The 38th Ruta de la Sal Rumbo Ibiza crowns its champions

La Ruta de la Sal Rumbo Ibiza has crowned the champions of one of its most demanding editions, with victories for Diabolic and Castañer Yachts on corrected time, and for Tapioca and Plis Play on elapsed time.

The 38th edition of La Ruta de la Sal Rumbo Ibiza has confirmed its status as a great offshore sailing classic, with one of the most intense and spectacular crossings in its history. A total of 140 boats and nearly 900 sailors took part in this edition, marked by demanding wind conditions, rough seas and top-level competition in its two versions, starting from Port Ginesta (Barcelona) and Real Club Náutico Dénia, and finishing at Club Nàutic Sant Antoni in Ibiza.

From a sporting perspective, the overall victory went to Diabolic, Glenn De Brouwer’s Sun Fast 35 racing for the Royal Belgium Sailing Club, in the Barcelona version, and to Castañer Yachts, Iñaki Castañer’s DK 46 flying the burgee of Real Club Marítimo de Sotogrande, in the Dénia version, after a race in which strategy, wind management, and crew endurance proved decisive.

In elapsed time, victory in the Barcelona version went to Tapioca, José Agnaldo Andrade’s ICE 66, representing Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, which starred in a spectacular duel with Gymir (Maxi Dolphin 65) throughout the crossing, finishing just over 30 minutes off the race’s historic record. In the Dénia version, Vicente García Torres at the helm of Plis Play, a Swan 80 from Real Club de Regatas de Alicante, further enhanced his legend by claiming his eighth elapsed-time victory, consolidating his position as the most successful owner in the regatta’s history.

From the starting day, this edition already promised to be special. The strong northwesterly wind allowed the fastest boats to sail with real record-breaking potential in the Barcelona version, while on the route from Dénia the crews had to deal with a more variable scenario, with wind transitions and highly demanding stretches, including waves of up to three meters and gusts of up to 25 knots. The wind and sea conditions were similarly intense for the Barcelona fleet, but in their case they were pushed from astern toward Ibiza, whereas in the Dénia version they faced head-on conditions, especially on the stretch from Formentera to Tagomago, forcing them to beat upwind through heavy seas and strong headwinds.

As for the podiums, in the Barcelona version Expression of London finished second and Atlant del Vent third in the overall standings, while in Dénia Vértigo and Aviador joined Castañer Yachts on the podium. In the Mini Sal category, victory went to Náutic Café del Mar.

The organizers gave a very positive assessment of the regatta, highlighting both the sporting level and the absence of significant incidents in an edition that was especially demanding in meteorological terms. They also emphasized the key role of Club Nàutic Sant Antoni as the host port, along with the other two co-organizing entities: Real Club Náutico Dénia and Port Ginesta, which hosted the two versions of the race.

Marcos Serra, Mayor of Sant Antoni de Portmany, hosted the trophy ceremony held on Saturday, April 4. Also in attendance were Andrés Oliva, race director; Luis Gómez, secretary of the board of Club Nàutic Sant Antoni; and Eladio Huertas, Manager of the Fundació per a l’Esport Balear, representing the Balearic Government, which co-finances the event through the Sustainable Tourism Tax fund of the Government of the Balearic Islands and collaborates by providing berths through Ports IB. The event also featured Salvador Losa, Councillor for the Presidency, Economic Management and Sports of the Island Council of Ibiza, the event’s main sponsor, who presented the Consell d’Eivissa Trophies to the overall winners of this 38th edition of Ruta de la Sal Rumbo Ibiza.

The event is also supported by the Spanish Sailing Federation, the regional federations of Valencia, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands, as well as the Royal Spanish Assembly of Yacht Captains.

In terms of private sponsorship, highlights include the addition of the Coral de Peñascal wine brand and the renowned international electronics brand Raymarine as new sponsors of the regatta. Meanwhile, Ausmar, Vetus, Yamaha, Hotel España Ocean Drive, the Barcelona International Boat Show and Skipper magazine have also confirmed the renewal of their support for the event. These sponsorships are complemented by collaborations with other notable companies such as the clothing brand Clique, Sal Torres Ibiza, and the sailmaker Sail Select.