A torrential morning storm with thunder and lightning over the Bay of Palma resulted in a calm that prevented racing on the final day of the 22nd Sandberg PalmaVela. As a result, the cumulative results from Saturday stood, and winners were announced in the 13 competing classes on Sunday afternoon.
The German crew aboard Sven Wackerhagen’s Wally 80, Rose, originally perceived as underdogs against the formidable Wally 100 footer Tilakkhana II, won four out of five races, clinching victory by three points ahead of Pascal Decaux’s team in second place. Tactician Jesper Radich expressed his delight at their unexpected success, crediting the team’s early preparation and practice, which included fine-tuning the rig, ultimately enhancing their competitiveness.
The TP52 class, featuring 13 teams eager to maximise their training ahead of the upcoming 52 Super Series regatta, found themselves unable to compete due to the lack of wind. Pieter Heerema’s No Way Back team marked their first victory in the regatta. Heerema reflected on the challenge of transitioning from training to racing, highlighting the added concentration and focus required.
In terms of competition outcome, Ork Class Zero and 1 were secured a day early by James Neville’s Ino Veritas, featuring Olympic sailor Dean Barker, while Nick Rogers helmed to victory in ORC Class 1 aboard the Fast 40 Nola.
Other notable results included David Green’s Formula X winning ORC Class 2 by a narrow margin and Oscar Chaves’ Hyatt Hydra Youth claiming ORC Class 3.
Scott Beattie and his British team on Just the Job dominated ORC Classes 4 and 5. South African sailor Mark Sadler triumphed in the Sportboat class with the Abracadabra, while David Grylls’ Flight of Durgan topped the Spirit of Tradition class.
The Dragon class, featuring 10 strong teams, saw Ben Kolf’s Jupiter achieve an unbroken string of four wins, while the title in the Flying 15s went to Victor Pérez and Mark Branagh aboard Femme Fatale.
The storms forced adjustments across events, impacting the final standings, but as the event concludes, participants reflect on the excitement of competition and look forward to the rest of the Mediterranean sailing season.
#PalmaVela #ORC
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