Racing Success for Real Club Náutico de Arrecife at European Championships
Members of the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife achieved a significant international milestone this week, with Leonardo Armas “Nete” and Miguel Ángel Bethencourt securing the runner-up position at the European Snipe Championship. The event, held in Vilamoura, Portugal, featured seven crews from the club, all of whom fought for a podium finish from day one.
Championship Overview
The Snipe European Championship commenced last Tuesday, with a total of ten races scheduled over five days of competition. However, only seven races could be completed. The two races planned for Friday were cancelled due to a lack of wind, and only one race took place on Thursday.
Consistent Performance
Nete Armas and Miguel Ángel Bethencourt positioned themselves in the upper echelon of the standings from the outset and maintained their chances of becoming European champions right up to the final race. In the last race on Saturday, the Arrecife sailors relinquished their lead to the Spanish duo, Jordi Triay and Lluis Más from CM Mahón.
Narrow Miss for the Title
The Lanzarote-based team finished just six points shy of the European Championship title, earning a commendable second place instead. The winners of the competition held in Vilamoura were Argentinians Julio Alsogaray and Malena Sciarra, although their results were not counted towards the European Championship standings. Additionally, Nete Armas and Miguel Bethencourt secured victory in the Master category.
Performance of Other Crews
As for the remaining sailors from the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, Miguel Ángel Lasso and Marcos Pedraza concluded the competition in 24th place, while Rafael Lasso and Alonso Pérez finished just below them in 26th. Pedro de León and Oscar Pattenden placed 31st, followed by Miguel Ángel Naverán and Luis Hernández in 40th, Matías Garcías and Álvaro Bernal in 59th, and Fernando Domingo Hernández and Alejandro Alonso in 60th position.
Club President’s Remarks
The president of the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, Julio Romero, expressed pride on behalf of the Board of Directors in the performance of their sailors at the Snipe European Championship, particularly commending the achievement of the runners-up title by Nete Armas and Miguel Ángel Bethencourt, who battled through to the final race for the championship title.
