J/45 silvers in Spain's 35th La Ruta de la Sal Race
by J/Boats 1 May 2023 13:45 BST
6-8 April 2023
35th The Salt Route Race © Alfred Farre
The 139.0nm "La Ruta de la Sal" (The Salt Route Race) was one of the slower and trickier editions on record, hosted by the Club Nautico Sant Antoni de Portmany. The race was marked by light to medium winds from the south-southeast.
What made it challenging for all teams was to watch for wind streaks, take the appropriate tack sailing upwind near the rhumbline, and avoid the holes which often materialized without warning. It took a good part of the fleet more than 36 hours to complete the course from Barcelona to Ibiza, part of the gorgeous Balearic Islands that includes such famous watering holes as Palma Mallorca.
This was the second time the gorgeous metallic grey J/45 CALIOPE, owned by Thierry D'Argoubet and skippered by Antonio Lorca from the Club Náutico Sant Feliu de Guíxols, sailed the 139.0nm race from Barcelona to the island paradise of Ibiza.
This year's performance was markedly better, the result of learning the boat and optimizing its speed parameters under the ORC measurement rule. Those efforts paid off as they missed winning the entire ORC Division of 63 boats by a mere 13 minutes on corrected time! Instead, the duo on CALIOPE took home the silver medals for taking second in both ORC A Division and ORC Overall.
More information at larutadelasal.com