Lusitania Christmas Race at Clube Naval de Cascais
by Clube Naval de Cascais 7 Dec 2023 03:36 PST
1-3 December 2023
Over 200 sailors from 26 different clubs competed in the Lusitania Christmas Race at Clube Naval de Cascais. This championship, known not only for its competitiveness but also for moments of fun enjoying hot chocolate, showcased intergenerational participation, with sailors ranging from eight to seventy years old in this edition.
The event featured six classes, with four of them competing in races starting on Friday—Optimist, ILCA4, ILCA6, and 420—and two joining the championship over the weekend—SB20 and Finn.
In the Optimist class, with over 65 sailors, Leonor Lopes from Clube Náutico de Tavira dominated each day, securing the first place and inscribing her name on the Barros Pereira Trophy. Manuel Sencio from Associação Naval de Lisboa came in second, André Caires from Centro de Treino de Mar secured the third spot, and Guilherme Costa from Clube Naval de Cascais emerged victorious among the juniors.
In ILCA 4, Jannis Tomáz from Clube de Vela de Lagos claimed the top spot, followed by Kuzey Karis and Carlijn Kam, both from the host club. Meanwhile, in ILCA6, the podium was entirely occupied by sailors from Clube Naval de Cascais: João Pontes, who won all races, Max de Groot, and Boudie Van Dishoeck.
The 420 class witnessed a tightly contested victory until the last race, with Francisco Uva Sancho and José Vozone from Clube Naval de Cascais emerging as winners, closely followed by Teresa Quartim and Rita Borges from Associação Naval de Lisboa. Tiago Santos and Salvador Fernandes, also from Clube Naval de Cascais, secured the third position.
In the SB20 class, the battle for top spots was fiercely contested, with Hotel Valverde, skippered by Pedro Mendes Leal, António Pereira, Ricardo Schedel, and Maria Tavares, claiming victory. Bravo, skippered by António Barros, with Henrique Brites, João Bolina, and Francisca Martins, secured the second position, and AP Hotels, crewed by Diogo Pereira, Luís Pinheiro, Gonçalo Ramos, and Miguel Leal de Faria, rounded out the podium.
In the Finn class, Fernando Bello finished first, followed by Carlos Azevedo in second and Jorge Pinheiro de Melo in third.
The championship was sponsored by Lusitania Seguros and supported by the Cascais Municipal Council, Visit Cascais, Marina de Cascais, and Vista Alegre. It also received the silver certificate in the clean regattas program from Sailors for the Sea - Portugal.