BMComposites Trophy crowns its champions

Víctor Pérez and Rafael Benítez claimed victory in the Snipe class at the regatta organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma. Strong winds kept the fleet ashore on the final day.

The BMComposites Trophy concluded yesterday, Sunday, March 15, at the Real Club Náutico de Palma with the standings from the opening day remaining unchanged after weather conditions made it impossible to hold any further races on Sunday. The Race Committee stayed on the water until 1:20 p.m., when it finally decided to abandon the day due to the strong northerly gale, which produced gusts of up to 40 knots in Palma Bay. The fleet, made up of 50 boats from the Snipe and OK Dinghy classes, had remained postponed ashore all morning while awaiting a possible improvement in conditions.

The final overall standings were therefore determined by the two races sailed on Saturday in each class. In the OK Dinghy class, victory went to five-time world champion Nick Craig of Great Britain, who posted a second and a first place to finish tied on three points with world number one Andy Davis, also from Great Britain. Craig took the win thanks to the better result in the final race. Denmark’s Gavin Poulloin claimed bronze.

In the Snipe class, victory went to Mallorcans Víctor Pérez and Rafael Benítez, from Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, with a first and a third place, finishing two points ahead of three-time European champions Jordi Triay and Lluís Mas, from Club Marítimo de Mahón. Fernando Rita and Cristián Vidal, both also from Mahón, completed the podium.

The prize-giving ceremony was brought forward to 2:30 p.m. in the Sala Magna of the Real Club Náutico de Palma. The final day was also marked by logistical difficulties caused by the storm: several teams from Menorca who had taken part in the regatta as preparation for the Snipe World Championship, scheduled for next September at Club Marítimo de Mahón, will have to return by air after ferry connections between the islands were cancelled due to bad weather in the Menorca Channel.

Jorge Forteza, commodore of the Real Club Náutico de Palma, presided over the prize-giving ceremony and, despite the bad weather that prevented the full programme from being completed, highlighted the high level achieved by the BMComposites Trophy in just four years, as well as the rapid growth of the OK Dinghy class in Mallorca, where 20 boats already sail regularly. This single-handed dinghy, very popular in northern Europe, was introduced to the island by sailor Luis Portella and boatbuilder Javier Estarellas in 2020. Since then, the Real Club Náutico de Palma has become a leading base for the class in the Mediterranean.

For more information, visit the BMComposites website: https://bmcomposites.com/