The XX Trofeo Presidenta de Cantabria delivered a thrilling weekend of sailing at the Real Club Marítimo de Santander (RCMS), with 25 boats competing across J80 one-design and three IRC categories. Held on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, the regatta formed part of the Circuito Vela RCMS and produced dramatic results headlined by a tiebreak finish in the J80 fleet.
Conditions on Saturday allowed racing to proceed as planned in the Abra del Sardinero. The J80s sailed three windward-leeward races while the IRC cruisers completed two contests in the same format, with the second finishing in front of the RCMS clubhouse.
Sunday morning began with no wind, forcing race committees to hoist the postponement signal. A breeze finally filled in around 13:35, enabling competition to resume. The cruisers tackled a coastal course departing from the club, while the J80s returned to the Sardinero for three more windward-leeward heats.
The J80 class produced the weekend’s most gripping storyline. Fredo La Estrella Del Norte, skippered by José María Torcida, and Palibex, helmed by Jaime Colsa, both finished on 10 net points with identical partial results. The title was decided by their finishing positions in the final race, where Fredo La Estrella Del Norte placed second and Palibex third, handing victory to Torcida’s crew.
On Saturday, Palibex won the opening heat before Fredo La Estrella Del Norte took races two and three. Sunday saw Solintal, sailed by Ignacio Camino, claim victories in the fourth and sixth races, while Palibex prevailed in the fifth.
Solintal rounded out the podium in third overall with 12 points, followed by Etnia Barcelona, skippered by Peru Múgica Elorza, on 15 points. In the J80 B category, Racano, sailed by Manuel Vidal de la Peña, took the win, finishing fifth overall on 25 points.
In IRC 1, Bisagras Abanca (A35), skippered by Francisco Javier Rivero García-Noreña, turned in a flawless performance, winning all three races to finish on just three points. Gorilón (J99), sailed by Emigdio Bedia Fernández, was runner-up on six points after three consecutive second-place finishes. Mi Gabriela (Sun Fast 40), helmed by Juan Ángel Viadero, completed the podium with 12 points.
The IRC 2 division was the largest of the regatta with eight entries. Blendio (Hanse 315), skippered by César Obregón, secured the category win through consistent sailing, posting results of second, first and second for a five-point total.
Airam Cinco (Elan 333), helmed by Mario Ruiz de Villa Valdés, finished second on 11 points. Puntarras (Sun Fast 32), sailed by Luis Lainz Fernández, claimed the final podium spot on 12 points after winning Sunday’s coastal race. Marieta, skippered by Pedro Guijarro, took the opening race on Saturday.
Stardust (First 211), representing the Real Club Náutico de Laredo and skippered by Juan Fernández-Cotero Campos, dominated IRC 3 by winning all three races and finishing on three points. Histoire d’un Rêve (Attalia 32), sailed by Carlos Fernández-Cotero, was second on six points, while Oriental Girl (First Class 26.5), helmed by Carlos Mier Durante, placed third with 13 points.
The prize-giving ceremony took place on Sunday at 17:00 in the RCMS reading room. Attending dignitaries included Susana Ruiz, Director of Sport for the Government of Cantabria; Beatriz Pellón, Councillor for Sport at Santander City Council; and Fernando Mirapeix, president of the Cantabrian Sailing Federation.
Representing the Real Club Marítimo de Santander were club president Fernando Pereda, vice-president José María Torcida, and commodore José Luis Gómez.
