The BCN Race Musto Offshore Godó OOA heads towards Palamós in an edition marked by light winds and strategy

The offshore fleet of the 53rd Trofeo de Vela Conde de Godó OOA faces an approximately 100-nautical-mile course under anticyclonic conditions and calm seas

Salida de la flota grupo B. Bcn Race Musto Offshore Godó OOA © Torveo

Barcelona, May 22, 2026 — The fleet of the BCN Race Musto Offshore Godó OOA set sail this Friday from Barcelona heading north in the second competition block of the 53rd Trofeo de Vela Conde de Godó OOA, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona.

The day began with registration confirmation and the weather briefing delivered by Enric Agud, who forecasted a clearly anticyclonic scenario for the coming hours, with sunshine, warm temperatures and light southeasterly winds.

The fleet was divided into two groups: ORC Crew and ORC Double-Handed / Triple-Handed, which started in two staggered starts at 15:30 and 15:35 respectively.

The fleet crossed the starting line under light southeasterly winds of between 5 and 6 knots, very light conditions that immediately forced crews to search for pressure and carefully manage every manoeuvre from the very beginning of the race.

According to the forecast, the wind is expected to progressively ease during the night, potentially leading to drifting conditions and even complete calms. By Saturday morning, a slight recovery of the southeasterly breeze is expected, with maximum intensities of around 8 to 9 knots.

Given these conditions, the Race Committee decided to send the fleet north towards Palamós on a course of approximately 100 nautical miles, starting in Barcelona, leaving Llosa de Palamós to port before returning to the finish line in Barcelona.

The sea state remains particularly calm, further increasing the importance of strategy, transition management and the ability to find pressure in a highly unstable Mediterranean scenario.

A la derecha Intrigue y izquierda Gratia © Torveo

Each boat has a maximum time limit to complete the course, calculated according to the theoretical performance established in its ORC certificate. According to these estimations, the fastest boats in the fleet should finish the course before approximately 15:30 on Saturday, May 23, while the slowest boats will have until close to midnight.

Current forecasts suggest a particularly favourable scenario for lighter boats capable of maintaining speed in very light winds. In this context, correctly interpreting transitions, positioning in areas with more pressure and minimizing losses during calms will be decisive factors for the final outcome of the race.

Charisma participa con una tripulación 100% femenina © Torveo

Among the fully crewed entries, special attention is drawn to the TP52 “Aproperties Blue Carbon” helmed by Toni Guiu, representing the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona and participating for the first time in the long offshore race of the Godó after recently claiming line honours at PalmaVela.

Also standing out is the Swan 56 “Intrigue” of Joaquín Verona, a regular competitor in major offshore events such as the Rolex Swan Cup and recent winner of the PalmaVela offshore race in ORC 0.

One of the most remarkable projects in this edition is “Charisma”, an all-female team skippered by Pilar Pasanau and including double Olympic medallist Natalia Via-Dufresne among the crew. The project, promoted together with Barcelona Capital Nàutica, brings together sailors who collectively accumulate more than 20 round-the-world races.

In the ORC Double-Handed division, 2025 champions Alicia Gardes and Andreu Pujol return this year with a new boat, the Jump 33 “Wild”, aiming to defend their title. Another strong contender is “HYDRA HM Hospitales”, sailed by Óscar Chaves and Óscar Bachero, recent winners of the A2 category at La Larga de PalmaVela.

At the time of writing, the fleet was sailing off the coast of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, with “Aproperties Blue Carbon”, “Intrigue” and “HYDRA HM Hospitales” leading the race.

The official prize-giving ceremony will take place at the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona facilities on Sunday, May 24, at 17:00.

The BCN Race Musto Offshore of the 53rd Trofeo de Vela Conde de Godó OOA is organized by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona under delegation from the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and with the collaboration of the Catalan Sailing Federation. The event is supported by title sponsors Musto and Oxford Oil Additives, together with La Vanguardia, Barcelona City Council and the Government of Catalonia. Collaborators include Mapfre, De Antonio Yachts, Barcelona Capital Nàutica, Bgreenly, Veri, Royal Bliss, Estrella Damm, Isdin and Gramona.