Winds on the Bay of Palma proved just a little too fresh and the racing schedule was cut accordingly on the third and final day of the 17th edition of the 80 boat PalmaVela regatta. But most classes enjoyed at least one breezy contest, and some managed two, so providing a spirited finale to an all too short and sweet regatta which serves this year as the Mediterranean racing season’s finale.
With a second place in the brisk 16-20kts SW’ly winds and choppy, wavy conditions Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenenosec won the highly competitive, ten boat TP52 class which used the regatta as a perfect warm up for the Rolex TP52 World Championships which start on Tuesday on these same waters. Hasso Plattner’s Phoenix team, with Tom Slingsby calling tactics and Cameron Dunn as strategist, took today’s winning gun to finish third overall just behind Quantum Racing.
With the right side of the course favoured it was Code Zero, steered by Marc Blees, which led up the first beat after identifying the gain to be made on this side. But, on their first race in the fleet together, they could not hold off Phoenix and Bronenosec but the Dutch flagged team still managed a good third, an auspicious debut for a crew comprising Blees’ sailing friends on the chartered Xio.
With a first, a second and third Bronenosec won the class ahead of Doug DeVos’ Quantum Racing which finished fifth today, Harm Muller Spreer’s Platoon – sixth today – took third step on the podium.
ORC Class Zero sailed two races today in winds topping 25 knots in the gusts. The Spanish Navy’s evergreen TP52 Aifos 500, one of the very first MedFleet Farr boats dating back to 2005, won twice today to clinch the class overall.
In ORC Class 3 a win in the final race gives Nicolas Gonzalez’ Dufour 40 Lady the overall class win by a single point, while regular campaigner Scott Beattie and his crew won Class 4 on the J/97 Just the Job with three consecutive wins from three starts.
Zachary Lamb and crew won the J/80 class by a single point taking the three final races back to back on Mikaku while in the Dragons, which also sailed five races, it is Javier Scherk’s Gunter which win the Spanish Cup on tie break.
Dr. Tim Leisenhoff and crew on the majestic Marigan, the 1898 Charles Livingstone 50 foot gaff cutter, who have won many of the Mediterranean’s classic yacht honours, triumphed with two wins in the Vintage Classics fleet, just ahead of Sir Keith Mills’ and his crew on his freshly restored 78 foot 1929 Frank C Paine schooner Viveka.
PalmaVela regatta returns to its more usual schedule on the racing calendar in May 2022.
Source: Eurosailnews.com
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