Moonbeam IV, Alba, Avel and Peter, leaders of the first day at the VI Puig Vela Clàssica

• 700 sailors and 49 sailing yachts with centuries of history come up to Barcelona
• Puig and the RCNB turned the waters of Barcelona into a catwalk where the big stars of the international classic and vintage sailing have parade.
• Thousands of people had been able to enjoy this great show from the beaches of Barcelona and other places of the city.

Once again Barcelona has an undisputable date with the classic sailing and the history. Crews, citizens and tourists have had the chance this morning to enjoy one apassionate first day of regatta, which is organized by the Real Club Náutico of Barcelona. The more than 700 sailors attending the VI Puig Vela Clàssica worked since the very first hour of the morning to have the 50 participating sailing boats before to start the first race, a competition included in the official Calendar of the Spanish Royal Sailing Federation and it scores for the Spanish Classic and Vintage Sailing Boats Competition.

Both Puig and the Real Club Náutico of Barcelona turned the waters of Barcelona into a floating floating catwalk where authentic nautical jewels coming from countries like France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Argentina, United States and Italy have parade. Apart from the sailors, tourists and citizens of Barcelona who where around the beach or the Port Vell have been able to witness at less than one kilometer the evolution of the yachts and their unfurled sails.

First leaders at the general classification

The Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona has started with a difficult day to compete. The stormy conditions at the inner and north Catalan coast, prevented the thermal wind coming from the south to reach the area, leaving just a shy Levant wind over the race course.

Even that, the regattas committee announced the first start punctually at 13:00 p.m. with 7-8 knots of wind and plain sea. The initial route has been divided in 5 stretches established over a quadrilateral area and a length of 14.6 miles. The low wind advised to shorten the area into 3 stretches for the Gaff Rigged Class, and 11.3 miler with 4 stretches for the Marconi Class.

The Marconi Class group closed the starts time, being the Manitou the one with a better start due to the windward. Both the Peter and the Mercury started well positioned, and kept on until they reached the first leader and keep the initiative until the arrival. After the times compensation, the Peter confirmed its good job by bending its opponents, the Manitou and the Mercury, at the final classification.

The Gaff Rigged Class was the third start of the day. The advancement of the Gipsy during the start shoot obligated her to resume the start line with an important delay. The Avel left her intentions very clear since the very first moment, achieving an impeccable length that allowed her to sail without obstacles and secure her rhythm at the after times compensation, where she didn’t had any troubles to impose herself over the also really solid Marigan and the Marigold, which was a little bit more taken down.

Once again the classics fleet the most concurred of the Puig Vela CLàssica Barcelona, with designs and sizes of all kinds. Distributed by the starting line three of the favourite ones: Emeraude downwind, the Yanira windward, the Alba among. All of them started to set the rhythm. After that the wind started going down aggrieving some yachts, which have had to find wind by the right side. Faster and bigger than their rivals, the Yanira and the Emeraude started highlighting themselves, meanwhile the Alba and the Outlaw were playing their best cards. All of them knew that the regatta will be long and that the bigger yachts had to give them some time; finally they were able to impose their law, by winning this first race the Alba, followed by the Yanira and the Outlaw.

The Big Boats has been the first to leave, taking the initiative by windward with the Mariquita and the two Moonbeams, while the Mariette of 1915 did it by balise. During the first leg stretch, the Mariquita and the Moonbeam IV started to get distant in front of their rivals. Both sailing together until the arrival line, which the Moonbeam IV cut with four minutes of advantage, after her attack during the final stage of the stretch. The third position was for the Moonbeam III, who was able to stop the Mariette of 1915 without setbacks.

Results and classifications after the races of the first day