft.

In each of the SUPER SERIES campaigns in which they participate, these owners They invest close to two million euros , which they allocate to research and development of technologies for their boats and to hire the best sailors, including Olympic medalists, world champions and America’s Cup winners.

Among this select group of athletes there is a small but outstanding number of Spanish sailors . People like Xabi Fernández (Gladiator), Joan Vila and Pedro Mas (Interlodge), Juan Meseguer, Joan Fullana and Nacho Postigo (Provezza), and Jordi Calafat, Javier Plaza, Víctor Mariño and Pablo Torrado (Platoon). These last two, Mariño and Torrado, will act as ambassadors in their land, since they are both Galician.

Galicia will be present in the competition through them and also thanks to the signing, by certain teams, of some of the best regatta strategists in the Galician estuaries , such as Pablo Iglesias, Gonzalo Araujo or Antonio Otero, among others. They will be in charge of giving the teams that have hired them the keys to better understand the navigation area, the winds and the conditions that can be found in the Cíes Islands anchorage.

The Atlantic Islands National Park will be the main venue for the tests, which will last from next Tuesday the 24th to Saturday the 28th, after the free practice sessions on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd; and the official training on Monday 23.

The nine boats in competition will compete in windward-leeward tasks between buoys , with four sections (two upwind and two downwind), and a total distance that will move between one and a half miles and two nautical miles.

There is also the possibility that one day the windward-leeward will be changed for a coastal regatta through the Rías Baixas, with a route yet to be determined. Both in one type of test and in the other, the boat that completes them first wins, without any type of time compensation.

This real-time competition , without any type of final adjustment, is the one that most attracts the crews and the one that will make the regattas more attractive and exciting for the public. With practically identical boats, which follow fixed measurement rules (sail area, length, beam, displacement, draft, mast height and weight), the innovations that have been applied to the boats and the expertise of the crews will be the ones that mark the differences, although these will be practically minimal and the victories will be very disputed.

The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · Baiona Sailing Week, presented this Friday at the Monte Real Club de Yates, will be theThe first of the five TP52 events in 2022 : Baiona in May, Cascais (Portugal) in June, Puerto Portals in July, Scarlino (Italy) in September and Barcelona in October. It will also be the first time that the competition has landed in Galician waters, and it will do so in a very special year, a decade after its creation, in 2012.

The sporting event, sponsored by ABANCA and Turismo de Galicia through Xacobeo , and supported by the Pontevedra Provincial Council and the Baiona City Council, will leave an economic impact on the Val Miñor region valued at 2 million euros. Accommodation, restaurants, facilities, transport, logistics, nautical or design companies are some of the sectors that have benefited from the arrival of the 52 SUPER SERIES in Galicia.

“When I was chosen to preside over Monte Real, I assumed with our partners the commitment to rewrite a new chapter in the history of Spanish sailing, and that is precisely what we are doing here today, bringing to Galicia one of the most important circuits of the world. Organizing the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES · BAIONA SAILING WEEK has been a challenge for the club. Our people have been doing their best for months so that everything turns out perfect, and we have no doubt that it will. The responsibility and commitment that characterize Monte Real, and the unique environment that Baiona, the Rías Baixas and Galicia will offer are, without a doubt, guarantees of success. We’ll see it in a few days and I’m sure we’ll remember it for years to come.”

José Luis Álvarez President of the Monte Real Yacht Club

“Baiona is a very attractive place for the owners of the SUPER SERIES because it is a new place in which they have not competed and because the area is spectacularly beautiful. Those were two of the main reasons why we chose the Monte Real proposal to celebrate one of the circuit’s phases here, the inaugural stage of our tenth anniversary. The logistics have not been easy, but we are sure that it will be a great show. Sailing conditions at this time of year are good and the crews are ready to give everything on the water”

“From ABANCA we have been collaborating with the Monte Real Yacht Club for years and this time, with this great event, it was not going to be less. The tenacity, professionalism and rigor with which they always do things in this club will allow us to transmit the best image of Galicia to the whole world. We understand the sport in a transversal way, from the grassroots to top-level competitions like this one, and we are proud of them. This occasion is even more special, if possible, because we will not only spread the sporting potential of our country, but also the rest of the wonders of our land”

Gabriel González Eiroa Executive Director ABANCA Commercial Network

“Sailors from all over the world, from the five continents, participate in this event and will be great ambassadors of the Xacobeo, of the Camino de Santiago and of our land in their countries of origin and in the ports where they sail. Many visit us for the first time and I have no doubt that they will soon return to Galicia accompanied by their family and friends”

Marta Fernández-Tapias Delegate in Vigo of the XUNTA DE GALICIA

“The Monte Real is now a benchmark not only at a national level but also worldwide and the Pontevedra Provincial Council could not fail to support it, as we have always done. Our commitment to sport is constant and with this type of event we not only position ourselves at the world epicenter of sailing, but we also project the best image of Galicia”

Gorka Gómez Deputy for Sports of the PONTEVEDRA COUNCIL

“Thanks to the 52 SUPER SERIES for having trusted the Monte Real Club de Yates and for having opted for Baiona, the most beautiful town in the world. This competition is a great challenge for the club and also for Baiona and we will be up to it. The future is up to us to write it ourselves, and we will do it together”

Carlos Gómez · Mayor of the CITY COUNCIL OF BAIONA

“Anyone who wants to can enjoy the competition because there will be a large screen installed in the area of La Palma to see the end of the SUPER SERIES in virtual reality and a shipping company that will offer the possibility of going out to sea to watch the regattas . What we want is everyone to have the opportunity to see this event that is unique in the world”

Ignacio Sánchez Otaegui Commodore of the MRCYB

((( Photos: Antía Martínez )))

Posted on

How to follow the 52 SUPER SERIES?

(Photo: Nico Martinez)

All those who wish to follow the development of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – BAIONA SAILING WEEK , from May 23 to 28, know that you will have several options.

FROM THE MOBILE, TABLET OR COMPUTER: VIRTUAL REALITY

Through the website of the 52 SUPER SERIES ( www.52superseries.com ) and thanks to a virtual reality system, you will be able to follow each and every one of the tests live, every day of competition from the start of the same (scheduled for 12:30)

FROM GROUND: GIANT SCREEN

As of Friday 27 there will be a village installed in the area of La Palma, in Baiona, so that anyone who wishes can see the outcome of the competition through a large screen that will reproduce the latest tests in virtual reality.

FROM THE SEA: CATAMARAN

A Naviera Nabia catamaran will follow the test from the sea on May 26, 27 and 28. The boat will leave from the Baiona maritime station and will approach the regatta area. It will be in the water for approximately 4 hours and passengers will be able to follow the tests with live comments. The price of the tickets is 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for children.

FROM THE SEA: PRIVATE BOATS

People who have their own boat and want to approach the regatta area must meet a series of requirements. It must be located more than 200 meters from the starting line or more than 100 meters from the windward buoy. Those who want to position themselves between one point and another must always stand outside the lay line, at least 200 meters away.

 

Posted on

The container unloading operation of the 52 SUPER SERIES begins

 

This afternoon began in Baiona the operation of unloading and placing the 18 containers of the crews and organization of the 52 SUPER SERIES that arrived in Vigo last week aboard the same freighter that brought the TP52.

The logistics operation, led by the international company Peters & May, will last throughout the day and tomorrow, Tuesday, all the containers are expected to be perfectly installed in the parking lot of the Monte Real Yacht Club.

Operation of unloading and placement of the containers of the Super Series in the MRCYB – Photo © Jacobo Bastos

It is a complicated operation due to the limited space and because it is an area of special heritage interest. Also due to the need to avoid disturbances in traffic flow in Baiona.

“The difficulty of this logistics operation for the 52 SUPER SERIES is to regulate the traffic of the trucks so that the town is not blocked. We have a truck inside the Parador and another outside working, and on the outskirts of Baiona there will also be a filtering area for trucks so that they enter little by little and their circulation has the least impact. Inside the Monte Real, where the containers are being unloaded and placed, is the critical point of the operation, since the space is very small and everything is calculated to the millimeter” , Justo Gosalbes, manager of Peters & May for Spain and Portugal and responsible for this operation, told us.

Each crew has a container and the organization has several – Photo © Jacobo Bastos

With the placement of the containers and the installation of the village tents in the Monte Real gardens, the club will be practically ready to host the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week.

Aerial view of the Monte Real Yacht Club with the Super Series container unloading operation – Photo © Jacobo Bastos
Posted on

Countdown to Baiona Sailing Week

 

The ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week will premiere the 2022 season of the prestigious 52 SUPER SERIES from May 23 to 28

· The Monte Real Club de Yates will host the nine teams of the circuit that will make their debut in the surroundings of the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia

Víctor Mariño, from Vigo, crew member aboard the double world champion Platoon, is eager to compete in the waters in which he learned to navigate

· The president of the MRCYB assures that the arrival of the SUPER SERIES in Baiona will be a milestone in the history of sport in Galicia

· The event will be officially presented next Friday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Monte Real Club de Yates facilities

The TP52 in action – Photo © Nico Martínez

The countdown begins for the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week. The popular Galician fishing village will host the first round of the 52 SUPER SERIES season from May 23 to 28, and will bring together the nine candidates for the 2022 title.

In Baiona, the German Platoon owned by Harm Müller-Spreer will compete; the Americans Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos), Interlodge (Austin and Gwen Fragomen) and Sled (Takashi Okura); the British Alegre (Andy Soriano) and Gladiator (Tom Langley); Turkish Provezza (Ergin Imre); the South African Phoenix 11 (Hasso Platner); and the Thai Team Vayu (Tom and Kevin Whitcraft).

It will be the first regatta in which they will face each other since the Rolex TP52 World Championship, with which the 2021 season closed last November with the Sled as TP52 world champion, champion of the 52 SUPER SERIES and team to beat in 2022.

The Sled will defend both crowns this year against the likes of Quantum Racing (four-time circuit champion and three-time world champion, who finished just one point behind Sled in 2021) or Platoon (two-time world champion and third in 2021, two points behind the winner), although given the quality of the crews on board each of the TP52s and the fine-tuning of the boats during the winter, it is early to speak of clear favorites.

For the Baiona event, the TP52s arrived at the port of Vigo aboard a Peters & May freighter and are now resting on the pontoons of the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona (MRCYB) finalizing preparations to start training next weekend (Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 have free training).

The TP52 ready to go into play in less than a week – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The competition program will begin with the traditional official training regatta on Monday, May 23. This non-scoring test will act as a dress rehearsal for the organization and participants for the five days of competition that will complete the sports program of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week between Tuesday 24 and Saturday 28 May.

An impressive regatta field and an excited Galician

The Regatta Committee led by the Spanish María Torrijo will establish the battlefield in front of the majestic archipelago of the Cíes Islands, turning the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia into a spectacular backdrop for the action of the TP52.

Víctor Mariño in regatta – Photo © Max Ranchi

Víctor Mariño, from Vigo, a crew member aboard the double world champion Platoon, is excited to compete in the waters in which he learned to navigate: “I’m looking forward to the 52 SUPER SERIES being held in my home waters, it’s kind of a dream come true. The weather is quite unstable at this time of year depending on the systems, one week can be bad and another good. At the end of May, the usual wind is from the northwest with an average of around 15-16 knots. It’s a very even race course, so there’s no real advantage I can give from my local knowledge. I don’t feel the pressure of having to perform well in my waters with the Platoon, but we are aware that if we sail at our best we can achieve a good result. What I feel is pressure for us to have good weather.”.

Baiona, looking forward to 52 SUPER SERIES and for everything to be perfect

Among the actions devised by the organizers of the event, the initiative to take the business out into the street and summon its people to a village installed in the park of La Palma, a few meters from the MRCYB, the operations center of the 52 SUPER SERIES, stands out. The village will be open to the public the weekend of May 26 to 28, and will have a giant screen where you can enjoy the best images of the competition and a wide range of entertainment and gastronomy.

José Luis Álvarez president of the Monte Real Yacht Club – Photo © Rosana Calvo

In the opinion of José Luis Álvarez, president of the MRCYB: “Having been chosen by the SUPER SERIES to open the 2022 season is a source of pride for the club, but also a huge responsibility. Monte Real is used to organizing big events, but this competition is a new challenge for us, at all levels. The club’s staff has spent months making every effort to ensure that everything goes perfectly and we are sure that it will be what we want it to be: a milestone in the history of sport in Galicia, an unforgettable date for sailing lovers, a new opportunity to demonstrate how we do things at Monte Real and a unique opportunity to promote Baiona, the Rías Baixas and Galicia beyond our borders”.

The official presentation of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week will be next Friday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Monte Real Club de Yates facilities.

Posted on

The TP52 of the Super Series arrive in Baiona

 

· This morning the sailboats that will compete in the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES will arrive at the Monte Real Yacht Club throughout the day · Baiona Sailing Week

· They are TP52-type boats, monohulls built in carbon fiber, light and high performance, considered authentic “flying machines”

· The logistics company Peters & May was in charge of bringing them to Galicia from the port of Sagunto (Valencia), unloading them in the port of Vigo and will also be in charge of the logistics of moving the containers to Baiona

The TP52s this morning in Vigo before starting the unloading operation – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The port of Vigo hosted this morning one of the most peculiar unloading and unloading operations so far this year, that of the sailboats that at the end of this month will compete in the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week, organized by Monte Royal Yacht Club.

These spectacular boats, Transpac 52 or TP52, are carbon fiber monohulls, 15.85 meters long, with a large sail area and long, thin keels. Light and high-performance sailboats, considered authentic “flying machines” over the sea, the authentic “Formula One” of current cruising sailing.

The spectacular TP52 waiting to be unloaded in the Vigo estuary – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Under the supervision of the logistics company Peters & May, in charge of bringing them to Galicia from the port of Sagunto (Valencia) aboard a freighter, the sailboats were unloaded one by one until they touched the waters of the Rías Baixas.

“More than a complicated operation, it is a delicate operation due to the type of boats, which although they are easy to load and unload, are very delicate due to the carbon fiber with which the sailboats are built,” says the manager of Peters & May for Spain and Portugal, Justo Gosalbes.

Unloading operation of the TP52 in the port of Vigo – Photo © Rosana Calvo

“The greatest difficulty in this type of operation -says Gosalbes- is customs, because all the teams are foreign, many of them are not European, and there is a lot of customs and port paperwork that is also very laborious”.

The first unloaded TP52 about to hit the water – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Today’s was the first contact of the TP52 with the Vigo estuary, in which in less than two weeks one of the most important nautical competitions on the planet will be held, an event that will bring to Galicia some of the most prestigious, including world champions and Olympic medalists.

In addition to the sailboats, which once unloaded continue their journey by sea to Baiona, this Wednesday the 18 containers of each of the crews and the organization are also unloaded in Vigo, which later, on the 16th, will be transferred by land to the Monte Real Yacht Club.

The 8 TP52s that arrived this Tuesday from Valencia to Galicia – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Its entry into Baiona will be another of the complicated phases of the logistics operation. “Here the difficulty -explains Justo Gosalbes, from Peters & May- It is in regulating the traffic of trucks so that the town is not blocked. We will have a truck inside the Parador and another outside working, and on the outskirts of Baiona there will also be another filtering area for trucks so that they enter little by little and their circulation has the least impact. Inside the Monte Real, where the containers will be unloaded and placed, will be another of the key points of the operation, since the space is reduced and everything is calculated to the centimeter”.

In Baiona they have been clearing and preparing the entire entrance surface of the Parador Nacional and the Monte Real Club de Yates for days to be able to place the containers there. In addition, the club’s marina has had to carry out a major restructuring of the boats in order to reserve an entire pontoon for the TP52s.

The freighter that brought the TP52s to Galicia this morning in the port of Vigo – Photo © Rosana Calvo

A great organizational and logistical display for what will undoubtedly be one of the sporting events of the year in Galicia. In the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES – Baiona Sailing Week, the teams Allegre (UK), Gladiator (UK), Interlodge (USA), Phoenix (South Africa), Platoon (Germany), Provezza (Turkey) will compete from May 23 to 28. , Quantum Racing (USA), Sled (USA) and Team Vayu (Thailand).

8 of the 9 TP52s that will compete in the Baiona Sailing Week aboard the freighter in Vigo – Photo © Rosana Calvo
Posted on

The Comunica Trophy unfolds and will depart from Combarro and Vigo towards Baiona

 

· The Monte Real Club de Yates adds this year a new race starting in the Pontevedra estuary to the trophy with which it inaugurates the cruise season

· The participating sailboats will be able to choose the starting point from Combarro or Vigo and will converge in Baiona as the end point of the route

· The one-day regatta will be held on Saturday from noon and the awards ceremony will be held in the afternoon at Monte Real

Part of the fleet of the last edition of the Comunica Trophy in Vigo – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The Monte Real Club de Yates inaugurates its 2022 cruise season this Saturday with the Comunica Trophy, which this year is split to include two different regattas, one from the Pontevedra estuary and the other from the Vigo estuary.

The participating boats will be able to choose between Combarro and Vigo as the starting point, but both options will converge at an intermediate point of the route and will coincide in the arrival, which will be located in the same place for the entire fleet.

The earliest test will be Combarro – Baiona, with departure scheduled for twelve noon near the Marina Combarro, which collaborates with Monte Real in organizing the event. From the coast of the picturesque town of Pontevedra, the sailboats will have a route of about 22 nautical miles ahead of them.

The sailboats that choose Vigo as a starting point will do less travel, for which it is estimated that it will be approximately 15 miles of journey. This test design, scheduled to leave at two in the afternoon from the vicinity of the port of Vigo, is the one that has traditionally been disputed thanks to the collaboration of the Real Club Náutico de Vigo.

If the regatta committee’s calculations are met, there will come a point where the sailboats coming through the Pontevedra estuary and those sailing through the Vigo estuary will group together, predictably around the Cíes Islands area. From there, the fleet will head to the same finish, near Baiona, and it will be at the Monte Real Club de Yates where the awards ceremony will be held starting at seven in the afternoon.

The Vigo and Pontevedra estuaries will be the scene this year of the Comunica Trophy – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Cruisers, Open class sailboats, and J80 and Figaros monotypes may participate in the regatta. If there are enough registered (there must be a minimum of 6 to form a class), an A2 category will also be created for those teams formed only by a skipper and a crew member.

In the last edition, in which more than 40 boats from Spain and Portugal participated, the winners were Rui Ramada’s Yess Racing (ORC 1-2), Vicente Cid’s Deep Blue (ORC 3-4), Víctor’s Nahela Manuel Álvarez (ORC Open) and the Bon III of Víctor Carrión and Horacio Pequeno (A2). In monotypes, the victory of the Fígaros went to Serralleiras de Paula Rey and in J80 it was won by Maija de José Luis Pérez.

Portuguese Rui Ramada’s Yess Racing was one of the winners of the last edition – Photo © Rosana Calvo

COMUNICA TROPHY APRIL 23, 2022

12:00 – Start of the COMBARRO regatta – BAIONA (22 miles)
14:00 – Departure regatta VIGO – BAIONA (15 miles)
19:00 – Awards ceremony at the Monte Real Yacht Club (Baiona)

 

Posted on

Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen wins its fifth J80 Winter League

 

The sailboat led by the historic sailor from Vigo and crewed by Diego Fernández and Jaime Gándara added a new title this Saturday (the fourth in a row) to those achieved in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021

· El Alboroto by Juan Carlos Ameneiro and El Cansino by Alejandra Suárez won silver and bronze in a competition in which Spaco by Santiago Estévez and Marías by Manel Cunha closed the group of the 5 best

· The J80 Winter League held during these first months of the year in Baiona thanks to the sponsorship of Baitra Accesorios Navales once again highlighted the good health enjoyed by the 8 meters in Galicia

· With the closing of the one-design championship at the Monte Real Yacht Club, they are now preparing to open the cruise season that will begin this April with the celebration of the Comunica Trophy and the Repsol Trophy

Okofen won their fifth Winter League in Baiona this Saturday – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen once again demonstrated this Saturday why it is one of the best J80s in Galicia after winning, once again, the Winter League that the Monte Real Club de Yates organizes for the 8-meter monotypes.

The sailboat led by the historic sailor from Vigo and with Diego Fernández and Jaime Gándara as base crew, who were joined by different sailors in the different days, added its fifth title in the competition (the fourth consecutive) after those achieved in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

He did it with a final balance of 14 points derived from almost perfect partials (1-2-1-3-1-1-1-1-1-1-1), from discarding his two worst results from the classification (a 4th place and one offline) and to beat the second and third classified by 12 and 29 points.

In addition to Javier de la Gándara, his son Jaime and Diego Fernández are regulars at Okofen – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The general director of Baitra Accesorios Navales, Juan Carlos González, was in charge, as sponsor of the event, of delivering the trophy to a team that will surely be talked about in the remainder of the regatta season, not only in the J80 leagues but also in the other competitions in which the 8 meters participate with their own class.

Javier and Jaime de la Gándara, from Okofen, collecting their prizes for winners of the Baitra J80 Winter League – Photo © Yago Crespo

After collecting his award, Javier de la Gándara was very satisfied with having achieved this fifth league victory, and if he did so, he said, “in a competition in which it is increasingly difficult to win because -as he assured- the quality of the crews has increased a lot and there are teams that sail very well” . For the sailor it was a “very complete league, with many tests and very good wind “, which allowed them to enjoy sailing.

The awards ceremony and subsequent fellowship dinner put an end to a day in which the nerves in the water were especially noticeable. Everyone wanted to adjust their positions as much as possible and improve their results for the final classification and they ended up forcing a general call in the first race and a couple of off-lines in the other two races.

With a north wind that blew with good intensity and a regatta field located between the Virgen de la Roca and las Estelas, the first two races were for Okofen and the third and last for Juan Carlos Ameneiro’s Alboroto, who finished second. overall and took the Winter League silver with 22 points.

The Rampage of Juan Carlos Ameneiro, second classified Baitra J80 Winter League – Photo © Yago Crespo

Manel Cunha’s Marías, who had all the ballots to close the winners’ podium, did not go out to compete this Saturday, and that caused him to lose all his options to hang a medal. He left Alejandra Suárez’s Cansino free to climb into the third drawer and hang the bronze with 43 points.

El Cansino by Alejandra Suarez finished third in the Baitra J80 Winter League – Photo © Yago Crespo

The group of the five best in the one design league was closed by Spaco de Santiago Estévez, fourth with 59 points; and the Portuguese Marías, fifth with 69. The trophies were delivered, in addition to the CEO of Baitra, Juan Carlos González; the mayor of Baiona, Carlos Gómez; and the deputy for Economic Promotion of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, Raquel Giráldez.

The Baitra J80 Winter League held during these first four months of the year in Baiona once again revealed the good health enjoyed by the 8 meters in Galicia. A state that is not only reflected in the progressive increase in units but also in the improvement that led to the arrival of coach Carlos Llamas among the crews to prepare the teams for the Spanish Championship and the World Cup that Baiona will host this year and the next. .

With the closing of the one-design league, the Monte Real Yacht Club is now preparing to launch its cruise season, which will begin this month of April with the celebration, on the 23rd, of the Comunica Trophy; and the Repsol Trophy on April 29 and 30 and May 1. The registration period for both competitions is now open through the club’s website.

BAITRA J80 WINTER LEAGUE
Mount Royal Yacht Club
Final overall ranking Top 5

1. OKOFEN · JAVIER DE LA GANDARA · 14 POINTS
2. ALBOROTO · JUAN CARLOS AMENEIRO · 22 POINTS
3. TIRED · ALEJANDRA SUÁREZ · 43 POINTS
4. SPACO SANTIAGO ESTÉVEZ 59 POINTS
5. MARÍAS MANEL CUNHA 69 POINTS
…up to 20 qualifiers.

 

Posted on

Okofen, unstoppable, about to win the Baitra J80 Winter League

 

· The sailboat led by Javier de la Gándara signed two new victories this Sunday in the penultimate stage of the one-design championship

With 8 points away from their most direct rival, Juan Carlos Ameneiro’s Fuss, the Okofen crew is close to victory in the J80 Winter League

· On April 2, the competition will be resolved with the last three tests and the delivery of prizes to the winners

The sailboat led by Javier de la Gándara signed two new victories this Sunday – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The Okofen was convincing this Sunday in the waters of Baiona in the penultimate day of the J80 Winter League, which the Monte Real Club de Yates has been organizing since last January with the sponsorship of Baitra Accesorios Navales.

The crew led by Javier de la Gándara signed two solid victories in the two races held and set the bar even higher for their most direct competitors, Juan Carlos Ameneiro’s Alboroto and Manel Cunha’s Marías, who are second and third respectively. .

There were no changes in the provisional podium in terms of positions, but there were changes in the score that separates the three candidates to win the championship, which is now much wider. The 12 points that Okofen has allow them to already dream of the laurels of the league, by taking an 8-point advantage over Alboroto, which has 20; and 15 to Marías, with 27.

Juan Carlos Ameneiro’s El Alboroto remains solid in second position – Photo © Rosana Calvo

As had happened on Saturday, the regattas this Sunday were also very complicated by the wind. A first test was started that had to be canceled on the first beat. After changing the regatta course, the fleet was able to sail a sleeve that ended up shortened but that allowed the day’s scoring to open. Okofen, Spaco and Cansino got the best score. In the second and last test of the day, which could be played in its entirety, Okofen repeated victory and Alboroto and Marías entered behind them.

With an off-line in the first test, Marías did not shine as well as expected today – Photo © Rosana Calvo

This being the case, and waiting for what happens on the last day, if Javier de la Gándara’s crew maintains the streak and the good work of the previous stages (in which they signed some partials of 1-2-1-3 -1-1-4-1-1-1), everything points to the final victory.

The crews that compete in the Monte Real one-design league will meet again on April 2, the day on which the sixth and final phase of the Baitra J80 Winter League is scheduled to be held.

That first Saturday of April, in addition to the competition being resolved, the Monte Real will deliver the prizes to the winners of the championship and will open the doors to the cruise competitions that will arrive in Baiona at the end of the month, with the celebration of the Comunica Trophy (April 23 ) and the Repsol Trophy (April 29 and 30 and May 1).

 

BAITRA J80 WINTER LEAGUE MONTE REAL YACHT CLUB
Top 5 after the fifth day of regattas and in the absence of a final stage

1. OKOFEN · JAVIER DE LA GANDARA · 12 POINTS
2. BUZZ · JUAN CARLOS AMENEIRO · 20 POINTS
3. MARÍAS MANEL CUNHA 27 POINTS
4. TIRED · ALEJANDRA SUÁREZ · 43 POINTS
5. SPACO SANTIAGO ESTÉVEZ 58 POINTS

Posted on

Double shift for the J80 fleet

 

· The twenty J80 who have been taking part in the Baitra J80 Winter League in Baiona since last January return this weekend in a double day

· The eight-meter fleet will compete in the fourth stage of tests on Saturday from three in the afternoon and the fifth on Sunday from eleven in the morning

Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen is in the lead with six points followed by Ameneiro’s Alboroto with eleven and Marías de Cunha with fourteen

Twenty J80 compete for the Baitra Winter League – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The twenty J80 who have been taking part in the Baitra J80 Winter League in Baiona since last January return to the water this weekend in a double competition day. The eight-meter fleet will compete in the fourth and fifth stages of the championship on Saturday from three in the afternoon and on Sunday from eleven in the morning.

There will be two days of tests in which it is planned to put into play a total of six tasks (three per day) of the windward-leeward type, and in which, if test number 11 is completed, a new discard will come into play, which will once again offer crews the chance to remove their worst result from the standings.

With six races in two days of regatta and the possibility of a discard being applied, everything indicates that this weekend’s double day will be decisive in terms of shaping the final podium, since once this phase is over , only the last three tests will be held, scheduled for next April 2.

Until now, Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen is the team that has been the most solid in the competition, with four first places and one second. He leads with 6 points followed by Juan Carlos Ameneiro’s Alboroto (with 11 points) and Manel Cunha’s Marías (with 14 points), who close the provisional podium.

For the first day of Saturday, the forecasts announce a wind of between 7 and 11 knots from the south, with the possibility of shifting and falling in intensity as the hours progress.

The Baitra J80 Winter League returns this weekend with a double day – Photo © Rosana Calvo
Posted on

Baiona, exemplary in women’s sports

 

Today, our “Vela en feminine” project, with which we have been promoting the presence of women in the world of sailing for some time, is on the cover of La Voz de Galicia.

A great cover for women and for sailing… A cover that encourages us to continue working so that there are more and more women sailing and competing.

More information:

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on

De la Gándara leads the Baitra J80 Winter League

 

Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen was placed at the head of the Baitra J80 Winter League this Saturday after winning two of the three contested races

· The Alboroto led by the former champion of Spain in the Javier Aguado class was on the verge of victory and occupies the second position

The Marías of the Portuguese Manel Cunha is third in a competition that still has four days left to know its final outcome

The Baitra J80 Winter League opened this Saturday with three tests – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The Okofen of Javier de la Gándara from Vigo was placed at the head of the Baitra J80 Winter League this Saturday after winning two of the three tests with which the competition was inaugurated. The crew came with a thorn in their side after having missed the Autumn League and convincingly demonstrated why they are one of the best teams in the running and one of the clear contenders for the final victory.

Those of De la Gándara haggled with ease and managed to get, in many moments, a significant distance from the rest of the fleet. In fact, in the first heat they crossed the finish line with great comfort separated from the rest.

Javier de la Gándara’s Okofen crossing the finish line first – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Somewhat more complicated was the second test, in which they gave prominence to Alboroto, led by the former Spanish champion of the class, Javier Aguado. The sailboat was the fastest to take the buoys and to reach the finish line, winning the heat and leaving Okofen in second place.

The Spanish J80 Champion Javier Aguado led the Alboroto today – Photo © Rosana Calvo

But the Gándara crew was not willing to let the long-awaited victory slip away and took advantage of the third and last test of the day to sentence the classification with another first place. And so, with partial 1-2-1, it was how Okofen won the first victory of the Winter League, which the Monte Real Club de Yates organizes until next April thanks to the sponsorship of Baitra Accesorios Navales .

Manel Cunha’s Marías scored a second and two thirds in today’s tests – Photo © Rosana Calvo

Along with the Okofen and the Alboroto, the other outstanding sailboat of the day was the Marías of the Portuguese Manel Cunha, who always remained very close to the first positions. They finished with results of 2-3-3 and third place in the provisional standings, but if they keep up their good work, they will undoubtedly be one of the crews to take into account in the coming days.

El Cansino is fourth in the standings – Photo © Rosana Calvo

The Top-5 after this first day of competition is closed by Alejandra Suárez’s Cansino and Santiago Estévez’s Spaco, fourth and fifth respectively. The next appointment with the one-design winter league is on the 19th.

The Spaco occupies the fifth position – Photo © Rosana Calvo

2024 © Monte Real Club de Yates Baiona

Desarrollado por QUADRALIA

Subvención INEGA 2023

Síguenos