Racing cancelled at GC32 series in Palma with strong breeze

An unseasonal northeasterly offshore breeze on the Bay of Palma was forecast to abate in the afternoon allowing competition to continue on day three of the GC32 Racing Tour at 35 Copa del Rey. Sadly this did not come to pass. 

As Principal Race Officer Anne Malledant explained: “A very strong synoptic wind established itself early this morning. The forecast showed that the thermal wind would lower the synoptic wind, but this didn’t happen and the synoptic wind remained very strong. There were gusts of 32 knots and waves of 1m and it wasn’t possible to race safety.”

The GC32s were not alone in staying tied up at the dock off the Real Club Nautico de Palma as there was no racing today across any of the multiple fleets competing at Copa del Rey MAPFRE. 

Malledant continued: “The local race officials here are very surprised about what happened today because northeast is not a common wind direction for the summer.”

Sadly such instances do occur in a sport in which Mother Nature has the final say.

Skipper of Realteam, Jérôme Clerc, was resigned to today’s lack of racing: “As a new team we need to race against the other boats to improve, so I am disappointed.” 

Even a man who has a strong background offshore racing, Sébastien Rogues, skipper of Team ENGIE, agreed that competing today would have been difficult. “It was very windy and very gusty so I think it is a good decision. I hope tomorrow we can do some good races in – and a lot of them! – because we need to gain one or two places.” Team ENGIE is currently lying in ninth place.

Tomorrow is the last day of racing at 35 Copa del Rey MAPFRE and conditions are looking more promising. As Anne Malledant commented: “I am quite confident about tomorrow because we will have some medium wind from around 215°. So it should be like the first day, and the sea state should be good.” 

To get a full day of racing in, the plan is to start an hour earlier at midday. 

Follow our live coverage of the GC32 Racing Tour at 35 Copa del Rey MAPFRE here

Results after day 3:

– Regatta Media