IXth Barcelona Puig Vela Clàssica - Overall
by Alejandro Posilio 18 Jul 2016 11:10 BST
13-16 July 2016
The XIth Regatta Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona concluded on Saturday in the waters of Barcelona. Classic and Vintage boats from nine countries competed for one of the most prestigious trophies in the Mediterranean.
The winners of this ninth edition were Sonata, Marigold, Guia, Moonbeam III and Alba, the latter two are the ones which have won more times in the general classification of the Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona, with five titles.
A very close match on the final day
The third test put the finishing touches on the Regatta Puig Vela Clàssica, a ninth edition that has offered the best wind conditions over the three days of competition experienced to the date. A thermal South wind (Garbí) and 10-12 knots allowed disputing the third and final scheduled test, with each category sailing in its own path buoys.
The start of Big Boats offered the most intense moment of this year, when Moonbeam IV started on port tack but it was unable to cut the head to turn Eleonora and has chosen to respect the right of way. Such tacking left the Moonbeam III without enough wind to sail and in a very bad situation, opting to tack in search of free wind, but it found Sumurun took advantage of the situation to tack to bow and leave it again without wind to sail. With the two dance couples following their respective rhythms sailed the four sections and 7.13 miles, during which Moonbeam III managed to recover itself and win the regatta. The victory of the day allowed it to equal the final score of Moonbeam IV, but its better partial (1-3-1) against those of its opponent (2-1-2) allow it to break the tie in its favour.
There was a fantastic photo finish in the Marconi Époque category, where the results of Friday its four sections round and 6.15 miles overturned last classification. Jordi Cabau's Sonata victory, followed by Halloween and Islander, led to a triple tie at 6 points. After identical partials of the three boats, the tiebreaker was elucidated according to the result of the last test, qualifying Sonata, Halloween and Islander, in that order. In Cangreja Époque there was no change of leader, since Marigold kept its first position and added a new first partial to its classification. Kelpie of Falmouth achieved again a second position, with which he assured the runner-up, like the Gipsy tied the third step of the podium.
The two categories of Classics, in which there wasn´t surprises, sailed 8.3 miles in six sections. Guia from Ramón Rosés mastered all the days in Classics 1, although its victory saturday was by a close margin of 10 seconds on Halloween and 56 on Yanira. The best partial of Halloween allowed it to overcome Yanira in the final classification of the trophy. In Classics 2 Damian Ribas didn´t temper his pulse while skippering Alba, thus adding his third partial victory. Kanavel, today the third, was able to defend a second position in the final classifications against Atrevido, which today ended fourth. The second position was for Argos from Barbara Trilling, which ends this Regatta Puig Vela Clàssica in sixth position, after being penalized on the first day with 12 points.
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