##On Sunday 14th March, the II Regatta of the SUMA Fixed Bench League of the Mediterranean, organised by the Rowing Federation of the Valencian Community, took place. After the first race held the day before in Benidorm with the departure of youth and veterans, the coastal town of Santa Pola hosted the regatta of the two senior categories.

The athletes rowed a distance of 5,000 metres, starting and finishing at the breakwater located next to the headquarters of the organising club, the Club Náutico Santa Pola. They rowed around the Gran Playa and Playa Lisa areas in the classic Falucho Llaüt Valencià boats, a traditional and original style of Valencian rowing in which eight rowers and a coxswain take part in each boat. The good weather and sea conditions made for a beautiful rowing spectacle.

The local team, Club Náutico Santa Pola, won the men’s absolute category with a time of 26 minutes and 30 seconds. Ten seconds later came the boat from Real Club Regatas de Alicante, which took second place on the podium. Third place in this first regatta went to Club de Mar Clot de L’illot de Campello, which stopped the clock in 27 minutes and 22 seconds. The Secció Esportiva Universitat d’Alacant finished fourth, also under 28 minutes. Next to cross the finish line, in this order, were the teams Real Club Náutico Valencia, Real Club Náutico Denia, Real Club Náutico Gandía and Club Náutico Alicante Costa Blanca.

The fight for the first position was very competitive in the women’s race, where there was only two seconds difference between the first and second classified. In the end, the rowers from Club de Mar Clot de L’illot de Campello were faster and took the victory with a time of 28 minutes and 12 seconds. Just a few metres behind them came the Real Club Náutico Valencia boat. The dispute for third place was also very close and was won by Real Club Regatas de Alicante, with a time of 28 minutes and 20 seconds, just a few hundredths of a second ahead of Real Club Náutico Calpe. The spectacle, in both races, was of a high level. Completing the classification, in this order of finish, were the teams from Club Náutico Santa Pola, Real Club Náutico Gandía, Secció Esportiva Universitat d’Alacant, Club Náutico Alicante Costa Blanca and Club Remo Ciudad de Valencia.

In this way, Club Náutico Santa Pola and Club de Mar Clot de L’Illot de Campello are the first leaders of the Mediterranean SUMA Fixed Bench League in the men’s and women’s absolute categories respectively. The next regatta will be on Sunday 21st March in Calpe.

Report by 24/7 Valencia team