There is only one flag winner that is indisputable, but winners, especially in tests to double shift like the Ikurriña de Zarautz there may be severalIn the same way that the list of victims can also be long, which it is. Let’s go by parts. Hondarribia had the ‘rag’ in his pocket after what happened the day before –26 seconds over Santurtzi after the worsening of maritime and meteorological conditions between batches– and nOr he had more trouble waving such precious loot for the third consecutive year.
To this must be added the fact that the frontiersmen have perched up to third place in the Eusko Label Liga when a couple of weeks ago they seemed practically discarded. Undisputed winner therefore. However, if we talk about winners Santurtzi also shares honors and leaves a clear warning to sailors: We are back!
And the thing is, the ‘Sotera’ arrived at the Zaragoza appointment in second place and leaves it as a solid leader of the competition and giving the feeling of having recovered the lost course for a few weeks. Coup of authority and also of self-esteem to face the moment of truth. His coach, Iker Zabala, seems to have found the gala team, the one that prevailed in the Ikurriña de Hondarribia and that, after winning his batch also on Saturday with solvency, this Sunday has once again been the best ahead of the greens – six seconds to go.
More than one purple fan will think that if the fateful change in time did not occur the previous afternoon, perhaps the mini Concha would now be stored in the Santurtziarras showcases, but that is something that will never be known. What is verifiable is that on the other side, that of the worst unemployed, Crews like Urdaibai have remained who, although in yesterday’s regatta, did rise to the occasion after the disaster the day before –Last due to street circumstances and own mistakes–, he has gone from the top of the table to fourth place overall. In addition to the Bermeotarras, the weekend has not been anything favorable for Orio, much less for a Donostiarra who has been dropped from the round of honor after a long time. Collateral damage.
And in that same bag is also Kaiku, although in his case the battle is to avoid the descent. There is no doubt that the ‘Bizkaitarra’, with the change of coach, has offered a better image, but that has not been worth to change the delicate qualifying situation –red lantern–. On the contrary, the men of Peio de Vega, after the hopeful result on Saturday in which they cut several points from their predecessor, were again last and are already 14 points from the play-off – they reached Zarautz at eleven. They need little less than a miracle in the four days that remain before the cut occurs to avoid the direct descent.
With the ‘roosters’ scattered in different batches and with sea conditions very different from those of Saturday, the reference time for many minutes was that set by Urdaibai in the inaugural series. Orio, winner of the second round, was five seconds behind the ‘txos’ and it seemed that the ‘Bou Bizkaia’ could even have flag options if the wind made an appearance. It was not the case, although neither Zierbena, nor Hondarribia nor Santurtzi, lowered their time in the first ciaboga –the ‘galipos equaled it with 4.49–.
In the second long
However, the ‘Sotera’ dynamited the regatta in a second spectacular length in ‘popare’. In the absence of 500 meters to the halfway point, those skippered by Asier Zurinaga went from being two seconds behind Zierbena to standing four ahead of the ‘galipos’ in the maneuver. And most importantly, they already took 12 from Urdaibai.
From that moment, those of the Left Bank managed the series as they pleased. Nobody was able to jeopardize a partial victory in the day that, seen as they passed –Orio and Urdaibai, their top rivals for the title were fifth and fourth respectively– it was worth its weight in gold. Behind, the hand in hand between border and ‘galipos’ opted for the side of the former. The league comes to the Bilbao estuary hot, hot.
.
