Santander Bay once again confirmed its international reputation as a sailing venue with a spectacular 29er Spanish Cup, held as part of the 11th Santander International Sailing Week. The Balearic Islands crew of Francisco Truyols and Pablo Romero claimed the national title after withstanding pressure from the Canary Islands duo of Jaime Lang-Lenton and Barnabás Denes in a championship decided in the final races.
The Spanish 29er Cup kicked off the competitive schedule of the 11th Santander International Sailing Week with a packed program of events organized by the Real Club Marítimo de Santander. The event brought together some of the best youth crews on the national scene in one of the most technical, fast-paced, and demanding classes in international dinghy sailing.
Over three days of competition, the Cantabrian Bay provided ideal conditions for the event, with eleven races held in westerly winds of 12 to 15 knots. The windward-leeward format showcased the fleet’s exceptional physical and tactical prowess, once again establishing Santander as one of Europe’s premier sailing venues.
The Balearic Islands hold off the Canary Islands’ attack
The reigning Spanish champions, Francisco Truyols and Pablo Romero of the RCN Palma, managed to hold onto the lead on the final day after an extremely close championship. The Balearic Islands duo put in a very solid performance, especially in the final races, to finish the competition with 17 points.
The Canarian team was at the center of one of the major developments of the championship on Saturday. Jaime Lang-Lenton and Barnabás Denes, representing RCN Gran Canaria and Naviera Armas, briefly took the lead in the standings thanks to their consistently strong performance. They ultimately finished in second place with 21 points.
Rounding out the podium were Canarian sailors Lili Skomska and Silvia Medina, who put in a strong performance to finish third with 24 points, underscoring the excellent form of the island’s young talent.
Cantabria just misses the podium at home
The Cantabrian fleet maintained a strong presence throughout the championship, battling for the top spots right up until the final day. Brothers Asier and Álex Vivanco, of the RCN Castro Urdiales, finished fourth after remaining in contention for the podium for much of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the crew of Sissel Acasuso and Jorge Campos, representing the RCMS, rounded out the top five in a particularly tight overall standings.
The SRCD Trophy rounds out a great weekend of recreational sailing
Alongside the Spanish 29er Cup, the Bay of Santander hosted the Regional Society of Culture and Sports Trophy – SRCD Sailing Circuit for the Optimist, RS Feva, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and Snipe classes.
The team from the Real Club Marítimo de Santander put on an outstanding performance, securing victories in virtually every category. Pedro Pombo won the Optimist class, Ana Echaure and María Domínguez dominated the RS Feva class, while Neco del Castillo and Fernando Echávarri won the ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 classes, respectively. In the Snipe class, Enrique García de Soto and Luis Abarca took the win.
The fact that both competitions took place at the same time turned the bay into a true celebration of recreational sailing and reinforced the RCMS’s commitment to combining high-level competition with the promotion of youth sailing.
International Sailing Week continues through June
The Spanish 29er Cup marks the start of an extensive regatta schedule that will take place in Santander through mid-June as part of the 11th Santander International Sailing Week.
The next major event will be the 26th SAR Don Felipe de Borbón-Cantabria Infinita Regatta, considered one of the most important cruising races in northern Spain, which will bring together top crews from the Bay of Biscay.
- Overall Standings
- Spanish 29er Cup
- 1. Balearic Islands. Francisco Truyols/Pablo Romero. RCN Palma
- 2. Canary Islands. Jaime Lang-Lenton/Barnabás Denes. RCN Gran Canaria / Naviera Armas
- 3. Canary Islands. Lili Skomska/Silvia Medina. RCN Gran Canaria/Naviera Armas.
- Regional Society of Culture and Sports Trophy – SRCD Sailing Circuit
- Optimist
- 1. Pedro Pombo. RCMS
- 2. Miguel Echávarri. RCMS
- 3. Claudia Herrera. RCMS
- RSFeva
- 1. Ana Echaure and María Domínguez. RCMS
- 2. Bingen Alcíbar/Juan Echeita. CV Santoña
- 3. Sara Seoane/Olaia Bengochea. RCMS
- ILCA4
- 1. Neco del Castillo. RCMS
- 2. Ignacio López-Dóriga. RCMS
- 3. Nicolás Ramos. RCMS
- ILCA6
- 1. Fer Echávarri. RCMS
- 2. David Sales. RCMS
- 3. Paul Emezabal. RCMS
- Snipe
- 1. Enrique García de Soto/Luis Abarca.RCMS
- 2. Javier Cifrián/Tomás Merendón.RCMS
- 3. David Solana/Javier Gutiérrez.RCMS
