A pretty typical start to the day getting up around 10 ish and wandering up to the club for a café con leche before setting of for Sanxenxo (pronounced Sangenjo). Something however wasn’t quite normal. There were throngs of people all over the place and a number of what looked like large rowing boats with people in team shirts doing warm up exercises. This was regatta day – rowing style! We also noticed four large orange marks strategically placed across the exit of the marina (the start line actually) which was going to present a challenge getting out.
We finished our coffee and went up on the sea wall along with a couple of hundred other spectators to watch the race. In addition however to the rowing boats, there was a regatta for what looked like Cornish crabbers. There must have been twenty or so of them.
They tacked slowly out of the harbour in about 2-3 knts of wind and off to the bay for their race. There were 8 rowing boats and split into two heats of 4 boats. The first race started at noon. The photo below shows the start.
These were big machines with a lot of power on board. The race was out to buoys about a mile offshore and back and then this repeated for a second lap. Of course at the time we didn’t have a clue what was going on. You got the impression this was all about brute force and it probably was for a lot of it but the mark roundings were very skillful. The following photo shows them coming up the half way stage and about to round their individual marks.
The blue boat (far left) was first to cross the line but was a little wide of the mark. The yellow boat (2nd from right) was a bit behind but just right on the mark (with each port oar hitting the mark!!). Notice the guy on the front (on the green boat – right) using his oar to help steer round the mark. As can be seen in the next shot, the green boat didn’t quite make it and almost hit the mark head on slowing it down a lot.
End result, the yellow boat took a boat length out of the other two. It eventually went on to win the race by about 2 boat lengths. We watched the second heat and then everyone walked off. Obviously lunch time then. Time then for us to make our exit so we went back to the marina to get the boat ready while the start line was quiet.
The sail up to Sanxenxo was very quiet apart from the drone of the engine as the wind was almost none existent. As you can see from the photos, the weather had at last warmed up with blue sky, pods of dolphins and a very flat sea. There was a major sailing regatta taking place in the Ria de Pontevedra when we motored in – probably up to 100 boats racing down to Ria de Vigo (we had been warned hence timed our arrival for Friday). Snag was – they were not going anywhere with no wind. We motored to the marina and after hanging around for an hour or so on one of the big motor boat berths we were shown to the visitor’s pontoon which was now empty with the 100 regatta boats having left.
The mariniers spoke a little English but were not too helpful with sorting out registration. It was a public holiday so the office was closed (but then it did open). There were no keys to the access gate but we were assured someone would be there all the time to let us in. The showers however looked to be the best we had seen since Dunstaffnage so Pam was happy. I’ll give you a more detailed run down on the place in the next post.
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