Five IMOCA 60s took part with French round the world racer legend Marc Guillemot competing with talented Figaro sailor Morgan Lagravière, who is to take over from Guillemot as Safran’s new skipper from 2015. British skipper Alex Thomson was entered aboard his latest Hugo Boss (ex-Virbac Paprec 3) with Spanish round the world sailor Pepe Ribes, but due to the arrival of his second child, Thomson made the decision to hand over to American skipper Ryan Breymaier. Their campaign was made no easier when they dismasted en route to the start. Fortunately the crew was able to repair the rig at record pace, making it to New York four days before the start.
Spain was well represented by the race’s only mixed crew – Anna Corbella and Gerard Marin, both competitors in the last Barcelona World Race. Spain’s most capped round the world sailor Guillermo Altadill was back on board Team Neutrogena, which he originally skippered when it was launched as Estrella Damm in 2007. He was joined by José Muñoz, the first occasion a Chilean had ever competed in an IMOCA race.
The race was also the first outing for the newest addition to the IMOCA fleet, Spirit of Hungary, marking Hungarian Nandor Fa’s return to the class, following a 17 year absence, joined on board by Marcel Goszleth. Sadly due to delays to the boat’s launching, it only arrived into New York the day before the start. Spirit of Hungary took the start line but then immediately returned to port, and retired, the boat needed some maintenance and further preparation work to be ready for its ongoing programme.
Furthermore the race was the first occasion IMOCA 60s have carried media crewman on board in a major event, fulfilling one of OSM’s key objectives to improve the quality of the media material coming off the boats.
Followers of the race got a taste of things to come in the Prologue from Newport to New York, the weekend before the start, when Team Neutrogena beat Safran Sailing Team by just 1 minutes and 25 seconds.
IMOCA OCEAN MASTERS NEW YORK TO BARCELONA FINAL PRIZEGIVING
This Friday, 20th June at the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, the prizegiving ceremony for the IMOCA Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona Race took place. The double-handed race across the North Atlantic represented an exceptional start to the new IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship.
This new race co-organised by Open Sports Management (OSM) and the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB – Barcelona Ocean Sailing Foundation) provided the crews with a challenging course and the opportunity to train for other IMOCA Ocean Master World Championship events coming up later this year: the Route du Rhum and the Barcelona World Race.
• Maite Fandos, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona and President of FNOB: “This year Barcelona is the world capital of ocean sailing”
• Sir Keith Mills, Chairman of OSM: “This was a fantastic new event that forms part of the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championships and I’m also looking forward to the start of the Route du Rhum and the Barcelona World Race – an action packed year for the class.”
The event was attended by Maite Fandos, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona and President of the FNOB, with Sir Keith Mills, President of OSM, as well as Jean Kerhoas, President of the IMOCA Class, who between them awarded the main prizes.
Enrique Corominas, President of the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona hosted the event. Local dignitaries in attendance included: Miquel Valls, President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Simón Sánchez from Hugo Boss Watches, Gerard Esteva, Vice President of the Union of Catalan Sporting Federations and President of the Catalan Sailing Federation and Barcelona City Council’s Àngels Esteller.
Fandos welcomed the five teams and confirmed that the event “has cemented a relationship that will surely stand the test of time”.
“New York and Barcelona are now united by the ocean. This year Barcelona is the world capital of ocean sailing and on 31st December this year, the city will be an international focal point and you will all be the stars once again.”
Sir Keith Mills added: “I am satisfied that this has been a fantastic event: we’ve had five IMOCA 60 racing boats, 10 skippers, five nationalities and three media crew… and we have been able to raise the profile of and attract significant interest in the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship in the media, from sponsors and the general public. The support has been huge and I’d like to thank everyone involved in this success. I’m really looking forward to the start of the next events, including the Route du Rhum and, of course, the Barcelona World Race, which starts at the end of the year”.
The winner’s trophy for this first edition of the IMOCA Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona Race was sculpted in glass by British artist Paul Critchley. There was great applause when the prize was awarded to the winning team: Hugo Boss, with co-skippers Pepe Ribes and Ryan Breymaier. Hugo Boss arrived in Barcelona on Sunday, 15th June at 20:54:30 local time, taking just over 14 days to complete the 3,720 mile long course from New York.
“It’s a great source of pride to win this race, because it was very competitive and tough, but we pushed it to the limit the whole way and we’ve been rewarded with a win,” said Ribes. “Also, finishing the race in Barcelona, the city I live in, was something very special and it’s always a bonus.” Breymaier added that he had felt a very warm welcome from Barcelona when the pair arrived: “Barcelona’s my favorite European city.”
Four hours later, Team Neutrogena sailed by Spain’s Guillermo Altadill and Chilean José Muñoz arrived, after a very tight battle with Hugo Boss throughout the entire race.
“The regatta went very well for us in terms of testing and preparing the boat for the Barcelona World Race”, said Altadill.
As he was awarded the prize today he added: “The competition was the ideal test for the whole team and the boat. After this I’m really looking forward to starting the Barcelona World Race.” Muñoz also highlighted the demanding nature of the race, his own personal satisfaction with his IMOCA class début and the great dynamic he has formed with seasoned round the world sailor Altadill.
Co-skippers Anna Corbella and Gerard Marín arrived in third aboard GAES Sailing Team. The 15 day long race provided great experience for the crew. “We are very happy because we confirmed that both the crew and the boat have great potential,” said Marìn. Corbella added: “Setting off from the unrivaled backdrop of New York, picking up strong winds in the Atlantic and sailing close alongside our rivals, all the way home to Barcelona… As a sailor, I don’t think I could ask for much more.”
This race was the first scoring event in the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship and is also the first event organised by Open Sports Management, Sir Keith Mills’ sports marketing company based in Lausanne, Switzerland, which holds the commercial rights to the IMOCA class. The IMOCA Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona Race was co-organised by the FNOB and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Prizes Awarded:
Prize for the best Media Crew Member: Awarded by His Excellency Miquel Camps, President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, to Andrés Soriano on Neutrogena.
Prize for the largest distance covered in 24 hours: Awarded by Simon Sánchez from Hugo Boss Watches, to co-skippers Pepe Ribes and Ryan Breymaier on Hugo Boss.
Special Award to Spirit of Hungary: Awarded by Gerard Esteva, Vice-President of the Union of Catalan Sporting Federations and President of the Catalan Sailing Federation, to co-skippers Nandor Fa and Marcell Goszleth.
Special Award to Safran Sailing Team: Awarded by the illustrious Àngels Esteller, Council woman for Barcelona City Council, to co-skippers Marc Guillemot and Morgan Lagravière.
Prize for third place to GAES Centros Auditivos: Awarded by Jean Kerhoas, President of the IMOCA Class, to co-skippers Anna Corbella and Gerard Marín and the Media Crew Member Enrique Cameselle.
Prize for second place to Neutrogena Sailing Team: Awarded by Sir Keith Mills, President of OSM, to co-skippers Guillermo Altadill and José Muñoz and Media Crew Member Andrés Soriano.
Prize for first place to Hugo Boss: Awarded by Maite Fandos, Fourth Deputy Mayor of Barcelona and Councillor for Quality of Life and Sport at the Barcelona City Council, to co-skippers Pepe Ribes and Ryan Breymaier, with Media Crew Member Chris Museler.
Final result for the IMOCA Ocean Masters New York to Barcelona Race:
1.- Hugo Boss – Pepe Ribes (ESP) / Ryan Breymaier (USA)
Finish at Barcelona: 15-06-2014, at 20h 54m 30s local time
Time taken from New York: 14d 02h 44m 30s
2.- Team Neutrogena– Guillermo Altadill (ESP) / José Muñoz (CHI)
Finish at Barcelona: 16-06-2014, at 01h 05m 17s local time
Time taken from New York: 14d 06h 55m 17s
3.- GAES Sailing Team– Anna Corbella (ESP) – Gerard Marín (ESP)
Finish at Barcelona: 16-06-2014, at 15h 53m 45s local time
Time taken from New York: 14d 21h 42m 45s
Retired: Safran – Marc Guillemot (FRA)-Morgan Lagravière (FRA)
Retired: Spirit of Hungary – Nandor Hace (HUN)- Marcell Goszleth (HUN)
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