Optiorange 2024 at Real Club Náutico de Valencia - Day 1
by Pep Portas 1 Mar 2024 09:42 NZDT
28 February - 1 March 2024
The first of the four days at the Real Club Náutico de Valencia closes with three races, a lot of equality and the favorites at the top of the table.
The Greek Maria Anna Makri and the Turkish Mehmet Erkut Budak have taken the lead after closing the first day of the Optiorange Valencia, regatta organized by the Real Club Náutico de Valencia, which has started today and will conclude next Sunday, with the results of the third race of the day still to be finalized.
The wind has come a little late, but it has finished in a spectacular way, with 18 knots of intensity on an axis of 140º. It started with a scarce 5-6 knots of intensity that has been increasing, which has allowed to complete the established program of three races for the five groups that form the Optiorange.
The first race was launched after 13.30 hours. Greece's Iason Panagopoulos was the first to open his Optiorange 2024 partial victories, winning the yellow group. Something that the Greek Maria Anna Makri (Blue), the Turkish Mehmet Erkut Budak (Red), Neco del Castillo (RCM Santander), in the Green, and Marta Mansito (RCN Gran Canaria) in the Purple were also going to do.
The second race, already with a wind of 8-10 knots of 110º (East-Southeast) the favorites showed their excellent level in the waters of Valencia and only the Greek Makri was again the first to take the finish. The Swede Isak Kaplan (KSSS/Tropical Vikings) improved a lot among the yellows to score the second race, in the first one he did not overcome the 12th place. Mateo Carbonell (CN Jávea), another of the great favorites, repeated the history of the Swede Kablan but this one in the purple, with a little positive result in the first one with a 16th and a triumph in the second one.
In local key Alexandra Wang (RCN Valencia), in the U13 category, is the first sailor of the organizing club in the table, occupying 63rd place overall. Wang closes the first day with partials of 13-20 in the purple group.
At press time there are several protests affecting the third race of the day, so this one is still pending. Provisional results leave Greece's Maria Anna Makri and Turkey's Mehmet Erkut Budak as the first leaders, pending the scoring of the third race of the day.
Valencian institutions with Optiorange Valencia
Luis Cervera, General Director of Sports of the Generalitat; Rocío Gil, Councillor for Sports of the Valencia City Council; David Gómez, from the Visit Valencia Foundation; Joaquín Devesa, Vice-President of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation; Carlos Torrado, President of the Sailing Federation of Valencia; Joaquín Devesa, Vice-President of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation; Joaquín Devesa, Vice-President of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation; Carlos Torrado, President of the Sailing Federation of Valencia; Joaquín Devesa, vice-president of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation; Carlos Torrado, president of the Sailing Federation of the Valencian Community; David Gómez, from the Visit Valencia Foundation; Marisa Arlandis, president of the RCN of Valencia, accompanied by Myriam Esparza, Treasurer of the RCNV together with Chema Escudero, Sailing Vocal.