Alfredo Morales, at the helm of the Museo de Cetáceos de Canarias, is the new Spanish J80 Champion.
The second downwind leg of the last race of this J80 National Championship left us with an ending that kept everyone breathless almost until the end and that its participants will surely not be able to forget.
The first race of the day began a little after 11 am with about 12 knots of wind that was stable and constant today. After 3 boats with premature starts, Una Mosca en Mi Sopa and Crocs did not turn back while Bodegas El Grifo, by Juan Pablo Rompeltien, was penalized. This first confrontation of the day lasted 56 minutes and left us with the following results: Alfredo Morales, from the Museo de Cetáceos de Canarias, came in first place, Jose María "Pichu" Torcida aboard the ECC Viviendas reached second position and Leonardo Armas in the TGA was placed third.
The second race began with a general classification different from the beginning of the day. In this race, the exciting circumstance occurred that from the second downwind leg, the 3 boats that finished first in the general classification were tied on points on several occasions. A very close final of which no similar one is remembered in the history of the class. The Hotel Princesa Yaiza of Rayco Tabares finished in first position, followed by Pichu Torcida who again took second place, Luis Martínez of Una Mosca en mi Sopa reached third position while Marina La Palma of Daniel Calero came in 4th place.
Alfredo Morales, who in 2008 won the Copa de España de J80, declared: "I am very satisfied with the triumph, but the best thing is that two of my children are part of this crew, they are enthusiastic sailors and they give me greater joy every day. Now the goal is to participate in the J80 World Championship in Santander next month."
Pichu Torcida with the ECC Viviendas and representing the Real Club Marítimo de Santander took third place in the championship, demonstrating why he became world champion last year.
FINAL CLASSIFICATION
-Alfredo Morales, Museo de Cetáceos de Canarias 24 points
-Rayco Tabares, Hotel Princesa Yaiza, 25 points
-José María "Pichu" Torcida, ECC Viviendas 25 points
-Gustavo Martínez, Una Mosca en mi sopa 30 points
-Aureliano Negrín, Fandango, 38 points
The trophies given to the winners are the work of Paco Curbelo, a recognized artist from Lanzarote who uses the materials of the island for the design of his works that are unique pieces made especially for this event.