Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Torcida-Seghers wins Cantabrian J/80 Circuit Grand Championship Finale

by J/Boats 7 Nov 2021 05:50 PST
Cantabrian J/80 Circuit Grand Championship Finale © Spanish J80 Class Association

After a series of qualifying regattas and races for a fleet of over thirty participating teams, the Cantabrian J/80 Circuit Grand Championship Finale took place off Santander over this past weekend, hosted by the Real Club Maritimo de Santander.

The top twelve teams from the qualifiers had six great races in awesome sailing conditions, with winds often gusting over 25 kts! In the end, it was perennial Spanish J/80 Champion "Pichu" Torcida-Seger's that won the fiercely contested regatta. Here is how it all went down for one of the world's most competitive J/80 fleets.

The first day saw three races sailed in Northwesterly winds in the 6 to 8 kts range and big swell. Jaime Piris-Turner's team led at the end of the day with a 1-2-1. He was followed by Peru Múgica-Elorza's crew with a 9-1-2 and Per Roman's team with a 3-6-4. Notably, past two-time J/80 World Champion had one of his worst starts to a regatta ever, posting a "down the mineshaft" performance of 2-5-8!

The day ended with a tasting of Cantabrian wines courtesy of one of the partners of the J/80 Class- Conservas 1900. The atmosphere in the Ciaboga with sailors and friends was a good meeting after months without social encounters!

The second day of racing was pretty wild. Since it was gusting up to 30 kts offshore, the RCMS RC/ PRO team wisely chose to take the fleet inside the bay where the stormy weather was less intense. In the end, the race committee managed to run three more races in Westerly winds up to 25 kts.

In the fourth race, Torcida-Segher's FREDO LA ESTRELLA DEL NORTE team won the race, followed by Jose Azqueta-Arrue's BIOBIZZ, then the junior team from Real Club Maritimo del Abra skippered by Tomas Trueba-Algorta.

There was slightly less wind for the fifth race, which saw Torcida-Seghers win again, followed by Piris-Turner's MERCURY MARINE in second and BIOBIZZ in third.

At this point, MERCURY MARINE was comfortably winning the regatta and only a minor disaster would unseat from become the 2021 Grand Finale Champion. Coincidentally, for Torcida Segher's team to win, they had to win the final race and put three boats between him and MERCURY MARINE.

In the end, no one would have guessed the final outcome. After the first two legs upwind and downwind, Torcida-Seghers was leading with Piris-Turner sitting in third. But everything would change on the ensuing upwind leg sailing in the shifty breezes of Santander Bay. Amazingly, six boats passed MERCURY MARINE, relegating them to their worst finish of the regatta, an eighth place! Most everyone watching the proceedings were a bit numb and shocked at the outcome!

Torcida-Segher's FREDO LA ESTRELLA DEL NORTE team (María Torcida, Carlos Martínez, Santiago Fiochi and Angela Pumariega) won by 1 pt net after the standings were calculated, making for a huge celebration for their amazing comeback win on the final day- three bullets! Not entirely unexpected, but still remarkable nonetheless for the two-time J/80 World Champion. Rounding out the podium was Piris-Turner's MERCURY MARINE team (Alfredo Portilla, Víctor J. San Emeterio and Juan González) in second, with Azqueta-Arrue's BIOBIZZ team (Jesus Gonzalez-Amaliach, María Sánchez, Jon Ortega, and Miguel Merino) taking the bronze. It was a tight finish at the top of the leaderboard, just three points separating the podium teams, all determined by the final race!

This event was chaired by Fernando Pereda, President of RC Maritimo de Santander. He was joined by José Luis Gómez de Cospedal, RCMS Commodore, Armando Gutierrez, President of the Spanish J/80 Association, and Nuria Sánchez, Communications Director for the Spanish J/80 Association.

At the end of the awards ceremony, the J/80 sailors were entertained with a fun raffle of gifts offered by the partners of the J/80 class: 1900 premier, Marina Rubicón, Cantabria Labs, Gold Sailing, Go Sailing Shop, Natruly, Yates & Cosas, Gypsi Gin, Dnoe Design, Kahaway, Covirán, Rolser, Etnia Bcn, Salvaje Santander, Amarras and Nautigal.

More information at j80spain.es

Related Articles

Inaugural Eastern Asia Offshore Race start
Seasoned sailors beat through the harbour in super light winds 14 boats set off from Hong Kong's iconic Victoria Harbour in the Inaugural Eastern Asia Offshore Race, taking competitors on a 350nm journey to Tainan, the southwestern tip of Taiwan Island. Posted on 29 May
Rooster are Clothing Partner of Poole Regatta
2026 is shaping up to be the largest in the event's history Rooster, the well-known watersports clothing and accessories manufacturer is to become the Official Clothing Partner of the International Paint Poole Regatta 2026. Posted on 22 May
Register now for Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week
LBRW is open to multiple classes and in 2025 the event is proud to host the Catalina 37 Nationals Exciting racecourses with flat water offerings inside of the Long Beach breakwater, and big waves and big breeze on the outside are just a few of the factors that make the Long Beach Race Week regatta one of the most enjoyable on the west coast. Posted on 14 May
BMW Spring Regatta 2025 at RHKYC
Attracting 88 boats - a lucky number in Chinese culture The BMW Spring Regatta attracted 88 boats - a lucky number in Chinese culture - across four Big Boat divisions & eight one-design classes including Dragons, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, J/80s, Pandoras, Ruffians, and Sportsboats. Posted on 13 May
Tomes Cup 2025 at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Sixty-seven boats enjoyed fair wind in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour The finale of the Top Dog Trophy Series 2024-2025 took place in Hong Kong on Saturday 3 May, completing the series of four pursuit races to determine the top-performing boat for the season. Posted on 6 May
Don Juan crowned J/80 Open Dutch Champions
Three days of sailing in very different weather conditions from RZV Naarden After three days of sailing in very different weather conditions from the RZV Naarden, it was the DON JUAN team sailed by the De Zeeuw brothers that were declared the 2025 J/80 Dutch Champions! Posted on 17 Apr
Poole Regatta to Host IRC Europeans in 2026
4 days of competitive racing in a spectacular environment The enviable track record Poole has built for hosting unmissable regattas continues in 2026 with the inclusion of the prestigious IRC European Championship as an integral element of racing, alongside multiple class starts. Posted on 1 Apr
JAMMIN' skates to J/80 Hong Kong Championship
A solid turnout of 18 boats compete for the title This year's J/80 Hong Kong Championship brought a solid turnout of 18 boats, amongst them Hong Kong Olympians Nicholas Halliday & Stephanie Norton, guided by a crewmate and 2016 HK J/80 Champion, Jacqueline Truhol. Posted on 9 Mar
Entries open for J Cup 2025
Roses are red, The ocean is blue, The J-Cup is calling, And waiting for you! This Valentine's Day, we're spreading the love - for sailing, competition, and good times - because the Notice of Race is out, and entries are now open for the 2025 J-Cup! Posted on 14 Feb
Registration open for the 2025 J/80 Worlds
This promises to be a world-class event packed with thrilling competition The J/80 World Championships 2025 are coming to the vibrant coastal city of Nieuwpoort in July and registrations are officially open. Posted on 10 Feb
Lloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMSelden 2020 - FOOTERAllen Dynamic 40 Footer