Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing 2024 - Olympians win Portuguese women's sailing championship

by BBDouro Nautical Experiences 17 Sep 2024 23:00 BST 17 September 2024

The Atlantic front of Porto, Gaia, and Matosinhos served as the racecourse for one of the biggest sailing events in Portugal, the Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing. The event's program included the Regatta of the Infante and the main Portuguese women's sailing championship, involving 670 people between participants and organizers.

Organized by BBDouro Nautical Experiences, the Women On Water by HeyDoc was held on the Douro River, with 12 teams competing in the dynamic Melges15 boats. A total of 24 sailors participated, completing 21 races throughout the weekend. The event went through qualifying stages, culminating in a final featuring the top 4 teams.

The victory went to "Team Fitch," led by Olympians Mafalda Pires de Lima from the Clube de Vela Atlântico, and Mariana Lobato from Clube Naval de Cascais. The second place went to the "We Do Sailing" team, with Francisca Cunha and Joana Azevedo at the helm. Patrícia Bastos (Clube de Vela Atlântico) and Gabriela Pereira (Sport Clube do Porto) rounded out the podium.

In the Regatta of the Infante, a competition for sailing boats, nearly 350 sailors participated across the 61 registered boats, sailing in the Atlantic from Matosinhos to Porto, with the traditional finish near the historic Ribeira area on the Douro River.

At the end of the two races, in the ANR1 class, the "Sea Soul" of Rui Freitas (Clube Naval Povoense) claimed victory. In the ANR2 category, Manuel Lopes (We Do Sailing) helmed the "Ojo Piojo" to the top, while Rui Ramada Barros (We Do Sailing) took first place in the ANR3 division with his boat "Yess Too". Among the Platus, the "Cheers" of Filipe Pedrosa (Yacht Club of Porto) came in first, as did the "Rum" of Tomás Pacheco (Yacht Club of Porto) in the Sportsboat fleet.

An important aspect of this event is its inclusivity and accessibility for all. In this regard, the Lusíadas For All boat made another appearance, helping to broaden the practice of sailing to the entire population, with 50 solidarity sailing trips included in this effort and once again participating in the Regatta of the Infante with the ForALL team.

For the third consecutive year, the Lusíadas Saúde Porto Sailing was certified by the Clean Regattas program, an initiative of the global association Sailors for the Sea, which recognizes events that use sustainable materials in all aspects. Alongside this certification, a trash collection effort was carried out with the help of volunteers in the area adjacent to the Douro Marina in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Sponsors: ANR, BBDouro Boat Services, Carlsberg, Casa do Lettering, Douro Marina, Federação Portuguesa de Vela, Marina Porto Atlântico, PL Sails, Sailors for the Sea, Sport Clube do Porto, Veneziani, Yate Clube do Porto

Event website: bbdouro.com/en/lusiadas-saude-porto-sailing-2024