Category: Gran Canaria Trophy
Joaquín Blanco (RCNGC), Alison Young (British sailing team) and Alfonso Fernández (RCN Tenerife) took the three golds in the Laser class in the International Gran Canaria Trophy (Trofeo Isla de Gran Canaria), which finished today in the bay of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. RCNGC sailor Luis Cabrera won the gold in the men’s Radial and Carlota Sánchez took the gold in the women’s Laser 4.7.
Blanco, member of the Spanish Pre-Olympic team, had a tough win over fellow RCNGC sailor and world youth champion Joel Rodríguez, sewing up a championship that didn’t get off to a great start for him. This is Blanco’s third gold in a row in just over a month, after his wins at the 16th Semana Olímpica Canaria de Vela and the Palamós Christmas Race.
“These results help to boost my confidence and are a step up before the important events I’ve got coming up. I’m off to the world cup in Miami now and then I’ll be back in Gran Canaria for the Regata de Carnaval, followed by the Semana Olímpica de Cádiz, the Spanish Championship in Valencia, and the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, finishing in June with the Olympic class worlds in Canada.”
During the award ceremony, held this afternoon and attended by City Councillor Mimi González (Ciudad de Mar) and the president of the Canary Islands Sailing Federation, Joaquín Blanco, RCNGC president Óscar Bergasa commented on the presence of 12 boats in the 2.4mR Paralympic class, saying that, in his opinion, this consolidates the club’s support for disabled sailing.
Representatives from 16 countries took part in the international regatta, the third event of the Gran Canaria Sail in Winter programme, organised by Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria with the support of the Gran Canaria Cabildo and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Hall.
The third and final day of competition started as expected, with 10-12 knot winds and a heavy swell, but as the day wore on the winds shifted from northeast to southeast. The drop in the wind intensity meant all scheduled races could be held.
Joel Rodríguez, who fought until the final day for first place in Laser Standard and ended up with the silver, said his result was “very positive”. At the end of the race he said that the most important thing was to take advantage of the chance to train with top sailors.
His next event is the Regata de Carnaval, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the final race in the Gran Canaria Sail in Winter programme and the first in the Laser Europa Cup series. Just a few days later, he’ll be sailing in the Semana Olímpica Andaluza, the second race that counts towards the Spanish Pre-Olympic team after the Canary Islands Olympic Sailing Week.
The gold in Laser Radial was for British Olympic sailor Alison Young, who came fifth in London in 2012. She had a poor start in the Canary Islands event but came through on the second and third days, taking first place.
RCNGC sailor Luis Cabrera, silver in the overall Laser Radial and gold in the men’s, said “I knew I had a chance, but I knew I had some tough competition as well”.
Cabrera mentioned the importance of the wind shifts during the race and was positive about his results as he looks forward to his next race, at the Canary Islands Radial championship, in Tenerife.
Alfonso Fernández, from Tenerife, took the gold in Laser 4.7, a class initially led by RCNGC sailor Patricia Reino. As expected, Sweden’s Hans Asklund won in the 2.4mR Paralympic class, with five firsts in the eight races held. The first Spanish competitor was Pablo García, in seventh place.
The crew of Nahuel Rodríguez (RCNGC) and Nicolás Rodríguez (RCN Vigo) won the gold in 470, a class with few competitors at this event.
In Techno (boards), the victory went to Britain’s Joshua Carey. Magüi Suárez (RCNGC), the top Spanish Techno competitor and the only girl in this class, took the silver.
Translated from Spanish by Jane McGrath
Joaquín Blanco and Joel Rodríguez fought the closest battle on the second day of the International Gran Canaria Trophy (Trofeo Isla de Gran Canaria), which finishes on Sunday in the bay of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The two Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria sailors are evenly matched going into the final day, with a slight advantage for Blanco, who’s jumped from sixth place to the head of the classification table. The pre-Olympic sailor won two of Saturday’s three races.
Representatives from 16 countries are taking part in this international regatta, the third event of the Gran Canaria Sail in Winter programme, which is organised by Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria with the support of the Gran Canaria Cabildo and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Hall.
The weather conditions changed dramatically today for the second day of racing. After starting out with southeast winds of 14-15 knots, the day ended with 10 knot winds, allowing all three scheduled races to go ahead. Sailors also encountered a short wave from the southeast and a long wave from the northeast, which complicated sailing.
The other important news of the day was in Laser Radial, where the lead was taken by Alison Young, Olympic sailor at London in 2012 and member of the British sailing team. Young stole the lead from Canary Islander Luis Cabrera (RCNGC), who dropped to second place and is followed by Chloe Martín, the other British sailor racing this weekend at RCNGC.
In Laser 4.7 the lead also changed, as Patricia Reino (RCNGC) gave up her first place to Alfonso Fernández, from Real Club Náutico de Tenerife. In second place is Carlos Pavillard, also from RCNT.
In 470 Nahuel Rodríguez and Nicolás Rodríguez won the three races during the second day, taking them to first place in the classification for this small fleet, ahead of the Russian and Finnish teams.
In the 2.4mR Paralympic class the Swedes continue to dominate, with Hans Asklund maintaining the lead. The first Spanish sailor classified is Pablo García, in sixth position. The Paralympic class is new to this season’s Gran Canaria Sail in Winter programme and is a step forward for the host club, which is aiming to boost the level of this class.
Techno (boards) had its first day of racing today. Britain’s Joshua Carey is in the lead with a third and two firsts. He’s followed by RCNGC team members Eduardo Santana and Javier Rodríguez. Magüi Suárez, the only girl competing in this class, had a very good start but was penalised for being over the line in the third and final race, finishing fourth.
Three races have been scheduled for Sunday, the final day of competition, and the award ceremony should start at around 16.00 hours. Similar wind and sea conditions are expected, as well as an exciting final in all classes, as the points in the top places are very close.
Photo by Alberto Sánchez
Translated from Spanish by Jane Mcgrath
Members of the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria sailing team Joel Rodríguez (Standard), Luis Cabrera (Radial) and Patricia Reino (4.7) are leading the Laser class in the International Gran Canaria Trophy.
The international regatta started today, Friday 9 January 2015, in the harbour of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with representatives from 16 countries: Turkey, the United Kingdom, Peru, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Holland, Switzerland, Russia, Finland, Tunisia, Bahrain and Spain.
This is the third event of the Gran Canaria Sail in Winter programme, organised by Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria with the support of the Gran Canaria Cabildo and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Hall.
The nearly 100 sailors competing today encountered winds of 6-7 knots and reasonable waves, in conditions that allowed two of the three scheduled races to go ahead, as winds died down for the final race.
LASER STANDARD
Joel Rodríguez took a strong lead, justifying his place as world youth champion, with first places in the two races held, ahead of Peru’s Stefano Peschiera and Poland’s Jonasz Stelmaszyk. Joaquín Blanco, also from RCNGC and member of the Spanish Pre-Olympic team, is in sixth place with a second and a tenth place.
LASER RADIAL
Luís Cabrera was off to a good start, winning the two regattas, with Lanzarote sailor Alejandro Bethencourt coming second. Third place went to UK sailor Chloe Martin, who was first in the women’s category. The second woman was Alba Elejabeitia, from Real Club Náutico de Tenerife.
LASER 4.7
The podium’s dominated by Canary Islands sailors, with a first place for Patricia Reino, from Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria, second for Héctor García, from Real Club Náutico de Tenerife and third for Andrea Machado, also from RCNGC, ahead of the Norwegians.
470
In first place on the classification are Finland’s Rosa Lindquist and Rose Marie Hartman, with second places in the two races, followed by Russians Boris Kucherenko and Alexandr Moskvichev. Third place went to Nahuel and Nicolás Rodríguez, from Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria. The absence of Onán Barreiros and Juan Curbelo was noted. The pair is currently out of Spain due to other commitments on the international circuit.
2.4 PARALYMPIC CLASS
The Swedes dominated on the first day, with Hans Asklund, Klas Andersson and Per Ahrbom taking the first three places. José Guerra, from Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria and winner of the Canary Islands Olympic Sailing Week (December 2014), didn’t score in the first race. He’s now in eighth place after a sixth and a fifth, although he could move up with a possible discard tomorrow.
The second of the three days’ racing will be held on Saturday 10 January, starting at 11:00 hours in two race areas. The 2.4 class will be racing in the area next to the retaining wall and the other classes will be racing in the area near the city’s new courthouse. Races in the Techno class (windsurfing) are also scheduled to start.
Translated from Spanish by Jane McGrath
Alison Young, british sailor, working at the gym.
Competitors from Turkey, the United Kingdom, Peru, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Holland, Switzerland, Russia, Finland and Tunisia, as well as Spain, will be taking part in the races that will kick off the RCNGC 2015 sailing calendar.
For 470, 2.4, Laser Standard, Laser 4.7 and Laser Radial there’ll be three days of competition (9, 10 and 11 January). Racing in the Techno class will be at the weekend only.
Trophies will be awarded on 11 January.
In the 2014 International Gran Canaria Trophy, the gold in the men’s 470 went to the Russian crew of Pavel Sozykin and Denis Gribanov. The pair took the silver at the most recent Semana Olímpica Canaria de Vela, held in December, after battling it out for the gold until the last day with Gran Canarian sailors Onán Barreiros and Juan Curbelo, who finally took the victory.
In Laser Standard the win went to Lithuanian Martis Pajarkas and in Radial the overall victory was for Finland’s Tuula Tankanen.
The 2014/15 Gran Canaria Sail in Winter programme has already held the 16th Semana Olímpica Canaria de Vela and the Trofeo Internacional AECIO Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. After this weekend’s International Gran Canaria Trophy, the programme will end with the Regata de Carnaval Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (13, 14 and 15 February), which is particularly important this year as it’s the first race in the Laser Europa Cup series.
Translate from Spanish by Jane McGrath
EVENTS Dec 2021 – March 2022
