Trofeo de vela Conde de Godó

Last Saturday I was invited to participate as an accredited photographer to go with sailboats in the regatta for the trophy Conde de Godo 2016.

It was a pity it wasn`t the best day. We didn’t have winds uper than 4 knots and the competition was postponed for several hours.  At least, when they gave the start to the regatta beacause there was the expected and minimun required 4 knots, the sails began to spread the sails and gave us the opportunity to take some pictures.

It didn’t last for a long time. The regatta was suspended because  the wind dropped again to less than three knots a few minutes from to start. Any way, I would like to share with you the few pictures I cuold made and thanks to trophy Conde de Godo’s  press office, specially to Neus Jordi who gave me the invitation to this important event. Enjoy the pictures.

Barcelona World Race: And the winner is…..

Precise moment of crossing the finish line.

Yesterday I had the privilege of living from first hand the arrival at the finish line of the winners of the Barcelona World Race. Cheminées Poujoulat skippered by Jean Le Cam and Bernard Stamm, reached the goal in Barcelona yesterday at 18:45h after having circumnavigated the world in 84 days.

One step to success. Barcelona in the background.

I share with you some photos I took thanks to the kindness of the press department of the organization of the race that allowed me boarding one of the few boats for photographers and cameramen who had the opportunity to witness this historic moment. I not only enjoyed the event in a privileged position, but also had the opportunity to do it surrounded by some of the biggest specialized photographers. I would like to say thank you to the press department of the BWR.

Below is an excerpt from the press release :

The vastly experienced duo, Bernard Stamm (SUI) Jean Le Cam (FRA) have won the Barcelona World Race 2014-15 and set the reference time for the two crew round the world race: 84 days, 5 hours, 50 minutes and 25 seconds to complete the 23,321.76 miles of the theoretical course

Cheminées Poujoulat, co-skippered by Bernard Stamm, 51, (Switzerland) and Jean Le Cam, 55 (France), sailed to victory today, winning the third edition of the Barcelona World Race, the non stop, round the world race for two crew, crossing the finish line at 17:50:25hrs UTC (18:50:25hrs CET/Barcelona) in light winds, 10-15kts SE and smooth seas. The Swiss-French IMOCA 60 completed the theoretical course 23,321 nautical miles (43.191,9 Kilometres) of the theoretical course non stop (stops are penalized in this race) at an average of 11.53kts

Bernard Stamm (SUI) and Jean Le Cam (FRA)

Bernard Stamm (SUI) and Jean Le Cam (FRA)

Barcelona World Race-One month in

“Four weeks after the Barcelona World Race started on a warm, sunny afternoon off the Catalan capital, just hours before 2014 became 2015, and the fleet is now well spread over very nearly 3000 miles of ocean. Bernard Stamm and Jean Le Cam on Cheminées Poujoulat are pushing on well in the relatively moderate conditions of the South Indian Ocean, teasing their margin out today beyond 200 miles once again, ahead of Neutrogena, Guillermo Altadill and José Munoz.” (From the press note).

In view that the competittors are almost in the first month of the race around the World, I share some pictures of Hugo Boss’s team in action the first day of the competition, still in Barcelona, last December 31. Hugo Boss was the favorite and they were in the front rank during some days until the main mast had broken in the Atlantic and they had to left the competition and change course to the nearest port in Brazil (January, 14). So, now there are only 7 teams in competition and three of them had achieved the Indian Ocean few days ago.

I also prepared a video with the routes of the ships since the first day until now, using the app the contest organization left in this link. You can follow all the route this way.

Barcelona World Race – The start

Seven days ago started the Barcelona World Race, the double-handed (two crew per boat), non-stop, round the world regatta with 23,450 miles to sail. Regatta began at noon in front of the beaches of Barcelona with a bright sun, light wind, 2-6 knots, and some swell.

“It felt less like the last day of 2014 in the depths of winter, and more like a day stolen from summer. The warmth of the sunshine leant an almost surreal air to the emotional scenes as the 16 skippers left the Barcelona World Race dock. They may be heading for some of the most feared stretches of the world’s oceans, but there was a welcome serenity as the crowds bid farewell to each of the duos. To those observers and skippers more used to the oppressive atmosphere of other winter race starts, usually contemplating Atlantic storms, it was a pleasant change.”

I had the opportunity to follow the yachts, sailboats type IMOCA 60 to the start line and trought the first miles of the race in front of Barcelona’s beaches. Here I share some of this day’s pictures. In future posts I’ll share some pictures of the 8 yachts in action this day. Enjoy it

If you want to know where they are now, follow the BWR’s tracker here.

The pontoon for the Barcelona World Race

The race pontoon for the Barcelona World Race was opened to the public yesterday, at 18 days before the two-handed race, non stop around the world starts on 31st December.

An extract of the BWR Web page saids that:

The Barcelona World Race is the first and only double-handed (two crew per boat), non-stop, round the world regatta. It is a lap of the globe starting and finishing in Barcelona (Spain). External assistance is permitted, although there are strict penalty regulations. This is an extreme sporting challenge and ocean adventure that puts human limits to the test.

I will be covering the event until the departure of the ships on December 31. Meanwhile, I will share with you some photos of the preliminary events, in order to create the mood for such an interesting competition. Please follow it by Please … don’t move

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You can see my first Barcelona World race’s post here.