The third day of the 47th Christmas Race, held from December 19 to 22 in the bay of Palamós, was completed after the ILCA 6, 420, and 29er classes completed three races, while the ILCA 4 completed two races. A discard was applied in all classes after the fourth race was completed.
The wind blew gently from the S-SW, 6 to 8 knots. It was a technically challenging day for both the committees and the fleet due to the fluctuations in wind intensity. In the Bravo area, a section of the ILCA 6 race had to be shortened due to a wind drop.
29er
Close battle in the 29er class overall standings, making the debut of the EuroCup 2024 in Palamós thrilling. There’s a difference of less than nine points between the first and tenth crews, leaving all possibilities open with three races ahead. Dutch team Tjed Wildeboer/Lars Van den Berg claimed the lead after achieving a 4-19-2 score. Close behind are German sailors Moritz Wagner/Leo Gradel, who won the last race, and the first mixed crew, Italians Federica Contardi and Lorenzo di Pietro. The initial leaders, Spanish sailors Santiago Núñez/Ricardo de March, faced a challenging day, slipping to fourth place. However, with the standings so tight, they are only three points away from the lead. The first female crew, Italian sailors Victoria Demutras/Caroline Karlsen, hold fifth place overall. The Optimist class world champion, Henric Wigforss alongside William Drakenberg, won the first race of the day and secured sixth place overall.
ILCA 6
Ukrainian sailor Oskar Madovich heads into the final day of the Christmas Race with a significant lead in the ILCA 6 class, holding a 27-point advantage over the second-placed French sailor Gilda Dondona. Madovich, with a 3-6-3 score, couldn’t maintain a perfect streak as he was leading all races, but his lead is comfortable enough to secure the title. Meanwhile, Dondona had an almost flawless day with a 5-1-1 score, securing the fight for the runner-up position. Canadian sailor Carlos Charabati holds third place, nine points behind second and five points ahead of the fourth-placed Dutch sailor Abel Melens. Spanish sailor Joan Fargas (CN Cambrils) is placed in fourth position, just two points away from the podium.
ILCA 4
In ILCA 4, Spanish sailor Quim Ferrer (CN Sant Feliu) climbed to the top position from second place. Despite a tough start on the second day with a 29th place (which he discards) and a sixth place in the last race, he manages to lead going into the final day. Only one point behind is Dutch sailor Alexander Hartsink, mirroring Ferrer’s positions with an eighth and a discarded 29th place. Third place is for Àlvar Vila (CN Cambrils), seven points behind the leader. The first female sailor is Iiris Sepponen from Finland.
420
The battle for victory in the 420 class at the Christmas Race seems likely between the British duo Neil Mardsen/David Bromikiw and French team Simon Prot/Berier Joyet Swan, separated by two points. Another British crew, Alice Davis/Oliver Rayner, is nine points behind their compatriots. The first Spanish crew, José Antonio Ruiz/Vicente Hernández (CN Puerto Sherry) are just six points away from the podium. The first female crew, French sailors Joane Ezraty/Ainoa Philippe Sasiain, hold fifth place.
The last three races of the 47th Christmas Race are scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, with a deadline to give a start at 3:30 PM, and the prize-giving ceremony scheduled at 4pm at l’Espai del Peix.”
