Last weekend, the Real Club Náutico de Madrid hosted the 2026 Iberian Snipe Championship, one of the highlights of the class’s national calendar, with 38 boats participating from Spain and Portugal. Joaquín Armengot and María Lamothe claimed the overall title after a closely contested competition that was decided in the final race.
The 2026 edition of the Iberian Snipe Championship featured a particularly competitive race on the waters of the San Juan Reservoir. As many as four crews entered the sixth and final race with a real chance of victory, adding intense sporting drama to an event marked by close competition and tactical demands.
The overall victory went to Joaquín Armengot of the Valencia Sailing Club and María Lamothe of the Real Club Náutico de Madrid, who handled the pressure better on the decisive day. Their victory in the final race allowed them to clinch the championship with a two-point lead over Fabio Bruggioni and Felipe Rosa Bruggioni, representing the host club.
The champion crew posted a very solid and consistent scorecard with legs of 1-3-2-4-3-1, which proved decisive in securing victory in a very close competition.
Third place went to Martín Bermúdez de la Puente and Beatriz Díaz, who started the championship tied for the lead with Armengot and Lamothe after the first few races. However, inconsistent performance down the stretch dropped them to third place, five points behind the leaders.
He also highlighted the performances of Francesc Terrasa and Fernando Velarde. The Balearic Islands crew remained in contention for the top spots throughout the championship and finished fourth, just shy of the podium.
Challenging conditions and shifting winds in San Juan
The weather conditions were one of the key factors in the championship. On the first day, an easterly wind prevailed; it was initially very shifty but gradually lost strength, forcing the Race Committee, chaired by César Sans, to modify the courses to ensure the validity of the races.
Later, the wind settled down, allowing three races to be completed without any major issues.
The second day presented further challenges, this time with a very gusty and shifty westerly wind coming from the narrows of the reservoir. The sudden shifts in wind strength caused several capsizes and some equipment damage, making the race even more technically demanding for the crews.
Even so, the committee managed to complete the scheduled program of six races, allowing for a discard in the final standings.
In the masters category, the victory went to Julio Soria and Álvaro Maristany, while the top junior crew was made up of Luca Rosa Bruggioni and André Rosa Bruggioni.
In addition to the Iberian title, Armengot and Lamothe also received the 65th San Isidro Trophy and the 55th Miguel López Dóriga Trophy, awards reserved for the best crew with no discards, which, in this edition, coincided with the overall winners of the championship.
The RCN Madrid is solidifying its role in indoor sailing
The 2026 Iberian Snipe Championship was organized by the Real Club Náutico de Madrid on behalf of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the Portuguese Sailing Federation, in collaboration with the Madrid Sailing Federation and the Spanish Association of the International Snipe Class.
The Madrid-based organization thus maintains its leading role in Spanish inland sailing, with a schedule that will continue in June with the Spanish Soling Cup and the Spanish Optimist Cup on inland waters.