Canarian Sailors Excel at European Snipe Championship
Canarians Shine in Vilamoura
Canarian sailors Leonardo ‘Nete’ Armas and Miguel Bethencourt claimed the title of European runners-up in the Snipe class at the regatta that concluded this Saturday in Vilamoura, Portugal.
The crew from the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife also secured the Master category title and finished third overall in the regatta. The overall winners, Argentine sailors Julio Algosaray and Malena Sciarra, were ineligible for the European title, according to a press release from the Real Federación Canaria de Vela.
Difficult Conditions
“This championship has been quite challenging, with very tough wind conditions,” noted ‘Nete’ Armas.
The Arrecife crew finished just six points behind the new European champions, Mallorca’s Jordi Triay and Lluis Mas, and one point ahead of the third-placed Galicians Roberto Bermúdez de Castro and José Ramón Pardo. The 2025 European podium featured a clean sweep for Spain.
“Our aim was to reach the final day with a chance of winning, which required consistent performance. In the last race, we were close, but it wasn’t to be. We missed having a coach with a support boat… that would have greatly helped our competition. This is very important. Nevertheless, we are very happy with the result,” added the sailor.
Strong Canary Islands Representation
Ten Canarian crews participated in the European Snipe Championship 2025, which concluded this Saturday in Vilamoura. A total of 75 boats took part, with ten crews ineligible for the European title as they were American.
The Canarian representation accounted for one third of the Spanish fleet, consisting of 30 boats, illustrating the vitality of the Snipe class in the archipelago.
Seven of the Canarian boats are from the RCN de Arrecife, while three belong to the RCN de Gran Canaria. In addition to Armas and Bethencourt, the performance of brothers Gustavo (with three European titles) and Rafael del Castillo stood out; they were leading the overall standings after the second day of the Portuguese regatta and remained in the front group until they lost their chances in the last two races.
The only female Canarian sailor to compete in Vilamoura, Patricia Medina (RCNGC), formed a crew with Cantabrian Carmen Mateo and was crowned the top female competitor.
