- Almost 500 boats and 41 ships from nine countries with centuries of history have offered a unique show in front of the Barcelona coastline
- On this opening day of competition, the favourites have not disappointed anyone and have taken the top positions of the five categories
- Thousands of people have fully enjoyed this great show from the beaches of Barcelona and other locations in the city
Barcelona has lived one more time an unforgettable date with the legends of the sea in the IXth Regatta Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona. Sailboats with more history and glamour of the world have been admired from noon today by thousands of Barcelona citizens and tourists, who have seen, from the coast, the spectacular manoeuvres of more than 40 Classic and Vintage yachts. About 500 sailors from many different countries have made every effort to finish the course in the shortest time possible, with the goal of being the leaders after the first day of the regatta, a competition that is included in the official calendar of the Real Spanish Sailing Federation and which is scoring for the Spain Championship of Classic and Vintage Boats..
These floating museums have deployed all their sails and navigation capability to take advantage of the winds usually offered by Barcelona coastline at this time of the year. These special conditions facilitate a wide variety of attractive manoeuvres, displaying the beauty of these boats unique in the world.
First leaders of the general classification
The first day has not disappointed anyone. The day of competition has started punctually at 13:10 pm with the departure of the Classic fleet, then the Vintage and finally the majestic Big Boats.
The wind has exceeded expectations, as the predicted 12 knots southeast wind has given way to a thermal Garbí (south), which began blowing about 13 knots, to reinforce progressively up to 15-16. With little waves and glorious sunshine, the race course has offered the best conditions to compete, which has allowed the Regatta Committee design three different routes, so that each of the categories (Big Boats, Vintage and Classic) had the best technical conditions, a distance according to their performance, as well as to avoid excessive upwind, so as to enable them to develop their full potential. A new venture which in turn has made fleets times were more compact and that the race therefore was more spectacular.
Classics have surfed the biggest round, completing 9.8 miles in five sections, which has given them the opportunity to correct errors and recover lengths. Those with greater lengths, Classics 1, have had in the guide Ramón Rosés a strong leader, which besides crossing the finish line in first position has been also won after the time compensation formula. The second position was for Samarkand, 2:20 minutes later, beating Outlaw for just 5 seconds.
The two favourites in Classics 2, Argos and Alba, have confirmed the expectations. A better start to windward of Argos has allowed it to stand out, while Alba minimized the distance after a less successful first leg and tried to keep on the first line thinking in terms of compensated time. Finally, Argos from Barbara Trilling confirmed its good work, while Alba could step the second place, beating Kanavel for only 21 seconds after calculating the time compensation.
Fewer distance has been sailed by Vintage boats. Specifically, 7.23 miles in four sections, in which Marigold, skippered by Jason Gouldstone, achieved its success in Cangreja Époque, sailing ahead of Kelpie of Falmouth and Niña Bonita. The victory in Marconi Époque fleet has been for Halloween by Mick Cotter, for only 24 seconds after calculating the time compensation, outperforming Islander and, for more than 2 minutes, Sonata.
The Big Boats closed the start shifts, and from the previous instants, the strong competition they always exhibit in the Regatta Puig Vela Clàssica has been seen again. Although eventually Moonbeam III of Laurence Waechejer remained in the second line and without clean wind, it immediately sought options to find wind and squeeze all its potential, which finally enabled him to gain the first position after calculating the time compensation. Something more than a minute has been its difference from Moonbeam IV, while debutant Sumurun and Eleonora completed the classification in this order.
RESULTS FIRST RACE PUIG VELA CLÀSSICA BARCELONA
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