Photos: Sergio Betancort
A total of 46 boats starred this Tuesday at noon in the spectacular start in Arrecife of the XIX Canary Islands-Madeira International Regatta. The boats, which compete in six different groups, received the starting horn from the mayor of Arrecife, Eva de Anta, and the deputy mayor, Rafael Juan González, crossing the line on the high seas to head north to the demarcation buoy located next to the Arrecife Commercial Dock. After overcoming the demarcation, they headed east, with a force 3 wind that increased throughout the journey. The boats then reached the Chinijo Archipelago, which they would leave behind to chart a direct course to the Madeiran port of Funchal (Portugal). Before reaching the Portuguese archipelago, the participants will have to travel 291 nautical miles (538.93 kilometers).
The fleet, when leaving the coast of Lanzarote, was led by the Madeiran Swing, by José Augusto Araujo (Grand Soleil 50), followed very closely by the two (X-50) Lanzarote boats Lola III, by Rafael Lasso Cabrera, and Sorondongo IV, by Miguel Ángel Armas Matallana, the Sorondongo IV had lost ground by having problems with the genoa at the height of the second spreader. The three boats, all belonging to the ORC 1 class, were engaged in a tough fight to lead the fleet.
After the three 50-footers, the boats of the ORC 2 class sailed more distantly, with the Lanzarote boat Antigua Craiova (Grand Soleil 40) of Yé Cabrera Morales maintaining an interesting fight with the RCNA Muyay (First 42S7), of Aureliano Negrín Hernández, and the Gran Canaria boat Boiss of Casto Martínez (Dehler 41), of the Open 1 class. The 46 participating boats come from Funchal, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, to which we must add the Lanzarote fleet with a majority of participants.
The event is in its 19th edition and is jointly organized by the Club Naval do Funchal and the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, with the collaboration of the Portuguese Sailing Federation, the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, Associaçäo Regional de Vela de Madeira, Canary Islands Association of Nautical Clubs and the Portuguese Navy. The traditional regatta was held for the first time in 1978, and continues to be held biannually with alternating departures from different Canary Island ports.
Parallel Optimist trophy with 12 Lanzarote participants
There have been several occasions when the regatta has departed from Arrecife, with the 2008 edition, the date of the centenary of the RCN of Gran Canaria and the fifth centenary of the founding of Funchal, being the one with the highest participation. The route of the regatta, which takes place biannually with departure on the first Tuesday of September, will unite the two archipelagos after traveling 291 nautical miles (538.93 kilometers).
The departure from Lanzarote has the peculiarity that the first 30 miles run along the east coast of the island, in a tight spot that the participants approach very close to land, so it is easily visible to fans, until the boats are lost on the horizon after passing between La Graciosa and Alegranza to head to Funchal.
The awards ceremony will take place at the social headquarters of the Clube Naval do Funchal on September 10 at 8:00 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the first three boats in the ORC general classification; to the first classified in each ORC class; to the first classified in the Open class. The boat that crosses the finish line in Funchal in first place in real time will receive the "Dr. Alivar Jones Cardoso" Trophy.
Parallel to the "XIX Canary Islands – Madeira International Regatta", a trophy will be held in the Optimist class that will bring together young sailors from Funchal, La Palma, Tenerife and Lanzarote, who will live together for a few days staying in the homes of the Portuguese. The RCNA Optimist fleet will have 12 participants who left from Lanzarote airport this Tuesday morning heading to Funchal.