61 teams from 10 nations to take part in Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy

by Trofeo de vela Conde de Godó - Prensa on 1 Jun 2016 61 teams from ten different countries willUp to 61 teams from ten different countries will take part in the 43 Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy. The great regatta organized by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona (Spain) will be held on Friday June 3rd until Sunday the fifth in waters of the Catalan capital, with the best ORC cruising boats and J80 one design.

In the last few days many inscriptions have been formalized and there are now 61 boats confirmed for the Barcelona regatta, the first event of the ORC regattas’ peninsular calendar, which now includes up to 47 teams. Meanwhile, the J80 will form, for the time being, a fleet of 14 one designs. In total, ten countries are represented: the United States, Peru, Chile, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Finland, Switzerland, Russia and Spain.

The ORC 0-1 fleet will be one of the most exciting, with 20 boats competing and two teams defending last year’s title: Catalan Rats on Fire (who won ORC 0) and US Extreme Ways (which won in ORC 2). Both boats will race together this time, due to the variation in the group’s cut. Rats on Fire is a Swan 45 owned by Rafael Carbonell and has a very experienced crew, who will fight for their fourth consecutive crown as Conde de Godó champion, since they took the trophy in 2013 (ORC 1), 2014 (ORC 1) and 2015 (ORC 0). They also hold the victories of 2009, 2010 and 2011, all of them in RN 1. Before him, Andrew Holdsworth’s XP-38 Extreme Ways, which just went through a refit to complete its tuning and face the title defence.

Jaime Monjo’s Comet 41S Rmotion and Maria Millán’s Comet 45 Desahogo also have options, after finishing second and third last year, respectively, in ORC 1. And the three biggest yachts in the fleet are also contenders for the podium, two TP52’s, Jacinto Rodriguez’s Duende 52 and Pablo Garriga and Toni Guiu’s Audax Energía. The big novelty is Manuel Codina’s British Gymir, a Maxi Dolphin 65 feet ultra light, with Javier Scherk as skipper, with the crews from the J80s Gunter and Deckmetal together on board.

Up to 19 boats will compete in ORC 2. Joan Cabrer’s X-37 Airlan-Aermec, from Mallorca (RCN Palma), aims at repeating last year's victory, winning previously in ORC 3. His rivals will be Fèlix Comas’ Pinyol Vermell, also from Mallorca, a Sun Fast 36 competing for the CN Arenal, as well as Gil and Maldonado’s Rodman Fyord-Maverta (RCN Torrevieja) and Alexandre Laplaza’s Sinergia 40 L'Immens (RCN Barcelona), both knowledgeable about the feelings of being on the podium of the Conde de Godó sailing Trophy.

In ORC 3-4, the group of smaller boats, currently has seven entries. The favourites are Pedro Franco’s Beneteau 25 KH7 and Giancarlo Nichilo’s First 31 Amarena II, runner-up and third last year in ORC 4, respectively.

In the fleet of 14 J80 boats, the complete podium of the Spanish Championship, which was decided last weekend also in the waters of Barcelona, will fight for the 43 Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy. Javier Chacartegui’s HM Hotels (CN Arenal) will face the prestigious regatta as current Spanish champion, but his rivals have a lot to defend. Marc de Antonio’s Bribón Movistar, national runner-up, aims to regain the Godó’s crown he won in 2014, and that slipped away last year (he finished second), while José Mª Van der Ploeg’s Nautica Watches, bronze in the Spanish Championship will defend the title as the current winner of the Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy. The Olympic champion and winner of the J80 Worlds will try to take his third victory of the Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy in this category (he also won in 2012).

Thursday June 2nd will be the day dedicated to the official registration of the participants and other technical preparations. Racing in the 43 Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy will be held over three days, from Friday third to Sunday fifth, with a total of eight scheduled races for ORC and nine for J80. The prize giving ceremony will close the great sailing event, and will be held on the same Sunday fifth in the race village of the Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy.

Organized by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona with the collaboration of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the Catalan Sailing Federation, the 43 Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy has the support of La Vanguardia, the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya. It also counts on the help of Coca-Cola, Nº 3, The Glenrothes, Gramona, Casa Westfalia, Snapea Crisps, Estrella Damm, Slastik, VIP Style Magazine and Gill. take part in the 43 Conde de Godó Sailing Trophy.