MADRID, 13 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Nearly 70 boats will compete in the 27 TabarcaVela Diputación de Alicante from this Friday until next Sunday in the waters of the Bay of Alicante, which will be the most crowded in recent years with crews arriving from the United Kingdom, Finland and, among others. , Netherlands.
This year’s edition of the TabarcaVela Diputación de Alicante will feature eight classes, ORC1, ORC2, ORC3, ORC4, ORC5, Promo Club and the Alicante City & Beach J22 and Dragon one design. The classes in corrected ORC times are the most numerous, with 48 boats and in which the ORC4 division will be the one with the most (17) boats registered.
The 27 TabarcaVela Diputación de Alicante is considered the prelude to the Copa del Rey, and is the set-up for the top regatta of the season. This is the case of the DK46 HM Hospitales Hydra (CN El Balís) owned by the shipowner Oscar Chaves. It is the most successful boat in the last decade in the Copa del Rey in the premier class, ORC1, under the name of Garmin (2009), Maserati (2016), Estrella Damm Sailing Team (2018 and 2019) and Hydra (2021). .
The Catalan boat has in its crew names such as the Olympic champions Fernando León, Kiko Sánchez Luna and Pepote Ballester; as well as with the vuelta mundista Guillermo Altadill and José Ponce at the cane, among others.
Other Copa del Rey champions will also be present at 27 TabarcaVela Diputación de Alicante, such as the Murcian Swan42 Pez de Abril (CN Portman) owned by the shipowner José María Meseguer in ORC 1 and the local Tanit IV-Medilevel (RCR Alicante) led by María José Vila and with Nacho Campos at the helm in ORC 2. Among the classes in real time we find in Alicante City & Beach J22 the Dorsia Corvirán of Núria Sánchez Nomdedeu (RCR Alicante).
Other great highlights will be the last two absolute champions of the SM la Reina Trophy, recently held in Valencia, such as Pedro Gil’s Maverta Defcom Seguridad (RCN Torrevieja) who will participate in ORC2 and Francisco Miguel’s Enewtec (CN La Isleta) in ORC3.
Julio Bernardeau’s Fandango 300 (Marina Salinas de San Pedro), winner of the Offshore test in Valencia, is another boat to take into account, especially on the 30-mile tour of the island of Tabarca (Saturday). Pedro Egea’s Truel (CN Dos Mares) defends the title won in the 2022 edition.
The Dragon class debuts at the TabarcaVela Diputación de Alicante after the owner, Vicente García, has acquired three units and a new fleet of this class has been created at the Real Club de Regatas de Alicante.
The return to Tabarca is the differential test to the rest of the cruising regattas. Núria Sánchez Nomdedeu, director of the 27 TabarcaVela Alicante Provincial Council, stated that it is “an emblem of the regatta”. “This year we will adapt it to the schedule so that it is held at the time when the weather is the best in the bay of Alicante. And it is a very beautiful regatta, plus the follow-up boats also enjoy it a lot because it creates a lot of expectation and the sailors Some of the big boats really like this model of long regatta crossing, since the other days they already have their windward-leeward poles”, he commented.
Among the international fleet will be Jorma Nuutinen’s Sopu Tres from Finland, Yann Lythgoe’s Kim from the Netherlands, both in ORC2 and Samir Chami’s Jemila from Britain in Promo Club.
The tests will begin this Friday, starting at 2:00 p.m. On Saturday the 15th, at 12 noon, the monotypes and on Sunday, at 12 noon. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at the Sailor Village of RCR Alicante.
BROAD SOCIAL AGENDA
The regatta will have a social part that includes breakfasts and afternoons with rice dishes, snacks and concerts. The regattas can be followed live through the TabarcaVela YouTube channel and Alicantí TV.
On Friday, at 9:00 p.m., the shipowners’ dinner will be held at the Santa Bárbara Castle, in which the 2023 TabarcaVela Communication Awards will be presented. In this edition, the winners are Josep Margalef in the National Press, with extensive experience in the EFE Agency and Diario AS; Local Press to Alicante Plaza and the Special Prize for Photography to Alfred Farré, dean of nautical photography and winner of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award.