The MaxiCat Victoria, commanded by navigator Alex Pella, departs from Bilbao in its attempt to establish a new record for sailing around Spain, from Bilbao to Barcelona.
Alex Pella's MaxiCat Victoria, as part of the first challenge of the Elcano Oceanic Trophy, begins its oceanic campaign of preparation for the Absolute Record of the Around the World to the West, with the assault on the absolute record of the circumnavigation of the Iberian Peninsula, uniting the cities of Bilbao and Barcelona.
The objective of Alex Pella and his crew is to highlight the Iberian route by breaking the current record and setting the reference time for the new oceanic trophy, which must be completed entirely under sail, without assistance and without stops.
The RCMA-RSC and the RCNB, yacht clubs from both cities, have created a new sports trophy, which will recognize the best annual sailing time in completing the circumnavigation of Spain under sail.
The Trophy, which is expected to have a sponsor who will provide it with a cash prize, has been created by the renowned Basque artist Aitor Ruiz de Egino. The sculpture has been made of aluminum cast from lost sand, and its finishing and polishing is completely manual. It has a height of 60 cm and a weight of 14 kg. Its design represents a sailboat sailing in a very simple way. The main shape is based on an oblique cone with an elliptical base. The trophy is empty and its interior, painted in Bilbao red, is visible thanks to the void created by the 2 “B” (Bilbao – Barcelona), which creates an effect of dynamism and movement.
The last record for the return to Spain was established by the López-Doriga brothers in 2006, aboard the sailboat 'Arte y Naturaleza', with a time of 12 days and 13 hours, a time that Alex Pella aspires to lower in the coming years. days aboard the 'MaxiCat Victoria'.
The challenge, open to all types of boats and crews without restrictions, stipulates the start or finish line, under the iconic Bizkaia suspension bridge and the timing lines between the wind farm in the port of Bilbao and the W “Vela” hotel in Barcelona, where the clubs involved will take the official departure and arrival times of each challenging boat. The MaxiCat Victoria crossed the suspension bridge at five-thirty in the afternoon, accompanied by a good number of boats, and started the clock as it left the port of Bilbao at 6:00 p.m. 24m. and 30s.
This initiative, promoted by Alex Pella within his campaign to prepare for the Elcano Oceanic Trophy, aims to highlight the return to Spain by sailing. According to Alex Pella, “The route is spectacular, with a series of brutal geographical passes. “This is a Trophy with enormous potential, with a view to becoming a reference test for international teams and especially for the French fleet.”
The images are captured by our drones, during the departure of the crossing in the waters of Getxo.
