Over three days the bay of Arrecife was the stage for a new edition of the competition with the participation of more than thirty boats
During the celebration of the XI César Manrique Trophy, Lanzarote once again demonstrated that it has one of the best regatta courses in the world just a few metres from the coast. The competition saw more than thirty boats from Madeira, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote racing over three days, delighting sailing enthusiasts with spectacular regattas of boats in the ORC 1 to 2, ORC 3 to 5 and ORC Special classes.
Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, was the epicentre of the race and many fans followed the competition from the promenade that runs along the coast of the entire city, as well as from spectacular locations such as the Castillo de San José or the islet of La Fermina. On the last day, the organisers made a boat available to the fans so that they could follow the exciting final races very close up.
Joaquín Blanco Roca’s “Butxaca”, from the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria, was the overall winner, followed on the podium by Ye Cabrera’s “Lanzarote Sailing Paradise”, from the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, and “Alpispa 2”, from the Club Marítimo Varadero with Francisco J. Olivares at the helm.
During the three days of competition, with two races per day, the top positions on the leaderboard alternated, with the intensity of the wind meaning that crews had to maintain concentration to manoeuvre without losing the wake of their rivals. The ORC 1 to 2 class was won by “Lanzarote Sailing Paradise”, in ORC 3 to 5 victory went to “Butxaca” and in ORC Special “Lancelot” of Agustín Espinosa (independent) won.
The final podium by class was as follows:
ORC 1 to 2 class
1º Lanzarote Sailing Paradise – Ye Cabrera – RCNA
2º Katanga – Ray Pattenden – RCNA
3º Sorcery – Antonio Hernández Manchado
ORC 3 to 5 class
1º Butxaca – Joaquín Blanco – RCNGC
2º Alpispa 2 – Francisco J. Olivares – CM Varadero
3º Matador- Cristóbal Amador – RCNT
ORC Especial class
1º Lancelot – Agustín Espinosa – independent
2º Tamy – José M. Onieva – RCNA
3º Lausamar – José Sbert – RCNT
At the trophy ceremony, veteran sailors Miguel Ángel Armas Matallana, from the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, Cristóbal Amador Pérez, from the Real Club Náutico de Tenerife, and Felipe del Rosario Hernández, each received a sculpture of the “Diablo de Timanfaya” as a reward for their continued participation in the César Manrique and San Ginés regattas, recognising them as sailing legends. A reproduction of a César Manrique drawing converted into a sculpture was also awarded as a prize to the overall winner and to the winners of each class.
This great event, which bears the name of the island’s most universal artist, was born in 2002 with the aim of positioning Lanzarote within the high-level sailing circuit. It was the first regatta to take the TP52s out of the Mediterranean and also the first competition in the Canary Islands to include the participation of TP52s, GP42s and Swan 45s. This is the second edition organised jointly by the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife and Caleros Marinas, a partnership that has once again been successful according to the assessments of the sailors themselves.
