Clubswan 42 season opens in Valencia, Spain, for the prestigious Trofeo SM La Reina
by ClubSwan Racing 8 Jul 09:35 PDT
4-7 July 2024
ClubSwan 42 opens the 2024 season with the first of four scheduled events, starting in Valencia, Spain, with the prestigious and traditional Trofeo SM La Reina. 13 teams are participating in the event, some in the ClubSwan 42 OD class and others in the larger ORC fleets, with five nations represented: Estonia, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Over the three days of racing, different conditions tested both the crews and the Race Committee. The first day saw two races with medium-light wind from the east and waves, making the races highly technical with small wind shifts making it a little harder. In the ClubSwan 42 fleet, the 2023 circuit leader, Nadir, started with a last place but recovered by winning the second race. Adriano Majolino, at the helm of Canopo, finished the first day in the lead, with an all-Italian crew featuring Michele Regolo as tactician. The second day had increasing wind and storm warnings, and it was skillfully managed by PRO Ariane Mainemare, who had the fleet complete three races with south wind increasing from 7 to 15 knots. After five races and the discard, the standings saw Nadir in the lead, able to discard the disastrous first race, with three first places and a second. The final day, today, started with rain and unsettled wind, clearing up for the last two races. Canopo was the best of the day, winning both races and securing second place overall, but Nadir remaines firmly in the lead with two third places today, showing great consistency. Pez de Abril by Jose Maria Meseguer finished third.
"It's always very nice to come to Valencia; we were here for the OD World Championship with the Swan 42 two years ago, and just like in 2022 I would say that everything was wonderful and very well organized," said Pedro Vaquer, owner of Nadir. "The sailing conditions are always very good; we completed all seven scheduled races, and we are very happy to compete in real-time as a class, which is what we like. Winning was fantastic, a nice battle with Canopo; I think every year everyone tries to improve a bit, and they have improved a lot, but in the end, we were the best! We are ready for the OD World Championship, but first, undoubtedly, for the Copa del Rey!"
Good results for Swan among the ORC fleets too. In the ORC 0, the Swan 50 Tenaz by Pablo Garriga finished second, while in ORC 1, the podium was all Swan: Elena Nova by Christian Plump (ClubSwan 42) first, followed by another 42, Katarina II by Aivar, and third, the Italian Swan 45 Ulika by Stefano Masi.
"We are very happy here in Valencia; we had a great event," said Christian Plump, owner of Elena Nova. "Of course, I love seeing three Swans on the podium, showing that Swan continues to build the best boats in the world, winning all the races, with both new and older boats. It is a very successful boatyard with very fast boats in all conditions, even difficult ones. I love being a Swan owner!"
"We are thrilled that the Swans have returned to Valencia; it is a pleasure to work closely with the Nautor Swan organization and collaborate again with the Nations League circuit," said Marisa Arlandis, President of the Real Club Nautico de Valencia. "We want to continue to strengthen the relationship with ClubSwan Racing and continue to enjoy the spectacle of watching the Swans sail in Valencia. We would love to host another OD World Championship here and try to replicate the success of the Swan One Design Worlds we had in 2022. We look forward to your return whenever you want; this is your home!"
Federico Michetti, Nautor Swan Head of Sports Activities, praised the race area, the impeccable hospitality of RCNV, and the versatility of Swan boats, stating: "Our boats are true crossover winners in ORC and perform well in One Design. This demonstrates the quality and competitiveness of our yachts, capable of excelling in different conditions and race formats. We are thrilled with the results achieved so far and look forward to the upcoming events of the season with great optimism."
The ClubSwan 42 Nations League circuit will continue in August with its second event at the Copa del Rey Mapfre in Palma de Mallorca, always highly participated, and then will join the other One Design classes for the two most important events of the season: the Rolex Swan Cup and the Swan OD Worlds, respectively in September and October.
The circuit is made possible thanks to the main partners, including Porsche Italia, Rolex, Randstad, and Banor, as well as technical sponsors such as QuantumSails, North Sails, Doyle Sails, Garmin, Sailmon, B&G, Gottifredi Maffioli, AON, Ethimo, and Ferrari Trento.