MADRID, 18 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish sailor Alex Pella and his crew have achieved the first challenge of the ‘Desafío Victoria’, the record of ‘The return to Menorca’, with their Maxicat Victoria powered only by the wind and championing a sustainable project without emissions and without waste.
In this way, Pella becomes the fastest sailor to circle the 70 nautical miles of Menorca with a time of 5:04:57. On Friday, at 8:53:51 a.m., the Regatta Committee of the Mahón Maritime Club, organizer of ‘The Return to Menorca’ (‘Re70 Menorca’), started the Maxicat Victoria at the mouth of the port, heading south in the opposite direction to the one they took in the challenge achieved between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
Finally, they stopped the stopwatch at 9 hours and 32 minutes. The conditions on Wednesday were very changeable, with winds in the north that allowed them to reach up to 24 knots, while in the south they suffered some calm conditions in Ciutadella, Cala Galdana, Son Bou and in Illa del Aire that made the final time lengthened, so the team decided to go out again to lower the mark this Friday.
“The record time is very good, we are very happy; we left it there so that someone can come and improve it. It has been a spectacular day, with a constant wind from the south, neither too cold nor too hot and, as we have completed the challenge, the wind has increased, ending with a thermal that has been fantastic,” said Pella.
The Catalan also explained that “a little bit of everything” has happened to them. “We started with little wind and when we had completed half the island we had a problem, then the halyard broke and we picked it up from the water; even so, we were able to finish the round upwind. This was the first milestone of the ‘Desafio Victoria’ and has allowed us to try many technical things and also train in regards to the sporting part of the project. Now we have our sights set on the next sporting challenge which will be ‘The Return to Spain’ in the month. July,” he continued.
For his part, Pablo Santurde, Class40 World Champion, London 2012 Olympian and new crew member of the Maxicat Victoria, explained that he faced the challenge “with great enthusiasm.” “Being part of the ‘Victory Challenge’, which will culminate with the challenge of sailing around the world, is something different from what I am used to and it is not every day that one has the opportunity and luck to sail with Alex -Pella- and Lalou – Roucayrol-, without forgetting the rest of the crew. I think having started in Menorca has been a success because the distance of the ‘RE70 Menorca’ is very good to know where we are and where the boat is with a view to the return. the world to the West,” he noted.