Share
See also

Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre

Bright and Breezy on Day 2 in Palma

Wednesday 18 July 2012

 

Racing commenced for day two at the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre bright and breezy, and bang on time. Conditions for the second day could not have been gentler. Russian Swan 60, Bronenosec came off the water having had a very satisfactory day’s racing placing a 9th and 8th in winds that peaked in the early-teens, but stayed below ten knots elsewhere on the Bravo course.

Tommaso Chieffi, skipper on-board Bronenosec commented on the racing; “It was breezier than we expected so we had a good chance to measure up against Emma. We were leading on the first beat and run but as we got towards the top mark she edged ahead beating us by just a few seconds. The second race was a little tougher. Emma tacked on us three times to maintain her lead over us. At the top mark she managed to squeeze ahead the rest of the fleet and we unfortunately had to tuck behind them.”

Love for the sea and passion for sailing have become the motivation and driving force for taking part in Bronenosec’s Mediterranean campaign of which Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre is the fourth event. One of the goals has been to teach and educate the Russian sailors on-board and bring them up to a standard where they can compete against the most experienced teams in the world.

“Our coach Tommaso Chieffi selected the crew very carefully and responsibly. We have a good selection of professional Italian racers and those who are keen to learn and acquire new skills. To get good results, you need a good, professional crew,” said Vladimir Liubomirov, Commodore, Saint Petersburg Yacht Club.

He also talked about how sailing in Russia is gaining popularity and how we should expect to see a lot more Russians at future regattas:

“Interestingly, the first yacht club in the world, the Neva Fleet, was established by Tsar Peter the Great in Saint Petersburg and yacht sailing started to develop. However, it took a decline after Perestroika, and only in the new century has yacht sailing begun to get popular again. There are now Russian sailors in all major races and classes: TPs, Dragons (Russians are fairly successful in this class) and the Maxi class. The size of the boats being sailed is growing too, with demand for boats over 45 feet and the maxi class increasing. With Russian sailing going from strength to strength, the amount of Russian boats in the world is increasing.”

The Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre is organised by the Real Club Nautico de Palma and the Real Federacion Espanola de Veia with the sponsorship of Audi and Mapfre, is the fourth event on the Swan 60’s Mediterranean campaign.

Mapfre PalmaVela 2012 - Prerace