The third event of the Barcelona J/70 Winter Series, organised by the Reial Club Nàutic de Barcelona with the collaboration of the Catalan Sailing Federation and the Spanish J/70 Class Association, brought together a total of 26 boats from nine European countries —Hungary, Portugal, Poland, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Spain. Once again, the Catalan capital became a key international stage for high-level one-design sailing, showcasing a fleet of exceptional sporting standard.
Weather conditions were particularly changeable throughout the three-day event, demanding constant adaptation from both the fleet and the Race Committee. On Friday, no races could be held due to unstable wind, very low pressure and an uncomfortable swell that made it impossible to set a reliable racecourse. On Saturday, the situation changed dramatically: sunshine and a southerly breeze ranging from 10 to 16 knots allowed four high-intensity races to be completed. Sunday brought flatter seas and a wind shift towards 260º, blowing between 10 and 13 knots, enabling the fleet to sail three more races out of the four scheduled.
Victory in this third act went to Sassy, skippered by Denmark’s Frederick Hvalsoe, who secured the overall win with 17 points thanks to remarkable consistency and a triumph in the fifth race. In second place finished Noticia, skippered by Luis Martín Cabiedes, delivering a solid performance that included a win in the second race and leaving them just three points behind the Danes. Third place went to the HSN Sailing Team (RCNB/RCNGC), led by Ricardo Terrades, winners of the third and seventh races and newly crowned Catalonia Champions —meeting the requirement that 75% of the crew must hold a licence from Catalan sailing clubs. Rounding off the top five were Bodega Can Marlès (CN Vilanova) in fourth place and the British team Seriousfun in fifth.
In the provisional overall standings of the International Barcelona Winter Series, after three events and a total of 24 races completed, leadership returns to the HSN Sailing Team, who once again move to the top of the table. For this event, the team raced with Javier Padrón on the helm, Luis Martínez Doreste as tactician, Ricardo Terrades as trimmer and Gerard Bosch at the bow, replacing the usual bowman Adolfo López. Noticia, helmed by Luis Martín Cabiedes, continues to show outstanding form, consistently finishing within the top four in all races sailed. Meanwhile, Bodega Can Marlès, led by Ángel Blázquez and Lucía Pombo, remains second overall after strengthening their crew for this series with Olympic sailor and Spanish SailGP team member Joel Rodríguez as tactician, while his brother Nahuel took the helm in place of Tenerife’s Alejandro Pérez.
The next event will take place from 12 to 14 December, with participation expected to exceed 30 boats on the starting line. The Barcelona Winter Series thus reaffirms its status as one of Europe’s leading circuits for the J/70 class.
The Barcelona Winter Series 2025–2026 is organized by the Reial Club Nàutic de Barcelona, with the support of Renting Ribs and the collaboration of the Barcelona Provincial Council, the Spanish J/70 Class Association, the Catalan Sailing Federation, Estrella Damm, and Veri.
