‘Guaguanco IV’ crowned overall champion of the 12th Volta a Mallorca A3

“Guaguanco IV,” skippered by Thierry Lallemand, takes the overall win after completing the 150-mile course in just under 35 hours. “Modul,” winner in real time and ORC 1-2 class, finished in 33 and a half hours. Light winds and the resulting “accordion effect” shaped the competition.

The 12th Volta a Mallorca A3 – Memorial Jaume Binimelis, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, concluded this weekend with victory for “Guaguanco IV” (Sunfast 330), skippered by Thierry Lallemand (Club Náutico de Altea), after covering the 149.9-mile route in 34 hours, 56 minutes, and 16 seconds. The boat won the overall corrected time classification with a 22-minute and 47-second lead over “Modul” (JV42), skippered by Félix Comas (Club Náutico de Santa Ponça), which was the fastest in real time at 33:29:21. “Blaumarina” (First 31.1), skippered by Miguel Enseñat, completed the podium with a real time of 37:30:07 and a corrected time deficit of 29 minutes and 25 seconds behind the leader.

The race, reserved for ORC cruisers crewed by three sailors, had 22 entries, but only half managed to complete the course due to the lack of wind that dominated the race zone from the north coast of Mallorca. “Smerit,” skippered by Tito Moure and winner of the previous edition, was the first to withdraw, choosing to return to Palma near Sóller.

The race started at 12:05 p.m. on Friday, April 11, with easterly winds allowing for good initial progress between Palma Bay and Dragonera. However, conditions shifted after passing Cape Formentor. Light winds, with the accordion effect and constant regroupings, dictated the pace of the race and tested the crews’ patience and endurance.

“Finishing the Volta a Mallorca is always a success,” said Félix Comas upon arriving at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. “It’s a very demanding race that requires a lot of effort, perfect for a three-person crew to share duties onboard. This year, the north coast offered no clear tactical options. We chose to sail closer to shore. As we approached Palma Bay, we had a scare with the wind dying down, but we managed to cross the line. Some of the fleet behind us chose to withdraw.”

Comas highlighted the challenges of sailing along the east coast: “The east side was quite tricky due to the choppy and disorganized sea. The southwesterly wind took its time arriving and was quite weak because of the lack of sun and thermal contrast. It wasn’t a fast race, but it was an interesting one. That’s what the Volta a Mallorca is like, and I believe we shouldn’t make changes or add ‘intermediate finishes.’ The essence lies in adapting to the conditions each year on the same course.”

In ORC 1-2, “Modul” claimed victory ahead of “Barakah” (Figaro 2), skippered by Daniel Martín of Real Club Marítimo de Barcelona, and “Gudrum VIII” (Nautatec 41), skippered by Diego Colón de Carvajal of RCNP. In ORC 3, “Guaguanco” took the win, followed by “Blaumarina.”

Pedro Marí, skipper of “Enero” (Dufour 34), explained his team’s withdrawal in the final stretch: “It was a very difficult lap, with many calms all around the island. In the Tramuntana range, the fleet split significantly. Without wind, it’s very hard to sail in that area. In our case, the final calm near Cabo Blanco was brutal. We were stopped for three hours and decided to withdraw.”

The 12th Volta a Mallorca A3 – Memorial Jaume Binimelis was the second scoring event in the 2025 I Circuito Interclubs A3, which consists of three races. The first was the 29th Edition of the 300 Millas A3 Trofeo GREFUSA, organized by Club Náutico Moraira, where Guaguanco also won its class. The series will conclude with the 45th Regata Columbretes A3 Trofeu AEDAS HOMES, taking place from June 6 to 8 and organized by Club Nàutic de Vilanova.