Vibrant Atmosphere at the Club Nàutic S'Arenal on the Climactic Day of the 60th Gran Día de la Vela

This Saturday, Club Nàutic s’Arenal (CNA) hosted the most intense day, packed with activities, of this year’s Gran Día de la Vela - Bufete Frau, marking a historically significant edition as it celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of its most venerable and long-standing regatta.

The excitement was palpable in every corner of the CNA; this was the grand day of this special edition. The atmosphere was lively both on land and at sea, with the club teeming with enthusiasts of the sea and sailing, who enjoyed the day in a festive spirit.

In sporting terms, on this third and penultimate day of the second assault of the 60th Gran Día de la Vela - Bufete Frau, the weather conditions forecasted yesterday necessitated changes to today's schedule. Despite the reports, today offered strong wind conditions that appeared at 13h, reaching peaks above 20 knots from the south, though quite shifty, which dropped to 12 knots by 18h. This facilitated the setting up of 4 racecourses in the Bay of Palma by the 3 regatta committees.

Traditional sailing had its spotlight in the event, as the first course to kick off with the planned agenda was the Latin sailing, which added much color with the participation of a significant fleet of classic boats that, if just seconds after the start of the race faced a complete lull, were able to enjoy a race with good wind within minutes on a course that offered many opportunities to the 8 boats competing. The more social aspect of sailing also had its moment, with a regatta for the ORC Cruiser class where “Micanga” came out on top, followed by “Mestral fast” and “Brainstorm” rounding out the podium. Thus, sailing, in all its forms, starred in this event. The day also included the monotype competition, with races of the B One class offered by the CNA to its members and interested parties. Nano Barceló, who in 2006 was one of the drivers of this regatta “Gran Día de la Vela”, did not fail to support participation, and his crew clinched the victory in the only race contested in the B One class.

As for light sail competition, the weather conditions only allowed two races for each group of Optimists, one heat for the gold and silver groups of the ILCA 6 class, and unfortunately, none for the ILCA 4.

In the ILCA 6, the fierce rivalry between Marga Perelló (CNR) and Aina Garau (CNA) was evident. Perelló, despite undoubtedly having one of her worst races today, was able to capitalize on the discard round and remains in first position, just ahead of Aina Garau, who today clinched a victory in the only race held.

In the 420 class, Finn Dicke, who was seen swimming early in the XXI Travesía Sa Milla CNA - Cala Blava, won today's race alongside Marisa Alexandra Vicenç, who are currently second in the general classification, behind the Montoya siblings. Thus, sailors from CNA currently dominate the top spots in this class for now.

Today, as planned, the Sa Calma Boats pleasure boat, the silver sponsor of the event, with a capacity for a hundred people, made a trip with interested athletes' parents to enjoy the races on the water. Both on Thursday and Friday, the vessel assigned for this task was the classic llaüt 'Alzina', which will sail again tomorrow, Sunday, with some parents of athletes to witness this magnificent spectacle, featuring more than 450 boats gathered in the eastern zone of the Bay of Palma on the two racecourses set up by the organization. Almost 500 sailors are distributed among the fleets of Optimist, 420, and the ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 classes.

Early in the day, the XXI Travesía Sa Milla CNA - Cala Blava, an iconic open-water swimming event, took place this Saturday starting at 9:30 AM on Es Caló beach with nearly half a thousand participants, and its proceeds will go to charitable causes, as has been the case in previous editions. At the start of the race, the President of the CNA, José Ramón Picó, awarded Tolo Bonet, the father of the race and participant in almost all editions, the club's gold badge.

The highlight event meant to preside over the day was the 60th Anniversary Commemorative Regatta, with joint participation from all light sailing classes, with a "rabbit" start. Almost half a thousand boats were scheduled to meet simultaneously on the water. Originally, this race was to be held at noon, but the weather forecast, depicting a scenario of instability, forced a change in the planned schedule and it was rescheduled for the afternoon. Ultimately, weather conditions prevented its celebration.