France and Portugal in command of the 6th Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta's debut

Sanxenxo (Spain), September 10th, 2021. First and great day of regattas in the Pontevedra estuary for the 6mR fleet. The 6th Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta deployed sails this Friday with a southwesterly of six to eight knots wind speed, conditions that made it easier for the committee to comply with the scheduled racing program. The race course, placed on this occasion inside the estuary with the start in front of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo, allowed the fleet to put an amazing show in a debut dominated by the French "Dix Août" and the Portuguese "Seljm" in Classics and Open respectively.
 
France commands in Classics with the unstoppable "Dix Août" in the lead

At the edge of 14h15 and with a wind that began blowing with gentle intensity in the Pontevedra estuary, the Classics debuted with practically the entire fleet signing an over the line in the first start. So the regatta committee had to repeat the starting procedure of the first race of the championship. With the national title at stake and serving as a litmus test for next week's European Championship, the fleet opened the scoreboard by pressing hard with five teams fighting hand-in-hand for the top positions and a clear dominator: Louis Heckly's French "Dix Août". The 6 Meter representative of the Yacht Club de France, started as one of the favorites to be at the head of the fleet with a 1950 design, and debuted in the best possible way by winning two races and controlling each race practically from the beginning.
 
"Our first feelings competing in Galicia is that its a fantastic place to sail", Heckly statd after returning to the RCNS' docks. "Obviously we are very happy with the results, two first places, although there is still a long way to go".
 
Behind, two of the regulars on the national circuit that takes place every year in Sanxenxo, Miguel Lago's "Alibaba II" from the Monte Real Club de Yates and "Caprice" from the Club Marítimo de Canido and with Laureano Wizner at the helm, are tied at seven points in the second and third position of the overall, after having scored 2-5 and 3-4 respectively. Meanwhile Pedro Campos's "Bribon 500" is in fourth position at the moment, just one point away from the podium .
 
Maximum equality in the Open fleet

More even was the Open division -which was the first to start the competition- with the first three teams separated by only one point. Patrick Monteiro's, Portuguese "Seljm", from the Clube Naval de Cascais debuted with a comfortable victory in the first race of the day, ahead of the local team Violeta Álvarez's "Stella" and Hugo Stenbeck's "Sophie" -another one of the favorites to get the title-, second and third respectively.
 
On the other hand, in the second race, Jeremy Thorp's British "Battlecry" (Royal Yacht Squadron) -who achieved a fourth in the first race- began by taking the lead and managed to maintain the position until the end ahead of "Stella", who scored another second place, and "Seljm", who added a third place.
 
With these results, the Open classification starts as tight as possible, with Monteiro's team at the top of the general standings tied on points with the team led by Violeta Álvarez, who takes second position, and only one ahead of "Battlecry ", who closes the provisional podium in third place.
 
Once on land, "Seljm's" skipper explained that "it was a very good day with a very stable wind. In the first race we had a very good start and managed to control the fleet, while the second race was much more difficult. We took the first mark in fourth position and managed to finish second, but you can't always win. The next few days we will try to do better and, if possible, win".
 
Tomorrow, second day for the 6 Meters and first for the Disabled Sailing

Tomorrow Saturday, from 12h00, and if the wind conditions allow it, the race committee will give the starting signal for the second racing day of the 6th Rey Juan Carlos I El Corte Inglés Master Regatta. The 6 fleet, which already sailed today in Sanxenxo, will be joined by the students of the Adapted National Sailing Center, who as every year will compete in the vicinity of the RCNS. It will be, for them, their first official regatta after more than a year of hiatus due to the pandemic.