23 skippers, 19 races and a weekend of shifty winds at La Ràpita. Eduard Bonifacio is Catalan champion.
The Catalan Championship of the IOM class was held on 24 and 25 January, organised by Club Nàutic La Ràpita and Mesmar, managed by Joan Barberà, who once again hosted our class superbly.
After a big promotional effort by the class secretary, 11 skippers came from Andalusia, Vitoria, Murcia, Alicante and France, together with 12 local skippers from Catalonia, a local turnout reduced by a number of withdrawals.
Saturday began with a difficult weather forecast that delayed the start, as it was very hard to lay a course with reasonably steady wind. At around 12:30 the Race Committee (Maggie Alonso, Josep Arrufat and Estela Garcia) managed to set a course so that the 23 competitors could sail 9 races in very unstable winds and strong gusts, which at times caused some unintentional contact between boats due to loss of control.
At around 14:30 the organisers offered all participants a local lunch with an amazing barbecue, a welcome chance to rest, shelter from the cold and recharge.
Racing then continued until 17:00 in the same conditions, leaving José Valverde first, Guillermo Beltrí second and Ramon Goñi third overnight.
On Sunday the south-westerly filled in later than forecast, delaying the first start. Even so, races were sailed in 5 to 12 knots with plenty of shifts and holes, and a short cross swell that, together with the current, made starboard tack very tricky. Racing was much closer and tenser, with a few protests that the Committee resolved quickly. The event ended at 15:30 after 19 races with 3 discards, with the following results:
2nd IOM La Ràpita Trophy
- 1st Guillermo Beltrí (RCN Torrevieja)
- 2nd José Valverde (CM Almería)
- 3rd Eduard Bonifacio (CN El Balís)
Catalan Championship 2026
- 1st Eduard Bonifacio (CN El Balís)
- 2nd Ramon Soler (CM Cubelles)
- 3rd José Manuel Palma (CM Cubelles)
The closing ceremony was attended by Sergi Cadenas, vice-president of the Catalan Sailing Federation; Joan Barberà, director of Club Nàutic La Ràpita; and Paul Le Duc, as class secretary, who addressed skippers and organisers and presented the trophies. Finally, an Iberian ham offered by IOMCAT was raffled among skippers, organisers and club staff.
Day 1 and day 2 videos filmed by Anna Fainytska. Photos: “Campionat de Catalunya IOM 2026 – Fotos Artur” album in the gallery.
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