Vuelta España a Vela, Round Spain race - Pakea Bizkaia finishes leg 4

by FNOB Media on 26 Jun 2010 Vuelta España a Vela, leg 4 Sanxenxo to Calpe.

Wearing wide smiles, the crew on Pakea Bizkaia finished leg 4 the Vuelta España a Vela. During the 880 miles from Sanxenxo to Calpe, the crew said they had learned a lot.

Jaume Mumbrú and Cali Sanmarti and their crew brought Pakea Bizkaia across the finish line at 15h 09m 40s this afternoon (Friday).

They may have been eighth to complete the stage and have suffered more than most with the extremes of the weather on the stage making life a little more testing for them on their older IMOCA Open 60 design but their dream is to race round the world in the Barcelona World Race this winter, and every mile of learning is to their credit.

Along the way they had nearly 12 hours virtually becalmed while their Vuelta España a Vela rivals punched away off upwind. Then, compromised without the powerful daggerboards which generate lift upwind that their rivals have, the Pakea Bizkaia team simply gritted their teeth and did all they could to coax every last bit of speed from their boat.

Until just after Gibraltar, when the breeze went ahead, the crew were well in touch with their nearest rivals, but –as co-skipper Mumbrú reported today – they had to try something different.

'We could not just follow the fleet.' He said.

They were also slowed early in the race’s longest leg when they had to slow down to make a fix to their rudder system which continually jammed their steering to one side.

At a press conference in the Real Club Nautico de Calpe race leader Marc Guillemot gave a further insight into the factors which have contributed to their dominance so far on this race:

'But nothing is for certain. This race is not won yet, far from it. We have to remain vigilant and prudent and keep at it the way we have been.' Guillemot warned.

Now up to third place on the overall standings, local hero Pepe Ribes also re-affirmed that it is not in the mindset of the Estrella Damm team to go out and try and defend their position:

'We always go out looking to win. We go out as each stage is a new race, just like it is the first Leg.'

www.vueltaespanavela.com

Overall Standings Vuelta a España a Vela

 

Place, Boat, Skippers, Nationality, Total points. Leg 1+ Leg 2 + Cape Finsterre + Leg 3 + Gibraltar + Leg 4)

 

1. Safran, Marc Guillemot, FRA, 7 (1+2+0,5+1+0,5+2)

2. PRB, Vincent Riou, FRA, 13,5 (2+1+1+2+1,5+6)

3. W Hotels-Nova Bocana, P.Rivero/ A.Piris, ESP, 23,5 (4+4+1,5+3+3+8)

4. Movistar, I.Martínez/ X.Fernández, ESP, 27 (3+3+2,5+6+2,5+10)

5. Estrella Damm, P.Ribes/ A.Pella, ESP, 21 (5+5+2+4+1+4)

6. GAES Centros Auditivos, D.Caffari/ A.Corbella, GBR/ESP, 34 (6+6+3+5+2+12)

7. Central Lechera Asturiana, J.Merediz/ F.Palacio, ESP, 42 (7+7+3,5+7+3,5+14)

8. Pakea Bizkaia, J.Mumbrú/ C.Sanmarti, ESP, 48 (8+8+4+8+4+16)