This past weekend, the Spanish J70 Championship was held in the waters of the island of La Toja (Pontevedra) with a total of 19 boats attending the event. The participants who attended came from Galicia, Barcelona, Canary Islands, Andalusia, Dénia and Cascais, which is a real success for the national J70 class. The event was organized by the Real Club Náutico de Vigo, Club Náutico de La Toja, Real Federación Española de Vela and the Spanish Association of J70 Owners.
The Lanzarote natives Ricardo Terrades, trimmer of "Clínicas W" and Rayco Tabares, tactician of “Tenaz” achieved second and fourth place in the championship. While last Friday the west wind blew from 270º-280º and with a gentle intensity of 8-12 knots. After the first day of competition, the Canary team "Clínicas W" led by Luis Martínez Doreste from Gran Canaria, won the first and third races, also adding a third place in the second. With these results, the Canarians finished the day as leaders with five points in their locker.
After them, his younger brother, Jorge Martínez Doreste, at the controls of "Hang Ten" who was provisionally placed in the second drawer of the podium after a 2nd, a 5th and a 3rd, respectively. Closing the provisional podium of the first day, with 19 points (5th, 12th, 2nd), was the Galician "Laguardia & Moreira" with Juan Deben from C.N. de Villagarcía, who replaced his usual skipper, Gonzalo Araújo.
The following day, the weather behaved similarly but gently rotating to the left (260º-270º) and increasing the intensity to 13 knots. That was the day of "HangTen" who managed to become provisional leader, tied on points with "Clínicas W" after two partial victories and a fifth place in the last race.
"Clínicas W" continued to be in the leading positions and always fought at the top of the classification, finishing third in the first race, fourth in the second and when they were fifth in the third race, the whims of Aeolus caused a strong role to appear on the left in the last upwind leg and caught the Canarians of "Clínicas W" on the right side of the field, which meant that they finished in 14th position, becoming their discard. After two days of competition, the bronze of the Spanish Championship went to another Galician and it was "Marnatura 1" by Luis Bugallo who surpassed "Laguardia & Moreira".
There was only one day of racing left in the Ría de Arousa, and Sunday was expected to be a real spectacle. The day dawned gray and with a fine drizzle. The wind disappeared and the fleet had to wait patiently for more than an hour until acceptable conditions were given. Finally the wind rotated from west to south (160º -175º) and little by little it increased in intensity, with the last two races being held, the first with 12-14 knots and the second with more than 16. The classification was most exciting with "Hang Ten" as provisional leader, tied on points with "Clínicas W" and "Marnatura 1" in third position but a little further behind.
The Canary team "Clínicas W" had a fantastic race with very good speed and successful tactics, but in the last downwind leg they were overtaken by "Noticia" by Luis M. Cabiedes. "Hang Ten" finished in fifth position, after a great comeback, and after these new results the leadership returned to the hands of "Clínicas W" who were two points ahead of their immediate follower. "Marnatura 1" also had a good race and managed to become strong in third place. The race committee, in an agile and efficient manner, gave a new start that would end up being the definitive one of the championship.
In the first meters of the race "Clínicas W" did not have a good start and was forced to pass several gybes to go to the right side of the field. "Hang Ten" was again in the leading positions, but the Canarians did not give up and with temperance they sailed very well and thanks to a great tactic by Gustavo del Castillo, they came back a lot reaching the windward mark in third position very close to "Hang Ten".
In the first downwind leg the positions were maintained, and other boats entered the fight getting very close to the leaders, such as “Tenaz”, “Noticia” and Marnatura 1”. Upon reaching the first gate, “Hang Ten” chose to round the left buoy, while “Clínicas W” opted for the right to start the last upwind leg on the left side of the field. In the first crossings, “Clínicas W” reached “Hang Ten” and finished the first upwind leg rounding the mark at the same time. The competitiveness was absolute. “Clínicas W” had enough to enter behind “Hang Ten” but in the last stretch the Canarians were overtaken by “Tenaz” and “Marnatura”. When “Hang Ten” won the last race and “Clínicas W” finished fourth, the final victory went to the youngest of the Martínez Doreste and with only one point difference, “Clínicas W” was runner-up in Spain and “Marnatura 1” finished third overall and first classified Corinthian.
The Canarians at the top
It is worth highlighting the great role of all the Canary sailors in this event. On the one hand, Jorge Martínez Doreste from the RCN de Gran Canaria, won the final victory and the fourth place in the national ranking.
The 100% Canary team “Clínicas W” was runner-up, competing under the pennants of the RCN de Gran Canaria and the RCN de Arrecife, with its usual crew Adolfo López (bow), Luis Martínez Doreste (skipper), Guti del Castillo (tactician), Ricardo Terrades (trimmer) and María Bertrand (piano). While Alberto Padrón from Gran Canaria, tactician and trimmer of “Noticia” finished in fifth position in the Spanish Championship and the ranking. Gustavo Martínez Doreste, skipper of “Alcaidesa Marina” finished in sixth position. Without a doubt, they made clear the high level of the Canary sailors wherever they sail.
It was “Laguardia&Moreira” and the bronze went to “Abril Rojo” by Jorge Pérez Canal. The trophy for the best mixed crew, that is, with women in more than 40% of the crew, was the “Valmy Tecnología” of C.N de Combarro.
“Clínicas W” wins the national J70 ranking
This season, the national ranking of the J70 class has been formed with the results of two national events: the Spanish Cup, held in the waters of Barcelona in May and this Spanish Championship in La Toja. Each event had a different weighting, the first being 40% and the second 60%. Thanks to having finished in fourth position in the Spanish Cup and second in the Spanish Championship, the Canarians of “Clínicas W” were proclaimed champions of the national ranking.
“Hang Ten” did not have such good fortune in Barcelona and finished in seventh place and being now the Spanish champions, they have a global score that places them in the third place of the ranking. The second place has been for “Marnatura 1” by Luis Bugallo, thanks to two thirds in both events.
The list of the skippers classified for the next world championship to be held in Palma de Mallorca in September 2024 is as follows:
1st. “Clínicas W”, Luis Martínez Doreste: (4thx0.4 + 2ndx0.6) = 2.8 points
2nd. “Marnatura”, Luis Bugallo: (3rdx0.4 + 3rdx0.6) = 3 points
3rd. “Tenaz”, Pablo Garriga: (2ndx0.4 + 4thx0.6) = 3.2 points
4th. “Hang Ten”, Jorge Martínez Doreste: (7thx0.4 + 1stx0.6) = 3.4 points = 3.4 points
5th. “Noticia”, Luis M. Cabiedes: (6thx0.4 + 5thx0.6) = 5.4 points
6th. “Abril Rojo”, Jorge Pérez Canal: (8thx0.4 + 8thx0.6) = 3.4 points = 8 points
7th. “Abril Verde”, Luis Pérez Canal: (11thx0.4 + 9thx0.6) = 3.4 points = 9.8 points
