The ORC DH fleet of the Trofeo Conde de Godó sets course for Palamós

Ten boats start a 100-nautical-mile race expected to finish in the early hours

The bulk of the fleet will begin racing Friday, with nearly 90 boats on the water

Salida de la flota ORC A Dos dirección Palamós © Oscar Torveo

Barcelona, 29/05/25 – The 52nd Trofeo Conde de Godó BMW began this Thursday with the start of the first coastal race for the ORC DH fleet. At 3:00 PM, the starting signal was given for this long-distance race, which will take the fleet to La Llosa de Palamós and back to Barcelona, with boats expected to arrive at the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona in the early hours of the morning.

Korrigan 4, skippered by Joan Balaguer, stood out from the start, leading the fleet at around 7.2 knots off the Maresme coast. Following closely was Shaka, skippered by Joan Olivé and Toni Pozo sailing at 6.3 knots. Behind them came a group led by Diabolic, Ia Orana, Tarterita, Salao Tu, and Drag. Closing the fleet were Mar y Luz, Rateta, and Esther.

While the ORC DH fleet completes their long-distance challenge, Friday will mark the start of competition for the rest of the classes, with nearly 90 boats expected on the water. The ORC classes 0 to 5 and the Promoción category will race under rating and compensated time, while the J70 one-designs will compete in their own class as well as in the Godó Women’s Cup, an all-female category.

La embarcación Korrigan © Oscar Torveo

ORC 0 will feature the largest boats, including two TP52s: the Aproperties-Blue Carbon (ex-Bribon), owned by Toni Guiu, and the new Urbania (ex-Lola), owned by Tomás Gasset – setting the stage for an exciting duel. Also in the spotlight is the Swan 50 Tenaz owned by Pablo Garriga.

In ORC 1, the two DK46s are expected to lead the fleet: Kajsa IIII-Soler Cabot, owned by Swiss sailor Rolf au der Maur and skippered by Luis Martínez Doreste (racing as the Estrella Damm Sailing Team at the upcoming Copa del Rey Mapfre), and HM Hospitales, owned by Óscar Chaves and skippered by Olympic champion Fernando León. The competition will also include the Swan 45s: M10, owned by the Francés brothers from Valencia, and the Argentine Now From One, skippered by Fernando Chaín.

ORC 2 will see 16 entries, including the Sinergia 40 L’Immens, skippered this time by Uruguayan sailor Nicolás González, a former Godó winner with Lady. Also competing is the Archambault 40RC #Ebury, a standout from last season led by Javier Sabiote and Julio Bernardeau. Another strong contender is Es Tes Unno, a Dufour 44 skippered by Francisco Soldevila.

In ORC 3, key names include last year’s ORC DH winner, the Dutch Yellow Rose skippered by Maten Han Ringers, as well as the Alicante-based Falapouco, owned by Andrés Manresa and skippered by José Ballester. In ORC 4-5, Valencia’s Lassal, owned by Gonzalo Calvo, returns to defend the title it won in 2024 in dominating fashion. The Promoción class makes its debut this year with 19 participating boats.

In real-time racing, the J70 class will feature ten teams, with top contenders including Noticia, skippered by Luis Martín Cabiedes, and HangTen, crewed by Jorge Martínez Doreste, Món Cañellas, and Alberto Guillén, among others. In the Godó Women’s Cup, competitors include the RCN Barcelona team, skippered by double Olympic medalist Natàlia Via-Dufresne, and the CN El Balís team, led by Bàrbara Cornudella.

Friday's racing—marking the debut for the ORC, one-designs, and Promoción classes—is set to begin at 2:30 PM.

Organized by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona in collaboration with the Real Federación Española de Vela and the Federació Catalana de Vela, the 52nd Trofeo de vela Conde de Godó BMW is sponsored by BMW and supported by La Vanguardia, the Ajuntament de Barcelona, and the Generalitat de Catalunya. Official partners include Mapfre, De Antonio Yachts, Veri, Royal Bliss, Estrella Damm, Isdin, and Gramona.