The VIII César Manrique Puerto Calero Trophy has started with the celebration of the first tests. Finally, the fleet has been grouped into three groups: Open Regatta, ORC 570 and Open Club. Fernando León and Kiko Sánchez Luna's CAM, Jaime Monjo's Power Plate and Lucio Pérez's Macaco are the first leaders in the three compensated time divisions. The weak wind only allowed a single test to be held on the opening day.
Fernando León's CAM arrived as a big favorite and one of the great attractions in Open Regatta. The Canarian-Alicante boat, which arrives in Lanzarote after its victory in the Príncipe de Asturias Trophy held recently in Las Palmas, once again proved that it is the big favorite for victory, winning comfortably, surpassing Miguel Ángel Medina's Cendro, which was second, and the Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, skippered by Alejandro Barrera, which finished third. Andrés Monje's Maeña 7 also showed its credentials, entering almost two minutes in compensated time from the CAM and just six seconds from the third classified.
Another boat from Gran Canaria, Jaime Monjo's Power Plate, skippered by Toni Rivas, also confirmed its role as favorite and won the first leg in the ORC 570 class. Alberto Medina's Playas de Fuerteventura, which has a luxury crew with local Rayco Tabares on tactics and Olympic Javier Hernández, occupies second place, making it another contender for the final victory. Francisco Naranjo's Vemotor, skippered by Oliver Bravo de Laguna, is third and Alfonso Lasso de Vega's Contiempo is fourth.
In Open Club, the most numerous class with 28 boats, Lucio Pérez's Macaco from Tenerife had no rival, winning with a difference of more than six minutes over Pedro Ferrer's Ferrer y García from Lanzarote. Third position is for Laureano Romero's Jilorio.
The regatta for the ORC and Open fleet has been held just off the Puerto Calero breakwater, with the celebration of a single windward-leeward. The wind has blown southwest at about 10 knots at the time of departure and has been dropping to four knots at the end of the first leg, so the Regatta Committee has decided to end the day.
