The 62nd Gran Día de la Vela - Bufete Frau brought the first of its two competition stages to a close on Monday, 24th of August, and its first champions have now been crowned.
VISIT OUR ONLINE TV AND EXPERIENCE THE SEA IN FIRST PERSON, WHEREVER AND WHENEVER YOU WANTAn unstable final day in Palma Bay left little opportunity for racing, meaning that the results accumulated over the first two days ultimately proved decisive in determining the final overall standings.
Sailors had been called to Club Nàutic S’Arenal for 10:30 am, as announced on the Official Notice Board, the channel through which the race committee communicates schedules, notices and any possible changes to the programme. However, the morning passed with the boats remaining ashore while crews waited for an opportunity to get out on the water. Showers and electrical storm activity over S’Arenal and Palma Bay forced the organisers to postpone any attempt to start racing.
Shortly after 3:00 pm, once the rain had eased, the race committees for both courses headed out onto the water in an attempt to make the most of the final available window, with the cut-off time for racing fast approaching. Ultimately, only the race course in Area 1 was able to complete one race for the different Techno 293 categories. The result did not alter the leading positions in any of their respective standings.
For the remaining classes, the lack of suitable conditions prevented any further races from being added. As a result, iQFOiL, Optimist D and ILCA 6 concluded the competition based on the results achieved up to Sunday, confirming the leaders who had already emerged following an intense second day of racing.
In Techno 293 Under 13, Javier de Timoteo of Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita confirmed his near-total dominance during this opening stage of the Gran Día de la Vela - Bufete Frau. He went into the final day having won five of the first six races and successfully defended his lead after Monday’s race.
In Techno 293 Under 15, Mykhailo Maznyuk of Real Club Náutico Torrevieja retained first place ahead of Max Keil of Club Nàutic S’Arenal, while in Techno 293 Under 17 the closely fought battle between the CNA sailors ended with Alba Patiño at the top of the standings, ahead of teammate Hugo Quesada.
In iQFOiL, the final standings were determined by the nine races held between Saturday and Sunday. Following a dramatic reshuffling of positions in the closing races of day two, Jorge Ruiz of Club Nàutic S’Arenal secured first place, followed by club teammate Enric Patiño. The class had been dominated for much of the weekend by Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita Olympian Nacho Baltasar, who recorded five race wins, although two DNCs, a result applied when a sailor does not compete in a race, in Sunday’s final races turned the standings on their head.
Among the youngest competitors, Miguel Pablo Ferrà of Real Club Náutico de Palma finished at the top of the Optimist D overall standings after four races held over the first two days. In the girls’ category, Ana Ríos of Club Nàutic Portitxol ended the opening stage as the leading sailor.
In ILCA 6, Toni Truyols of Club Nàutic Sa Ràpita confirmed his victory in the overall standings, while Margalida Perelló of Real Club Náutico de Palma finished as the top female sailor.
The final day also featured a very special visitor for Club Nàutic S’Arenal. Paula Barceló, world champion, Olympic sailor and one of the club’s most prominent home-grown athletes, returned to the club to spend time with the young sailors during an event that played an important role in her own early years in the sport.
Barceló remains closely connected to the CNA and admits that returning at this time of year carries a particularly emotional significance for her. “It’s incredibly special for me to come back to the club at this time of year,” she explains. “Ever since I was little, I always saw this as the best regatta of the summer. It was also the event that marked the end of the summer, and it was definitely the most fun.”
She now experiences the regatta and its atmosphere from a very different perspective. The boys and girls filling Club Nàutic S’Arenal during these days now see her as one of the athletes they can look up to. It is a role Barceló embraces naturally and, above all, with a strong sense of connection to them. “I suppose now I’m the role model,” she says. “If I can guide the children along the way and encourage them to keep moving forward, that is what gives meaning to what I do.”
It is also a perspective that puts sporting results into context. “Nothing compares to coming here, knowing that the children have followed you and that they are excited to see you. That is what really makes it all worthwhile on a day-to-day basis,” she says.
Her advice to those now beginning to compete connects directly with the spirit of grassroots sailing and everything experienced during this first stage of the Gran Día de la Vela. “Above all, I would tell them to enjoy themselves, because that is the most important thing, to have fun, come with enthusiasm and laugh a lot,” Barceló explains. “Winning or not winning is just one more aspect of it, but it is not what will really fulfil them.”
The sailor particularly highlights the moments shared with teammates, the lessons learned and the friendships built around competition. It is a spirit she experienced herself during her early years at an event that traditionally brings together sailors from the Balearic Islands and numerous clubs from outside the archipelago.
Her connection with the CNA remains as strong as ever. “For me, it’s not difficult to come back and be close to the people at the club, because this really is like home,” she says. “Whenever I come back to rest, I’m practically at the club from day one, and in the end this is like one big family.”
For Barceló, giving some of that support back to the new generations also carries special meaning: “They are the ones who support us every day, and being able to give something back to them in some way is really special.”
The prize-giving ceremony brought the first three days of racing to a close and recognised the top finishers in Optimist D, ILCA 6, Techno 293 and iQFOiL, officially concluding the first stage of the 62nd edition.
Over the course of three days, young sailors, Olympic athletes, coaches, families and clubs all shared the spotlight both on and off the water, reinforcing the sporting, educational and family-oriented character of one of the key events on the Club Nàutic S’Arenal calendar.
The Gran Día de la Vela - Bufete Frau will now take a short break before the second stage of competition begins on Thursday, 27th of August, bringing new classes and fleets back to Palma Bay and taking the regatta through to its conclusion on 30 August.
Results: https://www.grandiadelavela.com/es/default/races/race-resultsall
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