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La Sal 2007




20th OFFSHORE REGATTA RUTA DE LA SAL.


The German J/V 50 ”Caro” and the Ibizan Fortuna 9 “Fju Makky” absolute winners of the 20th Ruta de Sal.

First victory of a foreign yacht at the Ruta de la Sal

“Caro” and “Plis Play” the fastest to reach Ibiza.



A DIFFICULT BUT SPEEDY
AND ENTERTAINING REGATTA


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Departure from the regatta harbours RC Marítim de Barcelona and RC Náutico Denia

The Ruta de la Sal never seems to go out of style. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The twentieth edition of this classic open sea sailing competition, held during the past Holy Week from Thursday, April 5th to Saturday, April 7th, magnificently combined all aspects that make this regatta an extraordinarily exciting challenge. This classic regatta is the main sports event for thousands of Spanish and foreign fans who consider the race to Ibiza an especially promising attraction. After twenty years of history, participation figures have broken their own records with a total of 335 yachts, 175 of them participating in the East Version from the RC Náutico Denia to the PD Ibiza Nueva, and 160 participating in the North Version from the RC Marítim of Barcelona to the major Pitiusan island. And, just like it should be at a true-to-life offshore regatta, the weather forecasts for both courses were confusing and virtually contradictory. After a major storm, which ceased only a few hours before the start of the race, the participants had to tackle rather complex conditions that offered a little bit of everything.

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Arrival of the first boats in Ibiza early Friday morning
CARO, JV 50 of Werner Klink and ATLANT DEL VENT, B&C 52 of David Tur

Cold weather, squalls to 25 knots in heavy showers and storms, heavy swell, areas of light swell, nocturnal calms and, at last, northeast winds that allowed those coming from Barcelona to set the spinnaker and navigate through the waves at velocities that, in case of the longest boats, reached up to twenty knots. On the other hand, the participants coming from Denia had to put up with north winds during a large part of the journey. After a heavy showers that broke up the order of the fleet, the island of Tagomago was finally reached, where northeast and east winds predominated. Just a few miles before reaching the finishing line, the winds ceased allowing the participants to even things out. The major part of the boats coming from the North in the end joined those arriving from Denia, a fact that led to a spectacular arrival with more than 230 yachts crossing the line of Botafoc within less than three hours. All together, quite a lot of scenarios for a regatta, which, once again, has managed to offer all the ingredients needed for a real offshore regatta, where the secret is to know how to squeeze a few extra knots out of each situation. It is a hard job to reach this goal, and everything counts without compromise and without a single moment of idleness. And, moreover, it was a regatta that conveyed the joy of navigating through the open sea.

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Arrival in Ibiza FJU MAKKY, Fortuna 9 of Carlos Tur,
absolute winner of the East Version.
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The crew of PLIS PLAY, Farr 520, winner in real time of the East Version. The crew of J 105, GUADIA CIVIL DEL MAR

“Caro”, a 50 feet sailing yacht skippered by the German Werner Klink, which was designed by J/V to navigate according to the IRC rating rules, was the absolute winner of the North version of the regatta. This was an important victory because the yacht also became the winner in real time, with 17 hours, 43 minutes and 56 seconds to do the North route of the regatta. At the same time, it is the very first foreign boat to become the absolute winner of the Ruta de la Sal. The second winner in general terms was the Ibizan “Atalant del Vent”, a B&C 52, owned by David Tur and Jaume Serra of the CN de Ibiza. The third one to climb the winners’ rostrum was “Mr Fips”, a French H55V skippered by Patrick Mersh. It is quite remarkable that the first three absolute winners of the North Version of the Ruta de la Sal also were the first ones to cross the finishing line in real time. This is not typical for offshore regattas and shows us how well this trio adapted their tactics to the predominating winds and weather conditions. “Caro” the first one to reach Ibiza, arrived on April 6th at 1:43 a.m., one hour and three minutes earlier than the third one. All three yachts reached magnificent results, to which we only can add “Concordia”, a 90 ft-Sloop which crossed the finishing line at 2:27:08 a.m., only seven minutes after “Mr. Fips” had arrived. These four yachts had left all the other boats behind, which, after a calm period, were reaching Botafoc early in the morning. The fifth to arrive in real time was the Pella brothers’ S&S “Galvana” of the RCN of Barcelona which crossed the finishing line at 6:36:20 a.m. and became fourth in compensated time.

Pre-start meetings at the RC Marítim de Barcelona y el RC Náutico Denia
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Skippers’ meeting
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Presentation of the Captain’s bags and distribrution of presents to the participants
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Welcome dinner for crew members
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Meteorologist Tomás Molina among the competitors

Max Klink, skipper of the German yacht “Caro”, commented the results after his arrival at Botafoc: “We opted for a direct course from Barcelona to Tagomago making the most of the northeast winds that had been predicted and in fact prevailed during the entire journey.” These winds reached up to 25 knots allowing the leading group to achieve high average velocities, hitting peaks of 17 knots. Thus, the leading group reached the isle of Tagomago soon enough to avoid the typical early morning calms, which, in this case, split the fleet in two groups, with four yachts clearly leading in real time.

The “Sal village” at the port of Ibiza Nueva
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Welcome Committee
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The Sal Harvest boutique Stand of Ibiza Gran Hotel - Ibiza Casino
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Stand of Betacar motorcycle and car rental Wine-tasting at the stand of Producte Balear
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Images of the “Sal-village”

The general results in compensated time of the East version were quite different. The weather conditions were much more complex, forcing the fleet to navigate more slowly, and a number of calms considerably lessened the time gap between the fastest and the shorter boats. The winner of this 20th edition of La Sal finnaly was “Fju Makky” a Fortuna 9 skippered by Carlos Tur of the CN Ibiza, which, after 19 hours, 17 minutes and 58 seconds, crossed the finishing line on Friday, April 6th, at 11:27:58 a.m., followed by “Cabot i Salom”, Jaume Salom’s Elvstrom 30,5 C of the RCN de Palma, which, after 19 hours, 59 minutes and 53 seconds, crossed the arrival line at 12:09:53 p.m. The third one in general terms turned out to be “Pao III”, a First 36,7 of the CM de Almería, skippered by Francisco J. Gómez, who needed 17 hours, 44 minutes and 45 seconds to do the 117 nautical miles from Denia to Ibiza. The results of the East version show a tendency which has become typical for this route: The results in compensated time even up those in real time, thus significantly leaving behind the fastest boats. As is the case with Vicente Garcia’s Farr 520 “Plis Play” of the RCR de Alicante, which won the race in real time in 16 hours, 01 minutes and 17 seconds, but in the end only reached place 96 in the general classification. The same is true for the “Sport Nautic” of the CN de Denia, a Sydney 46, skippered by Antonio Gadea, which became second in real time after 17 hours, 24 minutes and 16 seconds, but in general terms only reached place 108. The third one to arrive in real time, after 17 hours, 54 minutes and 45 seconds, was Manuel Gallego’s “Itaca IX”, a First 47,7 Bruce Farr of the CN de Calpe, which in the general classification reached place number 60.

The “Sal-village”
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Arrival in Ibiza
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Press conference with regatta winners
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Rally “La Sal” and Oldtimer show
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Images of the “Sal-village”

Pepe Ferres, president of ANAM, believes that the success of this twentieth edition of the Ruta de la Sal is mainly the success of all participants. “The level of this sports event was high, the boats sailed at high velocities, and it was one of the fastest competitions in recent years. Furthermore, more than 90% of the participants were able to finish the regatta, even though both versions have been very challenging and difficult. The regatta began shortly after a heavy storm that had complicated everything until a few hours before the departure of the fleet, and, furthermore, it had left a troubled sea and uncomfortable weather conditions. Next year,” Ferres informed, “we will have a unique event that has never happened before. For the first time ever, the Ruta de la Sal will take place in winter, starting on March 20, which is Holy Thursday. For ANAM, the countdown has already started”.

Prize-giving ceremony of the 20th Ruta de la Sal
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The President of the Consell Insular welcomes the regatta participants
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FJU MAKKY of Carlos Tur.
Absolute winner of the East Version.
CARO of Werner Klink.
Absolute Winner of the North Version.
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The presidents of RFEV and RCND among the competitors PLIS PLAY of Vicente García and CARO of Werner Klink, winners in Real Time
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Dinner Buffet “La Sal” at Ibiza town’s Recinto Ferial


Classification North Version

General
1- Caro (Wemer Klink/JV 50) Independent.
2- Atlant del Vent (David Tur/B&C 52 IMS R) CN Ibiza
3- Mr. Fips (Patrick Mersch/H55V) CNTL

Winner in real time:
Caro (Werner Klink/JV 50) Independent. 17h. 43min 56sec.

Alfa 1
1- Caro (Wemer Klink/JV 50) Independent.
Alfa 2
1- Yate Vale (José Luis Maldonado/First 40.7) RCN Valencia
Alfa 3
1- L’Oreig uno (Marti Gelabert/First 31.7) CN Port d’Aro
India
1- Poseidonia Uno (Ramón Balanzant/Fortuna 9) CN Ibiza
Bravo
1- Dock Sur (Marcelo Devincenzi/neptuno 99) CV Golfus
Charlie
1- Galvana (Hermanos Pella/Sparkmann & Stephens 56) RCN Barcelona
Delta
1- Ender Segundo (Oriol Roger/Lagoon 380) M Port Ginesta
Hotel-Golf
1- Dehlire (Rafa Mundet/Dehler 34) CN L’Escala



Classification East Version

General:
1- Fju Makky (Carlos Tur/Fortuna 9) CN Ibiza
2- Cabot i Salom-Vlamar XV (Jaume Cabot/Elwstrom 30.5 Cruise)RCN Parlma
3- Pao III (Francisco J.Gómez/First 36.7) CM Almería

Winner in real time: Plis Play (Vicente García/Farr 520) RCR Alicante

Alfa 1
1- Elba elba II (Vicente Pairo/Gib Sea 43) RCN Denia
Alfa 2
1- Disarp.Com-El Berry (José Manuel Cardona/Dehler 39 SQ) CN Oliva
Alfa 3
1- Pao III (Francisco J.Gómez/First 36.7) CM Almeria
India 1
1- Majoche (Alejandro Fliquete/First 40.7 Reg) RCN Valencia
India 2
1- Fju Makky (Carlos Tur/Fortuna 9) CN Ibiza
Bravo
1- VGC (José Antonio Torres/ Slecction 37+JP) CN Ibiza
Charlie
1- Cabot i Salom-Vlamar XV (Jaume Cabot/Elwstrom 30.5 Cruise) RCN Parlma
Delta
1- Fletas II (Tomás Cuart/Lagoon 380) Independent
Hotel
1- Alixa (Peter Lienhard/X-Yachts 332 QB) CN S.Antoni
Golf
1- La Buscana (Miles Turner/Bavaria 38 GTE) RCN Denia



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