Class D vessel, Sea Lion of London (UK), was the first vessel to cross the finish line off Cadiz today (Wednesday 27 July) after an exhilarating two days of racing, covering 240 nautical miles along the southern corner of the Iberian Peninsula.
With wind conditions conducive to high speeds, the second leg of The Tall Ships Races 2016 delivered one of the highlights of recent years, with intense competition flowing through the fleet.
Race Director, Paul Bishop, gave the following report:
“It’s been a fantastic race – very hotly contested with Sea Lion of London (UK) taking line honours ahead of Class D, Rona II (UK), who were ahead of Class A, Mir (Russia). The fleet enjoyed ideal sailing conditions for the majority of the race, which then turned light and variable towards the end. But, this is always good experience for the trainees, who have the opportunity to learn about navigation and tactics to make the most of the wind they have.”
Provisional class placings on corrected time are below – as shown on the Leaderboard of Yellow Brick, the satellite tracking system. These results are updated every 15 minutes.
However – the Sail Training International Race Committee expects some changes to these results. They will now be considering the race declaration forms which the ships are handing in on their arrival into Cadiz and the final results will be officially announced on Friday (29 July).
The Class placings are:
Class A
- Amerigo Vespucci (Italy)
- Christian Radich (Norway)
- Statsraad Lehmkuhl (Norway)
Class B
- Vera Cruz (Portugal)
- Rupel (Belgium)
- Jolie Brise (UK)
Class C
- Polonez (Poland)
- Hosanna (France)
- Black Diamond of Durham (UK)
Class D
- Politechnika (Poland)
- Bies (Poland)
- Sea Lion of London (UK)
The fleet are now arriving early into the Port of Cadiz to start preparing for the festivities planned over the next few days (28-31 July). The deadline for arrivals is 12 noon Thursday 28 July.
Forty three vessels are expected to grace the harbour and already the port is buzzing with exhibitions and stalls setting up in preparation for the festival to begin.
Cádiz is hosting the event for the fourth time as the finish port for race two and the start port for race three. Bands, sports activities, dancing, running and lots more has been planned for the crews. And outside the event area Cadiz is a great place to explore. It’s one of the oldest cities in south-west Europe; has been a centre of power and influence for centuries and has been key to Spain’s growth as a nation. There’s much history to discover, with craggy sea walls, fascinating monuments and intriguing museums.
Photo: Sea Lion of London (UK) during Race two of The Tall Ships Races 2016. Photo courtesy of Richard Sibley.