· Between July 23 and 25, the forty-sixth edition of the high-altitude regatta par excellence in Galicia will be held, disputed without interruption since 1976
Some 40 boats will be measured in three days of regattas that will include two medium and long distance courses and two technical tests in the Rías Baixas
· One more year on the competition program is the mythical route between Baiona and Carrumeiro Chico, in Corcubión, close to 100 miles
· The nautical event enters the scene under the organization of the Monte Real Yacht Club and with the sponsorship of the tandem Zelnova Zeltia and Banco Sabadell
In just three days, the forty-sixth edition of one of the longest-running and most charismatic regattas on the Spanish nautical scene will begin in Galicia, the Conde de Gondomar Trophy, which the Monte Real Yacht Club is bringing to the stage in 2021 under the name of Zelnova Zeltia Banco Sabadell Grand Prize in honor of the tandem of sponsors.
From July 23 to 25, some of the best boats and the most outstanding skippers will participate in the deep-sea regatta par excellence in Galicia, a test that has not lost its pull over the years and that hopes to bring together some 40 boats in the Rías Baixas, attracted by a of the most exciting current sailing competitions and the oldest of the historic Monte Real.
At the official presentation of the trophy, held this Tuesday in Baiona, the president of the yacht club, José Luis Álvarez , predicted a great success for the event because “Its main attractions remain: the mythical ascent to the Carrumeiro Chico, its celebration around July 25 (Galicia’s big day) and the participation of some of the best crews in the country” . Álvarez also highlighted the alliance between the two large companies – Zelnova Zeltia and Banco Sabadell – which have come together to sponsor the competition “thus clearly expressing their commitment to the sport of sailing” .
After a previous day, the Thursday 22 , intended to finalize preparations, close registrations, make reviews and deliver instructions, the 46th Conde de Gondomar Trophy will begin on Friday 23rd , at eleven o’clock in the morning, with what is considered the great test of the competition, the mythical Baiona-Carrumeiro Chico-Baiona route, close to 100 miles away.
Although at first the possibility of introducing changes in the test between Baiona and the Carrumeiro Chico (dividing it into two stages with an intermediate stop in Portosín to make it more accessible to smaller boats), the club finally decided to meet the request of the shipowners who asked to keep the route intact. “What we were looking for with this possible modification -says the Commodore of Monte Real, Ignacio Sánchez Otaegui- it was to open the event to more crews that could venture with a shorter distance regatta, but we were also clear that this would imply a loss of attractiveness for the star event of the competition; and after evaluating it in the club and consulting with skippers and owners, we decided to keep the traditional route”.
After the opening day and the navigation to the Carrumeiro (Conde de Gondomar Regatta), Saturday 24 will feature the Erizana Regatta, in which the rest of the sailboats will participate. It will start at 12 noon and, depending on the weather conditions, the crews will be able to race around the Ons archipelago (32 miles) or the Baiona-Camouco-Baiona route (29 miles).
On Sunday 25 , Galicia’s big day, the decisive stage of the competition will take place. Two windward-leeward technical tests at the Cíes Islands anchorage will decide the winners of the fortieth edition of the trophy, who will receive their awards at the awards ceremony scheduled that same day at half past six in the afternoon.
The event is expected to be attended by the CEO of Zelnova Zeltia , Pedro González, who this Wednesday, at the official presentation of the competition, thanked Monte Real for the opportunity to collaborate with the trophy “linking our corporate image with the values of sport and more specifically with those of sailing, highlighting teamwork, effort, tradition and competitiveness, all of them -he said- closely linked to our vision and way of understanding the business world in the Zelnova Zeltia Group” .
The director general of SabadellGallego , Pablo Junceda, also had an impact on this idea, assuring that the Count of Gondomar unites “the culture of the sea, the commitment to teamwork and overcoming to win, values that are also committed to -said- at Banco Sabadell”. “We are a company, we support Galician companies and we are present in the social life of this land”Junceda concluded.
Along with González and Junceda, as sponsors of the competition, the local, provincial and regional administrations were also represented at the official presentation of the event.
From Baiona, the deputy mayor of the fishing village, Óscar Martínez, thanked the work of Monte Real during this year and the previous one. “You are the representative of Baionese sport and you make Baiona cross our borders and reach an international level. We know that last year it was very difficult to maintain the activity, and you did it, and for that you deserve applause and that we thank you” , he said.
For the Deputy for Tourism of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, Ana Laura Iglesias “We are proud that tests like this are held in our province, because they give us the opportunity to show how incredible our estuaries are, and everything that people can see, do and enjoy in them” .
The General Secretary for Sport of the Xunta de Galicia said that “for the Xunta de Galicia the nautical sector is a strategic sector and, although it is deeply rooted in the essence of our people, we always talk about its great growth potential” . According to José Ramón Lete Lasa “The world of sailing is in excellent health, with 2,000 licenses and being one of the sports modalities that has given us the most success. Glad to hear it -he went on to say- that the Conde de Gondomar Trophy has been held uninterruptedly during these 46 editions, and the fact is that the sport of sailing is, without a doubt, a safe sport”.
Although the registration period is not yet closed and several days ahead it is difficult to specify a final number of participants, from the organization they hope to have about 40 boats. Among them there will be a team of women from the Monte Real Club de Yates Women’s Sailing project, with which the club seeks to promote the presence of women in nautical competitions; and they will be, almost in all probability, the winners of the last edition.
in 2020, within the framework of a COVID scenario, the Count of Gondomar was celebrated with extensive security measures and the Magical by Julio Rodríguez, from the Real Club Náutico de Vigo (grand prize of the trophy), took the laurels; Yess Too by Rui Ramada, from the Monte Real Club de Yates (winner of the Carrumeiro stage in real time); the Deep Blue 2.0 of Vicente Cid, of the Real Club Náutico de Vigo (gold in the Erizana Regatta); Juan Ameneiro’s Rampage (number one in the J80 class); and the Serralleiras of Patricio de Haz (leader among the Figaros).
GRAND PRIZE ZELNOVA ZELTIA BANK SABADELL
46th COUNT OF GONDOMAR TROPHY
Monte Real Yacht Club 23, 24 and 25 July 2021
:::::::::::::::::::::::: THURSDAY, JULY 22 ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::
16:00 – 20:00> LAST PREPARATIONS AND PROCEDURES
20:00> MEETING OF PATRON
::::::::::::::::::::::::: FRIDAY, JULY 23 ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::
11:00> COUNT OF GONDOMAR REGATTA
(Baiona – Carrumeiro Chico – Baiona)
19:00> DINNER FOR THE SHIPS THAT ARE ARRIVING
::::::::::::::::::::::::: SATURDAY, JULY 24 ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::
12:00> Hedgehog Regatta
(Return to Ons / Baiona – Camouco – Baiona)
19:30> SEAFOOD DINNER
:::::::::::::::::::::::: SUNDAY, JULY 25 ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::
12:00> LAST RACES
(Tests windward – leeward at the Cíes anchorage)
18:30> AWARDS
