Victory for the Finnish team Fin1Racing in the first European 69F regattas in Valencia Mar
Fin1Racing wins the “Gran Prix 1” trophy, the Okalys Youth Project team wins second place and Groupe Atlantic achieves third place
On April 23, Valencia Mar brings the final of the event to the public from a 25-meter-long guest boat
Valencia Mar closes the first round of regattas of the 69F Cup with the victory of the Finnish team Fin1Racing. Sailors Iago López, Allan Norregaard and Janne Jarvinen have won seven of the nine races held this weekend at Valencia Mar: the host marina of the 69F Cup European regatta circuit. The Swiss team Okalys Youth Project has claimed second place with the Italian Federico Colaninno on board, while the third trophy went to the young French crew of Groupe Atlantic.
The weather conditions are key for this modality and the Valencian waters have allowed the crews to participate in nine regattas, most of them concentrated on Saturday, April 16. The Fin1Racing team has shown absolute dominance during the competition, winning seven of the nine races held. Today, April 19, the next round of the competition begins – El Gran Prix 1.2 – which will be held until April 23 in Valencia Mar.
For this day, the marina invites the public to enjoy the competition live from a 25 meter long guest boat in which spectators can access a basic pack to live the experience from the sea accompanied by an aperitif and 3 drinks. Valencia Mar also makes a premium pack available to the public, which includes a preliminary briefing with the sailors, going out to sea during the sporting event and a later meal at the La Barraquita restaurant. Tickets can be purchased through the Valencia Mar website.
10 flying crews spread their wings in Valencia Mar
During the “Gran Prix 1” held from April 15 to 17 in Valencia Mar, the Finnish team Fin1Racing demonstrated with their victory that the training carried out during the winter in Valencia Mar paid off: “We trained mainly alone, so it was nice finally compete with the others here and get back to racing. It’s really exciting to see that the level is so high. It was a very intense and hard-fought regatta, a lot of fun!” athlete Allan Norregaard has emphasized. A result of which he feels tremendously proud and of which the performance of sailors Iago López and Janne Jarvinen at the controls of the Persico 69F stands out.
Federico Colaninno, the controller in charge of the Okalys Youth team, explains how the competition was overflowing with adrenaline and fun both on the water and on land: “It was a great event, especially on Saturday: a great windy day, fun to compete. I haven’t sailed in this class since November, we fought hard with the French and the Finns, who showed they trained this winter. We will do the same to be ready for the Junior Foiling Gold Cup final in December.” The Swiss team has been satisfied with second place considering that the team is completely new. “I joined the crew at the last minute and I am pleased to note that we are improving every day, I am sure that we will do even better in the next round of the Junior Foiling Gold Cup”, explains Federico Colaninno.
The very young Groupe Atlantic team plans to participate in Europe throughout the season and in the two Junior Foiling Gold Cup events. For this, it will stop in Valencia and will resume the competition on Thursday, April 21 until Saturday, April 23, the last day of the European tournament. For his part, Valentin Sipan, controller in charge of Groupe Atlantic explains: “There are very competitive teams, such as the Finns and the Swiss, and we have a lot to learn from them. We have to improve and that is why we are here. Let’s see how it goes next week, but I think that regardless of our result it will continue to be a fantastic event”.
Starting on Thursday, April 21, the Groupe Atlantic, Fin1Racing and Oceana Vivo teams will return to the water to compete in the “Grand Prix 1.2”. The rest of the crews will experience for the first time the adrenaline and fun of sailing aboard the Persico 69F in Valencia Mar, a revolutionary circuit made up of authentic “flying boats”, the modality most similar to the America’s Cup boats today.
Valencia Mar, Spanish base of the 69F Cup
Valencia Mar has conquered the organization of the European circuit for its commitment to excellence and for sharing the values and lifestyle of the 69F. In the words of Paolo Casti, CEO of Coming Solutions, Valencia Mar has become “a key strategic base for the development of the 69F project both in Spain and in Europe”. On April 23, the last day of “Gran Prix 1”, the private marina invites spectators to enjoy the thrill of regattas from a 25-meter-long guest boat.
“The 69F format is in a state of great growth, in the same way as Valencia Mar, and that is why the two companies have wanted to join forces to give Valencia a projection to the world, and vice versa; that Valencia once again feel what a high-level competition is like”, declares Gustavo Benavent, director of Valencia Mar.
Currently, the marina has 450 boats, which represents 90% of its occupation with 55% foreign shipowners. It is the only Valencian port that offers moorings with “fingers”, a disruptive concept that allows the boat to carry out mooring and unmooring maneuvers that are much safer and more accessible.
