Having spent the last 3 months in Spain, Dee and her team are looking forward to bringing her Open 60, GAES Centros Auditivos, back to the UK. The next few days will see the team welcome guests and sponsors aboard for some sailing followed by preparations for the delivery trip back home to Gosport.
On completing the Vuelta a Espana on 1st July, Dee looked back on the race saying:
“If you ignore the mountainous regions, our circuit of Spain has been completed. Just before dawn we ghosted across the finish line off Barcelona, one month to the day since we departed. The Veulta Espana a Vela has been interesting, exciting, frustrating and fun. Overall we would return. It has been good to line up against the well practised and experienced French teams as well as the equally talented and newer Spanish teams.
We have had a great opportunity to comprehensively test the modifications we have made to the boat, GAES Centros Auditivos. After three months in the shed it has been a relief to be back on the water, however, a full night’s sleep is definitely high on the priority list. With short stages and short stopovers all the teams and their shore crews have struggled with finding a rhythm although it has been interesting to see how this has produced greater interaction and assistance between teams and their shore crews – with Franglais and Spanglish definitely being the language on the dock. The prize giving tonight will be a chance to celebrate Marc Guillemot and Safran’s victory, however, for our next event sixth is not a place I am hoping to finish!
Overall rankings in the Vuelta a Espana
Vuelta a España a Vela, final rankings, after 6 legs
Place, Boat, Skippers, Nationality, Total pts (Leg 1, Leg 2, Finisterre, Leg 3, Gibraltar, Leg 4, Leg 5, Palamós, Leg 6)
1. Safran, Marc Guillemot, FRA, 11,5 (1+2+0,5+1+0,5+2+1+1,5+2)
2. PRB, Vincent Riou, FRA, 18,5 (2+1+1+2+1,5+6+2+2+1)
3. Estrella Damm, P.Ribes/ A.Pella, ESP, 32 (5+5+2+4+1+4+5+1+5)
4. W Hotels-Nova Bocana, P.Rivero/ A.Piris, ESP, 32 (4+4+1,5+3+3+8+3+2,5+3)
5. Movistar, I.Martínez/ X.Fernández, ESP, 35,5 (3+3+2,5+6+2,5+10+4+0,5+4)
6. GAES Centros Auditivos, D.Caffari/ A.Corbella, GBR/ESP, 49 (6+6+3+5+2+12+6+3+6)
7. Central Lechera Asturiana, J.Merediz/ F.Palacio, ESP, 59,5 (7+7+3,5+7+3,5+14+7+3,5+7)
8. Pakea Bizkaia, J.Mumbrú/ C.Sanmarti, ESP, 68 (8+8+4+8+4+16+8+4+8)